From a lecture by His divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
We all complain about shortage of money. There’s also the economic crisis and people are getting more and more scared about the future. The politicians are trying put together all kinds of
schemes to boost the economy and deal with the deficit, etc. The ancient Vedic scriptures however give a practical advise on how to have a nice economic development, where everyone benefits –cow
protection. Because the cow gives such an abundant amounts of milk it is a complete foolishness to kill her simply to have a lousy steak. The spiritual master of the Hare Krishna movement
His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada points the defects of the modern civilization and gives a practical solution to the economical crisis.
In spite of their so-called civilization, motor tire civilization, they'll go to hell. But they cannot understand. They're thinking, "Oh, these people are crazy. Let us enjoy. After this life, everything is finished. So long this life is there, better enjoy. Let us enjoy." That is explained: yad indriya-pritaye. Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Oh, alas, these rascals, they have become mad, pramattah. Pramattah means mad. Mattah means mad. And pra means prakrsta-rupena, still more, still more. A mad man, he's not so harmful. He is... Sometimes he becomes naked and goes to the street and talks nonsense. That much. But this man, although he's dressing like a gentleman, and talking of scientific and philosophy, but he is simply after this sex pleasure, pramattah. He has no other... So therefore this word has been used—pramattah. Prakrsta-rupena mattah.Nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma means forbidden, criminal activities. There are three kinds of activities: karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means prescribed duties. That is karma. Just like sva-karmana. In the Bhagavad-gita: sva-karmana tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. Everyone has got prescribed duties. Where is that scientific understanding? There must be... As I was talking the other day, scientific division of the human society. The most intelligent class, they should be trained up as brahmana. Less, little less intelligent, they should be trained up as administrator. Less intelligent, they should be trained up as traders, agriculturalists and cow protector. The economic development requires cow protection, but these rascals do not know. The economic development's cow killing. Just see, rascal civilization. Don't be sorry. It is sastra. Don't think that I am criticizing the Western civilization. It is sastra says. Very experienced.So there are so many economic development advocates, but they do not know that cow protection is one of the items of economic development. These rascals, they do not know. They think cow killing is better. Just the opposite. Therefore kurute vikarma. Simply for little satisfaction of the tongue, the same benefit you can derive from the milk, but because they are rascals, madmen, they think that eating or drinking the blood of the cow is better than drinking milk. Milk is nothing but transformation of the blood, everyone knows. Everyone knows. Just like a human being, mother, as soon as the child is born, immediately... Before the child is born, you don't find in the breast of the mother any drop of milk. See. In a young girl, there is no milk in the breast. But as soon as the child is born, immediately there is milk. Immediately, spontaneously. This is God's arrangement. Because the child requires food. Just see how God's arrangement is there. Still, we are trying for economic development. If a child is born and God's economic program is so nice, nature's economic program, that immediately the mother is ready with the milk... This is economic development. So the same milk is supplied by the cow. She's actually mother, and this rascal civilization is killing mother. Mother-killing civilization. Just see. You suck the breast of your mother from the beginning of your life, and when she's old if you think, "Mother is useless burden. Cut its throat," is that civilization?So these rascals are doing that. Taking milk as much as possible from the cows, and then as soon as... Milk is not stopped, it will again come if the cow is protected, given right nutritious food and protection, cow will supply you milk so long she lives. As long as she lives. But as soon as they see that the cow... "Now they were giving thirty kilos. Now it has decreased, twenty kilos or ten kilos. Oh, economic development. Cut its throat." Economic development. Just see how rascal civilization it is. Therefore, it is called nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma. Vikarma means criminalities. You cannot kill anyone. Just like in the state laws, if you kill somebody, then you'll be hanged. This is the law: life for life. That is sanctioned in the sastras, Manu-samhita. When a person is a murderer, he should be killed. Why he should be killed? Because he'll be saved from so many dangerous conditions in his next life. That they do not know. They do not believe in the next life.So without knowing, without sufficient knowledge, they are declaring themselves as civilized. That is mentioned here, nunam pramattah kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And why they are doing that? Yad indriya-pritaye, simply for the satisfaction of the tongue. That is also false. If you have got enough milk production, you can take, break the milk, and you get cheese. And from cheese, if you... We are daily doing that. You can make nice preparation, chana. That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagulla, sandesa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese. But they do not know. Crude civilization, and take a lump of flesh and boil it and give little salt and black pepper and eat like animal. This is civilization. This is civilization. Just try to understand. You have to convince your countrymen that what is this civilization, nonsense civilization? Stop this kind of civilization. Learn how to become civilized. Don't claim yourself as civilized man and eating like tigers and dogs and cats.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.3—Stockholm, September 9, 1973
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