View source for Hundred years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they’re increasing bodily or material necessities of life. This is recklessness

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{{terms|"Hundred years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they’re increasing bodily or material necessities of life. This is recklessness"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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[[Category:One Hundred Years]]
[[Category:Ago]]
[[Category:They Can]]
[[Category:Without]]
[[Category:Motorcar]]
[[Category:Now]]
[[Category:Cannot Live Without]]
[[Category:Car]]
[[Category:In This Way]]
[[Category:Unnecessarily]]
[[Category:They Are]]
[[Category:Increase]]
[[Category:Bodily Necessities]]
[[Category:Material Necessities]]
[[Category:Necessities of Life]]
[[Category:This Is]]
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<h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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A hundred years ago—there was no motorcar. And now, wherever you go, in any country, you see thousands and millions of motorcar. This is recklessness. Hundred years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they're increasing bodily or material necessities of life. This is recklessness. And the leaders who will encourage them to this recklessness, he's good leader. And who say, "Stop this nonsense, come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," nobody will care.
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[[Vanisource:760803 - Conversation A - New Mayapur|760803 - Conversation A - New Mayapur]]
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Prabhupāda: Young, youthful days, if you give them full freedom, they'll be misguided and spoiled.

Viśvambhara: She's asking that since in these Western countries the families are so broken up and the women sometimes cannot find a qualified husband, what should she do?

Prabhupāda: That, here is the society. You train them. You have got all children. You train them in that way, so that... Whatever is done is done. Now you can make very good society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society. Not that one mistake has been done, you should continue. Rectify it. The difficulty is the modern society, the leaders, they do not know the aim of life. They are blindly doing everything like animals. Their philosophy is like the animals: eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that's all. This is the philosophy of the animals. And human philosophy is to understand first of all, "What I am? I am this body or something else?" That is human life. But nobody questions this. There is no institution to teach this science; therefore the whole human society is misguided. Just like if I want to train my boy to become a medical man, then I teach him biology, botany, similarly, because I know I shall make my boy a medical man. Similarly, we should know what is the aim of human life. Then we have to construct the social, political, everything, favorable to that end. But they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the whole mistake. I think that in Bible there is a story, prodigal son? So we are prodigal son. We are all sons of God; now we have become prodigal sons. What is the meaning of prodigal?

Jayatīrtha: I'll look it up.

Prabhupāda: "Without any responsibility," is it not? Do whatever you like.

Viśvambhara: Run away from the protection of the family.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our position, that we are sons of God; we have given up protection of God. God is protecting in all circumstances.

Hari-śauri: It says "Prodigal: recklessly wasteful."

Prabhupāda: That's it. This is the... We are all recklessly wasteful sons of God. We are sons of God, there is no doubt, but at the present moment, recklessly wasteful. We are wasting our valuable life even, we are so reckless. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to check their recklessness and bring them into senses of responsibility, going back home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But people are so reckless, as soon as you say something of God, immediately they laugh, "Oh, what is nonsense, God?" This is the supreme recklessness. India was very serious about God. Still, India is serious. Now, the present leaders, they are thinking that Indians are spoiled, simply thinking of God—they're not thinking like the Americans and Europeans for economic development.

So this is the position, and it is very difficult, but still we can do something(?) this to the humanity, by preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And those who are fortunate, they'll come, take up seriously. These reckless prodigal sons, we have got so many examples. For example, just like there is some stock of petroleum and they got information that from petroleum they can run on cars without horse. So, manufacture millions of cars and spoil the whole oil. This is recklessness. And when it is finished, then they'll cry. And it will be finished. This is going on. Recklessness. Just as reckless boy, father has left some property, use it, use it, as soon as you get. The sooner it is finished, that's all. That is reckless. There is some strength in the body, and as soon as he gets a little taste of sex life, "Oh, spend it, spend it," whole energy spent. Then brain becomes vacant. This is recklessness. Beginning from twelfth year, by the thirty year, everything finished. Then he's impotent. In our childhood—in our childhood means, say, eighty years ago, or say, a hundred years ago—there was no motorcar. And now, wherever you go, in any country, you see thousands and millions of motorcar. This is recklessness. Hundred years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they're increasing bodily or material necessities of life. This is recklessness. And the leaders who will encourage them to this recklessness, he's good leader. And who say, "Stop this nonsense, come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness," nobody will care. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). This is called blind leader leading blind followers. They do not know that both of them are bound up by the strict, stringent laws of nature. (break)

How the laws of nature is working, they are completely in ignorance. They do not know. This is modern civilization. The laws of nature must work in its own way. You care for it or do not care for it, that is your business, but the laws of nature will work. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27|BG 3.27]]). But these rascals, they do not know how the laws of nature will work. They are endeavoring artificially for, foolishly, to overcome the laws of nature. This is science, rascal's science, which is impossible, but they are trying. This is called rascaldom. Stupidity. Do the scientists not say like that: "We are trying to overcome"? Rascal, you'll never be able to do that. But this rascaldom is going on. And they're applauding, "Oh, very good, very good, very good. Oh, you are going to the moon planet." But after all endeavor, the grapes are sour: "It is not useful." That's all. You know this story? The jackal? He tried for the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When it was failure, he said, "Oh, it is useless. It is sour. It is sour, no use." (laughter) So they are doing like that. The jackals are jumping, that's all. And we can see how these rascals are jumping uselessly. (laughter) So we are warning people not to follow these silly jackals. Be prudent and be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will make your life successful.
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