Prabhupāda: . . . technology. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, His activities, His appearance, His disappearance, this technology, then you also become like Kṛṣṇa: no more birth, no more death, no more disease. This is science. In this life if you simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then you become immune from birth, death, old age and disease. So if you don't like . . . not you; mean the people. They say: "No, we don't like Kṛṣṇa consciousness." But you, you are so much advanced in science and technology. Where is your technology?
That was my question in the Massachusetts Technological . . . "Where is your technology to stop this death?" Nobody wants to die. Is it not a fact? So where is that technology that human society has given, has been awarded with this profit by such-and-such great scientist that people will no more die, no more disease, no more birth, no more old age? Nobody wants to become old. Nobody wants to get an old body like me, rheumatic troubles. Nobody wants. But I am forced to accept. Where is that technology? I was also young man like you. I would like to go back again to that young life, but there is no possibility. So where is that technology? Real problems of life are not solved, because there is no knowledge. Lack of knowledge.
Banker: According to the scientific finds of Dr. Alexander Leaf of Harvard Medical School, it is impossible to lengthen life infinitely, physically, because the cell is not capable of regenerating itself more than fifty times.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that we admit. But we are not material; we are spiritual. That is . . .
Banker: Correct. You are not talking about the physical.
Prabhupāda: Ah. Physical is my outward dress. Just like your coat, if it becomes old enough, there is no more possibility to use it. You have to throw it away. You have to take another coat. Similarly, physically . . . I am spirit soul. When my physical body is old enough, useless, then I will have to give it up. I will have to accept another new body. But the question is that I am eternal; why I am forced to accept a body which will be useless after some time? That is the problem. I am eternal, as spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die after the annihilation of this body. But why I am forced to accept another body, which will be annihilated? This technology is unknown all over the world. And still they are proud of becoming very advanced in science.
(aside) Open this. Let them come. Keep it open. Aiye (Please come.). Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu . . . (BG 13.9). Come forward.
(break) . . . technology, although it is a problem. But we can supply this technology to solve this problem. Jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām . . . jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya (BG 7.29). (break) . . . modern technologist, scientist, they do not know what is the perfection of life. Now they are thinking that having a big building, possessing big building and possessing a few cars and nice bank balance, that is perfection of life. But suppose you get a very nice home, very nice big bank balance, and other amenities, but there is every possibility that as soon as you prepare all these things, you have to go away immediately—death. There is no guarantee that "After finishing this job, I shall be able to enjoy these things."
At any moment you can be asked, "Get out." So this labor, so much labor for creating nice residential quarters, bank balance and others, that is my futile labor, because I could not enjoy it. Therefore this is not perfection of life. If there is no guarantee of enjoying what you are creating, then where is the perfection? You create things for enjoyment, but you enjoy it. But there is no guarantee of enjoyment. At any moment you'll be asked, "Get out." Is that perfection? You create things, that's all right. But you enjoy it. But there is no guarantee. Just like I saw in Paris that arch. Napoleon wanted to make an arch. You know . . . no, you have not been in Paris?
Banker: Yes, I've been to Paris.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that arch, what is that called, arch?
Devotees: Arc de Triomphe.
Prabhupāda: Ah. So Napoleon was . . . but before constructing that arch, he was finished in Battle of Waterloo. So all the struggle he made to make France a great country and him to become a great leader was futile. It was not perfectly done. In one statue I saw, "France and Napoleon identical." But France is there; where is Napoleon? Therefore it is called illusion, māyā. Just like our Gandhi, in this country he struggled so hard, got independence. But just after independence he was killed, finished. He could not enjoy. He simply struggled. You cannot say that he had no desire to enjoy. Then how he was sticking to that politics? And because he was sticking to that politics, he was killed. If he would have retired from politics, he would not have been killed.
Therefore because he was sticking to that politics means he wanted to enjoy the fruit. But he could not. Therefore we do not know what is the perfection of life. Because we create so-called paraphernalia of perfection of life, but we are not allowed to enjoy it, therefore we must accept, "There is superior power. Without His sanction I may create very favorable situation, but I may not be allowed to enjoy it." Suppose you are bank manager. If the post is that, "Yes, you will be appointed today, and tomorrow you will be kicked out," will you accept it?
Banker: Happens all the time. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: (laughs) So you have been accustomed to this kick out. Yes, actually, that is the position. We have been accustomed in the kicking out of māyā. Māyā rati kaya. There is a . . . in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that we are being kicked out by māyā like football. From that side it is kicked. I come this side, and from this side I am kicked; I am going that side. That's all. This is our happiness.