Śyāmasundara: The whole secret of life has been lost when this civilization was lost. Every knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So you try to give them, these foolish men. They are after dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Adi 1.90). Therefore Bhāgavata begins, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2): all this cheating, rascaldom, is thrown away. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains kaitavaḥ, these are all cheating. The so-called religion, so-called economic development, so-called sense gratification, so-called liberation, they're all cheating.
Śyāmasundara: Because they promise something they don't deliver?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Even if you get it, what do you get? You go to . . . supposed you go to church: "God, give us our daily bread." God is giving, then what do you get? Bread is given to the animals also. Why you are going to the church? That is the Communist say that, "We shall give you bread. Why you waste your time with so-called religion?" The politician says that "You want to be happy, there is technology.
Why you are going to pray to God? This is all nonsense." They are thinking that. But prayer is not meant for that purpose. Prayer . . . just like we are praying, but our prayer is, "Kṛṣṇa, kindly engage me in Your service," Hare Kṛṣṇa. "O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, O the Lord Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service." This is our prayer. We are not going to pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." And if you get bread, then what do you gain?
Śyāmasundara: We've all experienced that. We've had so much bread. What did we get?
Prabhupāda: That's it. Even you get bread, what do you get? Bread is already given even to the animals