Society

Published on May 12th, 2023 | by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

8

Man is the architect of his own fortune.

What India is suffering from today is not so much poverty of the means of material existence. She is suffering much more from the bankruptcy of her spiritual resources.

Man is the architect of his own fortune. That is an old well known English maxim and the good fortune that the man has evolved out for him at the present moment can be amply verified as soon as we receive our morning newspapers. The sample good news that we are receiving now in every morning are as follows:

  1. Bihar Government Deny starvation death. (A.B.P. 23.45)
  2. Rice selling at 55 and salt at 80/- per (?).
  3. People living on cotton & Potato leaves.
  4. 600 Viet Minh Troops Taken Prisoner.
  5. 500 mounds of food burnt in granary.
  6. Famine conditions in such and such places.
  7. Progressive decontrol urged in Conferences.
  8. Recovery of Abducted women.
  9. (?) on woes of Refugees.
  10. High Government official Arrested.
  11. Government Crisis in Britain.
  12. Troops Patrolling Streets of Cooch Behar
  13. Mob attacks ____’s House and injures son.
  14. Congress Office Raided
  15. Rationing Official Assaulted
  16. Present Administration (?) and compared with past
  17. 30,000 Nepalese migrate to India.
  18. Persian students defy Government Ban.
  19. Mile long procession in Sympathy with Killed oil workers.
  20. Red offensive Imminent.
  21. Principal Garg Killed by examinees
  22. Daring Robbery at Lloyds Bank.
  23. Rs. 12 lakhs taken away.
  24. Baroda Ex-Rulers Submission to President.

Thoughtful men must now seriously think how we are marching towards the progressive way of human civilization. The influence of modern civilizing process, by the highests(?) of planning commissions, is gradually leading us to a destination summarised as follows:

  1. Destruction of Faith, Truthfulness, cleanliness, Forgiveness, Mercy, Longevity, Strength and Memory.
  2. Accumulation of vast wealth is the standard of recognition for one’s parentage, behavior and good qualities.
  3. Black-market in every business deal.
  4. Sexuality in conjugal love.
  5. Only a piece of thread on the body marks the sign of Brahmanism.
  6. Only a red garment as the sign of a sannyåsî.
  7. No justice in the law Court without money.
  8. Impartinance as the sign of education.
  9. Poverty means dishonesty.
  10. Pride means honesty.
  11. Acceptance by contract means marriage.
  12. Keeping long hairs means beauty.
  13. Exaggeration means truthfulness.
  14. Filling the stomach means self-realization.
  15. Providing the wife & children means ability.
  16. Religiosity means to acquire some extraordinary name & fame.

When we have produced such a glorious sample of human civilization, certainly democracy will mean nothing but accumulating a large number of votes by hook or crook and then capture the political power. As a result of such unruly(unholy?) election heads of political power, will be by nature merciless, greedy and bestowed with the qualities of the plunderers. The unfortunate voters who have not much discriminating power as victimized by the chain of modern civilizing process become subjected to the plundering process of the political heads in the matter of their hearth and home.

These unfortunate people being too much harrassed by governmental taxes and famine, are forced to accept cotton and potato or other leaves as foodstuff. They become forced to accept meat and flesh instead of grains and vegetables and they are obliged to assimilate hydrogenated injurious oil in place milk and ghee. By such eating process they are attacked with cholera, typhoid, dysentry and tuberculosis to meet an end of miserable life.

They are subjected to the pangs of winter and summer, rains and sun besides hunger, thirst, disappointment, frustration. Thus they have to make a sad end of life by over anxiety due to all round scarcity.

That is the sum and substance of the advancement of material civilization. Undoubtedly we have produced by dint of advancement of having the motors, the radios, the cinemas, the railways, the airways, the (? ), the medicines, the toilets, the big buildings, the big mills, agricultural implements, big offices, (?), hodgepodge philosophers, industrialists, poets, scientists, politicians, iron men, statesmen and what not but the net result is no food, no clothing, no shelter, no peace.

Will any thinking and sober man with any sense of human reasoning call this status of human life as civilized? We think not. This unrestricted material progress of civilization must be checked if humanity has to exist at all and the big brains who pose to lead the people in general must now try to understand and recognise that matter is not all in all but it is subordinate to the spirit.

The matter is produced of inferior nature while the spirit is born of a superior nature. The living being whatever it may be is the particle of that spirit qualitatively one & equal with the Supreme Spirit. The living entities are parts & parcels of the Supreme Spirit. The ideology of material civilization must be changed into the ideology of spiritual civilization. Material civilization is based on the ideology of unsatiable desire for sense gratification which leads to anger when such sense gratification remains unsatisfied and from anger it turns to bewilderment which again turns into loss of memory. This loss of memory is complete destruction of spiritual consciousness which is the highest type of ignorance.

Leaders of material ideology came and gone after having enjoyed this material earth for a limited period. The material bodies of such leaders of ideology under various big big names are now turned into worms, stools or ashes and such materialistic leaders who fought so much on their different ideologies did not know what should be permanent basis of civilization. Most of them have gone to the lowest status of the kingdom of hell due to their unholy action of public nuisance. Such leader falsely thinks that this material world is now enjoyed by him and afterwards it shall be enjoyed by his generations without knowing what he is and what are his (?). Such false sense of proprietorship arises out of (?) ignorance by loss of memory of spiritual consciousness.

