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Saturday, 17 May 1975

On his final morning walk in Perth, Srila Prabhupada delineated some of the faults in the environmentalist's philosophy of "caring for the future". Paramahamsa Swami cited Justin Murphy's ideas about scientific research. "As he sees it, one of the biggest problems is that the natural resources are being taken at such a pace that in the future there will be a great scarcity."

Prabhupada did not entirely agree. "God's resources are unlimited. They will not be finished; but those making the research -- they will be finished."

Srila Prabhupada stopped beside a small green creeper with bright yellow flowers that was growing out of the sand dunes. The researchers, Prabhupada warned, should not forget about their own future lives. "Suppose in the future you become a shrub like this -- what are you going to do? This may be your future."

Paramahamsa suggested that the researchers were worried about the "future of civilisation". Prabhupada shook his head. "Civilisation? But you will be finished! You would not take part in the civilisation. You have no belief in the next birth. So why you are thinking like that? Why you are worried?

"Suppose I have come here for three weeks. If I simply think, 'What will happen one hundred years after I am in Australia?' What is my business? I will go away in three weeks. Why shall I think so much about 'What will happen in Australia in one hundred years?' You are going to be cats and dogs or something, or grass. But you will be finished. Why are you anxious for Australia?"

Paramahamsa took the part of an Australian. "But this is my country."

"What is your country?" Prabhupada replied dismissively. "You will be kicked out after some years, that's all. Where is your country? You cannot stay in your country. First of all, you make sure that it is your country. I have come here for three weeks. Shall I consider it my country?"

"Your country is India; our country is Australia."

Prabhupada shook his head. "No, no. I come here for three weeks, three years, or three hundred years. What are these in comparison to eternal time? So why I am thinking like that, 'my country, your country, this country?' Everyone will be kicked out: 'Get out!' Your country will stay here permanently. But where you will go?

"Suppose in your next birth you become a cow and your countrymen send you to the slaughterhouse. So what is the use of having your country? The cow is also a national, you are also a national, but the law is that the cow is to be sent to the slaughterhouse."

Paramahamsa continued his role-play. "But I don't harm anyone. I live my own life, I have a good job -- I'm happy."

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, the ass also feels happy, the dog also feels happy. So you are like the ass, or dog.

Paramahamsa: Well, the devotees of Krsna also seem happy, but they don't do much practical work. They always sing and dance and ask for money -- but they don't work.

Prabhupada: Dancing is not working? And writing books is not working? Selling books is not working? What is working then?

Paramahamsa: Well, we are helping people practically like in the hospital or the alcoholics.

Prabhupada: How you are helping? Do you think if one goes to the hospital he will not die?

Paramahamsa: But he lives longer.

Prabhupada: That is another foolishness. How long you will live? When the time of death comes, you would not live longer even by a moment. When a man is going to die, his life is finished. Can your injection, medicine, give one minute's life more? Is there any medicine?

Paramahamsa: Well, sometimes when they give medicine they live longer. And they say that by perfecting heart transplants people may live longer.

Prabhupada: They may say, but we take them as rascals.

Paramahamsa: But Jesus said: "Love thy brother as thy self." So if we love our brother.

Prabhupada: That we are loving. We are giving Krsna consciousness. That is loving, real loving. We are giving them eternal life, eternal bliss. Unless we love them, why we are taking so much trouble? The preacher must love the people. Otherwise why he is taking? He can do it for himself at home. Why he is taking so much trouble? Why, at eighty years old, I have come here if I do not love? So who can love better than a preacher? He loves even the animals. Therefore he preaches: 'Don't take meat'. Do they love the animals, the rascals? They are eating, and they love their country, that's all. Actually, nobody loves. It is simply sense gratification.

Paramahamsa: But the school teachers, and the church leaders, and my parents, and grandparents, they all seem to think that what we're doing is all right.

Prabhupada: They may think like that, but our conclusion is that anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he is a rascal. He may be my teacher or my father or anyone. He is a rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavata. Pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat, gurur na sa syat, na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. 'One who cannot save me from the impending danger of birth, death, old age, and disease, he is not my father, he is not my teacher, he is not my guru, he is not my kinsman, she is not my wife, he is not my husband.'

Paramahamsa: But can we understand all this science and technology just by understanding Krsna, just by one book?

Prabhupada: Not one book. You cannot read them throughout your whole life. There are so many books. Take information from us. There is so much solid information given by Krsna. There is a mantra: yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati (Mundaka Upanisad 1.3). By understanding the Supreme, Krsna, then you understand everything. And so-called advancement of science? The devotees of Krsna are making real advancement. Bhava-maha-davagni nirvapanam. Their material anxieties will be over. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. By chanting Hare Krsna their dirty heart will be cleansed, and as soon as it is fully cleansed, the problems of material existence will be over. No more anxiety.


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu