Civilization means Calmness, Peace, Prosperity, Santi

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Prabhupada, New York, April 13, 1973 — All right, then work with your trucks: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. They have made their own position dangerous and others’ position also. They say… at any moment, there may be accident. This is the civilization. Nonsense.

This is not civilization. Civilization means calmness, peace, prosperity, santi. In peace and prosperity one should be Krishna conscious always. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah.

In the animal life, or other than human life, we had worked so much only for morsel of food, day and night, working. But still the food is there. Simply avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate. Avidya. This material world is full of ignorance. So therefore our endeavor should be how to come out of this ignorance. Tasyaiva hetoh.

For that reason, we should work only. How to come out of this ignorance, that “I am this material body. I have to work day and night, and then I shall get my food, and I shall live.” This is ignorance. Tasyaiva hetoh pra…

So this ignorance, this life of ignorance we have passed in the, I mean to say, the forms other than the human being. Animal life, bird’s life, beast’s life. Now this life should be peaceful, calm and quiet.

And jivasya tattva-jijnasa, simply for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. That should be the business. Simply. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. Athato brahma jijnasa. Simply sit down. Just like we are sit down. We are sitting down and inquiring about Krishna. This is life. And what is this life? Working day and night like the ass? No. That is not life.

Therefore Bhagavata says your life should be engaged for this purpose: tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. Kovida means intelligent. Then: “How my economic problem will be solved?”

The answer is: tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham. You are after happiness. Are you after distress? “No, sir.” Why distress comes upon you? You are not anxious for distress, calamities. Why do they come upon you? Similarly, so far your happiness is also concerned, that will also come upon you.

Because your life, according to your karma, is mixed up with some portion of happiness, some portion of distress. If the distress comes without any invitation, the happiness also will come without invitation.

Without any invitation. Because you are destined already that so much happiness, so much distress you will have. Destined.

So you cannot change it. Try to change your lord, this material condition of life. That is your only business. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah…Bhramatam upary adhah. You have tried. bhramatam upary adh… Upari means higher planetary systems.

Sometimes we get our birth in higher planetary system as demigods, and sometimes, adhah, as animals, as cats and dogs, germ of the stool. This is going on.

This is going on according to our karma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Only fortunate living entity gets this opportunity of association of Krishna and Krishna’s devotee. Then his life becomes sublime. Full Lecture