Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate: "Soul has no birth." Na mriyate: "It has no death." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20): "Soul is eternal," śāśvataḥ, "existing everlasting. Don't think that it is lost along with the dissolution of this body. No." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. Na hanyate means it is not killed or it is destroyed, even after the destruction of this body.
This is the missing point of modern civilization. They do not know . . . there is no educational system in the university what happens after death. There is no such educational system. The most defective education, because without this knowledge, what happens after death, without this knowledge, one who is dying without this knowledge, he's animal. The animal does not know that what he's going to have, another body, how it is . . . he has no such knowledge.
But human life is not meant for becoming an animal, simply interested in eating, sleeping, sex life and defence. You may have very nice arrangement for eating or you may have very nice buildings for sleeping, or you may have very good arrangement for sex life, or you may have very good defence force to protect yourself. But that does not mean that you are in human civilization.
That type of civilization is there in the animal life. They are also interested in eating. They are also interested in sleeping. They're also interested in sex life. And according to their own method, they defend also. Then where is the distinction between a human life and animal life if you are simply engaged with these four principles of our bodily necessities?
The distinction is when a human being is inquisitive, "Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy? Is there any perpetual, eternal life? I want I shall not die, I shall live very happily and peacefully. Whether there is a chance? What is that method? What is that science?" When these inquiries will be there and steps should be taken for answering the question, that is human civilization. Otherwise it is dog's civilization. If there is no such inquiry, then it is animal.
Animals are satisfied if they can eat something and sleep and have some sex life and some defense. That's all. There is no defense, actually, because nobody can protect himself from the hands of the cruel death. Therefore Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to live forever, and he underwent severe austerities. The so-called scientists are also saying that, "By scientific method we shall stop death." This is also another crazy utterances. That is not possible. You may make very much advance in scientific knowledge, but there is no solution, by your so-called science, of these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. There is no solution.
Therefore, one who is intelligent, he'll be eager how to solve these four prime problems. That is intelligence. Because nobody wants to die. "Why shall I die?" But there is no remedy. I have to die. The . . . everyone is very much anxious to stop increase of population by so many contraceptive method. But still, birth is going on. So there is no stoppage of death.
There is no stoppage of birth. And you might have invented very nice medicine by your scientific method, up-to-date medicines, but you cannot stop the disease. Just discover a tablet that you take this tablet there will be no more any disease. That is not possible. Disease will be there.