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Religion Without God? - no_god.txt [1/2]
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Civilization and Transcendence
>From the book "Civilization and Transcendence"
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(c) 1990 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International
Used with permission
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
replies to a Questionaire from Bhavan's Journal
June 28, 1976
RELIGION WITH NO CONCEPTION OF GOD ?
Pusta Krsna:Srila Prabhupada, this questionnaire was sent to you by
Bhavan's Journal, a cultural and religious magazine in Bombay. They are
questioning various religious and spiritual leaders, trying to get the
answers to some of the important questions that are perplexing people
today. So there's a list of questions, and the first is this: "Is the influence
of religion over the masses on the wane ?"
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. This is predicted in Srimad Bhagavatam [12.2.1]:
tatas canu-dinam dharmah
satyam saucam ksama daya
kalena balina rajan
nanksyaty ayur balam smrtih
"In Kali-yuga, this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, there shall be a waning of
these qualities: religiosity, truthfulness, cleanliness, tolerance, memory,
bodily strength, duration of life, and mercy." These are the human
assets-qualities which make a human being distinct from the animals. But
these things will decline. There will be almost no mercy, there will be
almost no truthfulness, memory will be shortened, duration of life
shortened. Similarly, religion will practically vanish. So That means
gradually human beings will descend to the platform of animals.
Especially when there is no religion, human beings are simply animals.
This any common man can distinguish-that a dog does not understand
what religion is. The dog is also a living being, but he's not interested in
what is being discussed here about Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam.
That is the distinction between man and dog: the animal is not interested.
So when human beings are becoming uninterested in religion, then they're
becoming animals.
And how can there be happiness or peace in animal society: The big
leaders want to keep the citizenry as animals, and at the same time they
are striving to make a United Nations. How is it possible? United Animals?
Is it possible? Society for United Animals.. [Laughter]. In the science of logic
it is said, "Man is a rational animal." So when rationality is missing, one
becomes simply an animal. What is the possibility of being a human being?
In human society, whether you are a Christian or a Muhammadan or a
Hindu or a Buddist, it doesn't matter. But there must be some system of
religion-that is human society. And human society without
religion-animal society. This is the plain fact. Why are people unhappy
now? Because they are neglecting religion.
One gentleman has written me that Marx said, "Religiion is the opium of
the people." That means that the Communists are very adamant against
God consciousness because they think that religion has spoiled the whole
social atmosphere. Religion might have been misused, but that does not
mean that religion should be avoided. Real religion should be taken.
Simply because religion has not been properly executed by the so-called
priests, that does not mean religion should be rejected. If my eye is giving
me some kind of trouble on account of a cataract, that doesn't mean my
eye should be plucked out. The cataract should be removed. So that is the
idea of Krsna consciousness movement-to remove the cataract from
people's religious vision.
Generally, modern so-called religious leaders have no conception of God,
and yet they are preaching religion. What good is that religion? People are
simply being misled. Real religion means God's order: dharmam tu saksad
bhagavat-pranitam. If your religion has no conception of God, where is
the question of religion? Still, without any conception of God, they are
professing some religion. How long will it go on artificially? It will
deteriorate. That ignorance about God has resulted in the present
condition.
Religion means the order of God, just as law means the order of the state.
Now, if in your social system there is no state, where is the question of the
state's order? You will simply manufacture your own order. Today that is
going on in the field of religion: there is no conception of God and
therefore no following of God's order.
But we devotees of Krsna have a clear conception of God. Here is God:
Krsna. And He's giving orders. We accept those orders. So it is clear
religion. But if there is no conception of God, no order of God, then where
is the question of relgion? Ask someone in some other religious system
what their conception of the form of God is. Can anyone tell clearly?
Nobody can say. But we shall immediately say,
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambudha-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His flute,
whose eyes are like petals of a blooming lotus, whose head is bedecked
with a peacock's feather, whose figure of beauty is tinged with the hue of
blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness charms missions of Cupids." [
Brahma-samhita 5.30]
Immediately, description-"Here is God." Then there is religion. And if
there is no conception of God, where is the question of religion? Bogus.
That is why religiosity and the other noble human qualities are declining.
People have no conception of God, and therefore there is no
understanding of religion. As a result, the whose human civilization is
declining. And because it is declining, human beings are becoming more
and more like animals.
CIVILIZATION MEANS REGULATION
Pusta Krsna: May I ask the next question, Srila Prabhupada? "Are fasting
and other dietary regulations necessary for leading a spiritual life?"
Srila Prabhupada: Certainly. For advancement in spiritual life, such
tapasya is essential. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something which
may be painful. For instance, we are recommending no illicit sex, no
intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. So those who are accustomed
to these bad habits-for them, in the beginning it may be a little difficult.
But in spite of this difficulty, one has to do it. That is tapasya. To rise early
in the morning-for those who are not practiced, it is a little painful, but
one has to do it. So according to the Vedic injuctions, there are some
tapasyas that must be done. It is not "I may do it or not do it:" These
austerities must be done. For example, in the Mundaka Upanisad it is
ordered that if one wants to become self-realized, one must approach a
spiritual master: tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigaccet. So there is no
question of "optional"; it must be done. And one must carry out the order
of the spiritual master and the order of the sastra, or scripture. When you
follow without consideration of whether it is convenient or inconvenient,
simply because it must be done, that is called tapasya. Tapo divyam: like
other great spiritual authorities, Rsabhadeva orders that this human life is
meant for austerity aimed towards realizing God. Therefore in our Vedic
civilization we find so many rules and regulations.
At the very beginning of life one must be a brahmacari. He must go to the
