General mass of people, at least the so-called educated, five to ten percent people, they are lost - Indian culture

Expressions researched:
"general mass of people, at least the so-called educated, five to ten percent people, they are lost"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have lost their own culture, and they could not assimilate the Western type of civilization. So they are lost. They are lost. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Now in India is everybody lost, the Indian culture . . .? Prabhupāda: No, not everybody. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No, no. Prabhupāda: Not everybody. But general mass of people, at least the so-called educated, five to ten percent people, they are lost. Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. Prabhupāda: Yes. And so-called educated, they practically guide. You'll be surprised to know that in 1950, one of my student, he was a government statistic officer. So he went to some village, and he gave me report that the villagers inquired from him that, "Babuji, agar angarej ko vote diya yai pasatela (Sir, if we again give vote to the Englishmen, will they come and rule).".

730722 - Conversation A - London

Pradyumna: This is from Bhagavad-gītā. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14).Prabhupāda: Annād bhavanti bhūtāni means by eating sufficiently, the living entities, they grow, they become strong, both animal and human being. Then?Pradyumna: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ.Prabhupāda: And the anna, these grains, they are produced from parjanyaḥ, from clouds. Now? Next?Pradyumna: Yajñād bhavati parjanyo . . .Prabhupāda: And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And when we regularly perform yajña, then there is regular cloud in the sky. And when there is cloud in the sky, there is regular rainfall, and when there is regular rainfall, there is sufficient production of food grains, fruits and other vegetables, so that both the animal and the human being, they eat sufficiently, they grow strength, they become happy and again perform yajña. And the animal supplies . . . the cow supplies milk. In this way, the whole society becomes happy. These are the prescription, or direction, given by the Vedic literature.So if people take advantage of this instruction, as you have mentioned in your article "The Great Seers," so if we follow their instruction, the whole history of the human being can be changed. There is no difficulty. But whether the people will accept or not, that is the business of the leaders of the society. So far I think that British people, they organized very nicely the British Empire, but some way or other, it is now lost.But still, the British prestige can be elevated if actually, according to the Vedic instruction, you try to make your social construction, the political institution and economic development . . . every direction is there. So you are all great historians. And there are many politicians. If you take this instruction of the Vedas little seriously, you can make your state an ideal state, and people are still ready to follow you. Then the whole history of the world will change. And if you people agree, then I can help. I can help.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. Yes, yes.(pause)Prabhupāda: There must be ample production of food grains and milk product. Then the whole economic problem solved. And the formula is there. How to get ample agricultural production and milk, everything is there in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the examples of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that is also there. But one . . . we must be serious to accept this formula for practical application.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes. You would apply the teachings of the Gītā to all human societies at all times. Yes, yes.Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes, that is my ambition, that let the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā be practically accepted by the human society, and surely they'll be happy. Surely. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glanīr bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So now everything is confused. And in your country, or Western countries, they are very organized. So you are not feeling now so much confusion. But it is coming. But in India and countries like that, it is very confusion state.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes.Prabhupāda: Yes. They have lost their own culture, and they could not assimilate the Western type of civilization. So they are lost. They are lost.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Now in India is everybody lost, the Indian culture . . .?Prabhupāda: No, not everybody.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No, no.Prabhupāda: Not everybody. But general mass of people, at least the so-called educated, five to ten percent people, they are lost.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes.Prabhupāda: Yes. And so-called educated, they practically guide. You'll be surprised to know that in 1950, one of my student, he was a government statistic officer. So he went to some village, and he gave me report that the villagers inquired from him that, "Babuji, agar angarej ko vote diya yai pasatela (Sir, if we again give vote to the Englishmen, will they come and rule)."Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes.Prabhupāda: You understand Hindi? No.Dr. Arnold Toynbee: No, I don't, actually. No, no, no.Prabhupāda: No. The inquiry was that, "If we again give votes to the Englishmen, will they come and rule?" (laughs)Dr. Arnold Toynbee: Yes, yes, yes.Prabhupāda: Yes. So they were feeling the . . . actually, in India . . . in our childhood, we know, every Indian felt very secure. They never expected that Britishers will go. They were so sympathetic. And now they . . . this is the pulse felt by that statistics officer. They are not very much satisfied with the present system of government. British administration was very much appreciated by the Indians. Even Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura appreciated.Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has written in something, somewhere that, "The Britishers also very nice, because they don't interfere with the religious affairs." So as soon as they changed their views and tried to divide the Hindus and Muslim, the British Empire lost. According to Queen's declaration, the Britishers pledged that, "They will not interfere with your religious affairs." Later on, for political purposes, when they interfered with this Hindu-Muslim question, then the British Empire lost.