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Perfect culture

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Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Brahminical culture is the perfect advancement of civilization.
Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972: We must come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, goodness, the brahminical stage. Then our life, our evolutionary process, will be successful. Tamasas tu rajas tasmāt sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam. Gradually, evolutionary process... I think in Darwin's theory there is no such conception of coming to the point of sattva-guṇa, goodness. They do not know even what it is, sattva-guṇa. Simply they are studying the animal bones. That's all. But actually perfection of evolutionary process is to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, brahminical stage. In other words, to become a brāhmaṇa is the topmost platform of advancement of civilization. Brahminical culture is the perfect advancement of civilization.
So this is the all-perfect knowledge, perfect culture, perfect advancement of civilization.
Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976: Therefore Arjuna knows, but for our education he's asking Kṛṣṇa that "Wherefrom this high temperature is coming?" Kim idaṁ svit kuto veti deva-deva na vedmi. We cannot understand. It is not possible. So many things are there even in this material world we cannot understand. We cannot get full information. But if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction... He's giving personally the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we take care of them, then we can understand everything very easily. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you can understand everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. So this is the all-perfect knowledge, perfect culture, perfect advancement of civilization. So everyone should take to it and all questions should be, is answered by Kṛṣṇa. You take it and become a perfect man.
To make people happy, the Vedic culture is the most perfect.
Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973: So this system—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—very scientific system. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. But now everything is lost. But to make people happy, the Vedic culture is the most perfect. The kṣatriyas are meant for fighting. Kṣatriyas are meant for ruling, punishing. These are meant for the kṣatriyas. They are exacting taxes. That is their means of livelihood. The government can levy tax for expenditure. You cannot levy tax. So there are living means of everyone. For brāhmaṇa, the living means: paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa is meant for teaching others and become himself a learned scholar. That is brāhmaṇa business. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He should be a great worshiper of Viṣṇu, and he should teach others also. Just like we are not only worshiping Kṛṣṇa in our temple, but we are making propaganda. This is brāhmaṇa's business.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Vedic culture is the perfect for human society, perfect culture.
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even the doctors are going on strike now.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are śūdras. Therefore, because it is the society of śūdras everywhere, there is confusion. No brain. Simply śocati, "want, want, want, want, want." And in brahminical culture, you will find even he is very poor brāhmaṇa, no source of income, no fixation of foodstuff even, but he is happy. He is happy. He is happy by his knowledge. He'll satisfy himself. If he does not get his food, then he will think that "This day Kṛṣṇa desired that I should not have my food. Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy." Therefore in Vedic culture, other section, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they would call the brāhmaṇas to take food. Brāhmaṇa-bhojana. Because they know, "The brāhmaṇas, they will starve; still they will not ask anybody to give him food." Therefore brāhmaṇa-bhojana. And now they have discovered daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. There are so many things. Vedic culture is the perfect for human society, perfect culture. And this is not bogus humbug, go into the darkness and do something nonsense. It is everything open, in the śāstra, in the book. You have to adopt it. Then you become happy. The whole society, the whole human society becomes happy, never mind where it is. It is science, how to live just like human being, not like cats and dogs. That is Vedic culture. Everyone is happy. Still, those who are following Vedic principles, they are happy than others. These Arya-samajis, they say, the Vedic culture, but they are not happy as the strictly followers of Vedic culture.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like when we are in danger, we consult some learned man or physician or a lawyer, similarly we have to consult the Vedic culture, how perfect it is.
Morning Walk -- March 7, 1974, Mayapura:

Śyāmasundara: Something like that. It's called a "think-tank". She's named it. It's presided over by Lord, Lord Goodman.

Prabhupāda: No, no. The thing is, unless the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, either this board or that board, that will not help. First of all, people should know what is the aim of life, what is culture, how the human activity should be directed. The people should know first of all this. Otherwise, changing from frying pan to the fire, it is useless. That is going on. That change, revolution, is going on. Just like the Russian people, they changed the Czarist government into communist government, revolution, but still, they're unhappy. They're trying to change by another revolution. This is going on. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. This is described in the śāstra as "chewing the chewed." Or the same simple philosophy: "This side of stool is better than that side." So he keeps the whole thing, stool. "This side, the dry side, is better and the moist side, wet side, is bad." This is no philosophy. It, it must not be stool. It must be gold. Then it is all right, this side or that side. That philosophy, that the dry side of stool is better than the wet side, this will not help. So first, first of all, human society must know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. We are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. We are suffering on account of our relationship with God. This is the cause of our suffering. Then we have to make plan how to revive our lost relationship with God. Then the... Everything is there in the Vedic literature. All directions are there. So we have to... Just like when we are in danger, we consult some learned man or physician or a lawyer, similarly we have to consult the Vedic culture, how perfect it is.

Correspondence

1970 Correspondence

Vedic culture is perfect knowledge, and without that knowledge, a human being is a polished animal in different degrees.
Letter to Sriman Bankaji -- Los Angeles 13 March, 1970: As you are personally assisting Sri Poddarji, it will not be difficult for you to understand how much Vedic culture is important for the human society. Vedic culture is perfect knowledge, and without that knowledge, a human being is a polished animal in different degrees. This Vedic knowledge is summarized in the Bhagavad-gita, which is the cream of all Upanisads. The Lord personally says in the Bhagavad-gita that the purpose of Vedic knowledge is to understand Krishna. And Krishna can be understood by His devotee who has been fortunate to have a little fraction of the Lord's mercy. Bhagavatam says, "My Dear Lord, one who has a little bit of mercy of the rays of Your lotus feet can understand You a little bit. So far others are concerned, they may continue to speculate on You, still they are unable to know what You are.

1975 Correspondence

Krishna consciousness movement is not a sentimental fanaticism of so-called religion. But, it is the perfect culture for peace and happiness of the whole human society.
Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 15 September, 1975: Regarding the tax question, our Krishna consciousness movement is cultural. We are preaching Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Our mission is to spread the instructions of Krishna so that people may become happy, hopeful, and peaceful. The central point is to understand Krishna as the supreme proprietor, the supreme enjoyer and the best friend of all living beings. He is the best friend of the human society because He gives perfect social order, perfect economic development, perfect philosophy, perfect religion, and perfection of life. Religion is described in the English dictionary as a kind of faith. Of course when we accept Krishna's instructions perfectly we become automatically perfectly religious person. Therefore Krishna consciousness movement is not a sentimental fanaticism of so-called religion. But, it is the perfect culture for peace and happiness of the whole human society.
Page Title:Perfect culture
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:30 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=2, Let=2
No. of Quotes:7