By falsely accepting this material body as the real self the foolish people engage themselves in the gross materialistic activities resulting in the conditions mentioned above but later on he goes away under the laws of higher authority leaving both the material world and material body behind them. They leave behind only a historical narration of their transient life without any (?) tangible benefit for the human being. The mother earth when the leaders and kings wanted to exploit laughs at these leaders and kings when she sees that the leaders and kings cannot go away but the earth remains where she is.

Dr. S.P. Mookerjee rightly observed in his address at Sri Aurobindo Memorial Convention (dated 24.4.51) as follows: “These spiritual efforts of the great master often defy common understanding. Yet the call of the times was never so imperious at it is now. What India is suffering from today is not so much poverty of the means of material existence. She is suffering much more from the bankruptcy of her spiritual resources. Her spirit has stooped low and is even now stooping low—not to conquer but to encompass a moral tragedy too terrible to contemplate. “The Government moves in the same vicious circle. Moral standards are at discount. High purpose is resumed exclusively as an adornment of pontifical pronouncement from high offices. The same(?) is virtually littered with the debris of the spiritual achievements of a people that was once great.”

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About the Author

Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.



8 Responses to Man is the architect of his own fortune.

  1. vanshika says:

    Hare krishna Prabhu
    All glories to srila prabhupada
    I read in nectar of instruction that
    “Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anuvṛtti commentary that too much endeavor to acquire knowledge on the part of mental speculators or dry philosophers falls within the category of atyāhāra (collecting more than needed). According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the endeavor of philosophical speculators to write volumes of books on dry philosophy devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is entirely futile. The work of karmīs who write volumes of books on economic development also falls within the category of atyāhāra. Similarly, those who have no desire for Kṛṣṇa consciousness and who are simply interested in possessing more and more material things—either in the shape of scientific knowledge or monetary gain—are all included under the control of atyāhāra.”
    And I’ve understood it very well! All All All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All glories to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura! I’ve got my way! HARI BOL!! :))

  2. Vanshika says:

    Hare Krishna prabhu ji
    All glories to guru and gauranga
    I need ur help, sorry for disturbing you again.
    As I told you about studying humanities in my upcoming 2 years of highschool, the books names i told were of the university level (M.A.) not highschool level.

    Highschool humanities doesn’t has anything like mayavadi bhasya, it has psychology, political science, mass media, English language.

    Mayavadi bhasya comes in university level (m.a. And b.a.)

    Actually what happens in India is that your university and job depends upon what u Opted in Highschool. If you opt for biology or mathematics then you can go in engineering or doctor field, if you opt for business or finance then u can go in business or finance service field, if you opt for humanities (which also includes mass media now) then u can go in teaching or media stream (like a radio jockey or reporter, etc).

    These are awarded on the basis of marks, the highest gets biology or mathematics, average gets business or finance, below average gets humanities.
    I am average child, so no biology or mathematics and business or finance also includes maths which am a zero in! So humanities stream can give me the teaching or media job and its subjects also dont require tight hard work.

    So, I’ve decided to opt for humanities in upcoming 2 highschool years, As it doesn’t has any mayavadi bhasya in it, and it’s not mandatory to study mayavadi bhasya after this, media and teaching field is also there.

    I know every knowledge which is material is mundane, but for a job and survival in this material world education is needed, no education means no job, no job means no money and then how will I do the service to Krishna and prabhupaad!

    But if material education for survival and service is required so why only mayavadi bhasya (the biggest mundane knowledge)? Why not teaching and media? Why shall I choose something which is totally mundane and also spoiling my KC?

    So mayavadi bhasya is now, after Searching for more courses and jobs with humanities stream in high school, really really seems like spoiling my own Krishna consciousness, so its a total NO.

    But from your side, whats good? (Leaving mayavadi bhasya, as I have left), media or teacher field?

    Honestly, i owe you, 🙂 Your last answers have really saved my Krishna consciousness, if you wouldent have answered me and told me about mayavadi bhasya then I would have decided to study it without researching, So thankyou very much for bringing the dark side of the attractive mayavadi bhasya in front of me, if you wouldn’t have warned me I wouldn’t have done more research on it. So all the credit for saving my KC goes to u, prabhupad and Chaitanya mahaprabhu!!

    I really don’t know what is there for me in the store of Krishna, but all I know is that I have to serve him and srila prabhupad and gauranga. My point is Earning a average job which can help me in serving Krishna not in spoiling Krishna consciousness. Respect, honour, etc, are mundane for me, I’ve got no value of them in my life, As ive learned what’s most valuable in a human birth. All I want is to serve Krishna and prabhupada, how they’ll allow me is upon them.
    All humble respects in yours feet.
    All glories to guru and gauranga.
    As you are the only one thinking from krishna conscious point of view, (and following srila prabhupad’s true footsteps), i obey your teachings .
    Reply soon please..
    Dandvats.

    • Hare Krishna Vansika

      I am not the only one thinking from a Krishna conscious point of view. Anyone can read Srila Prabhupada’s books and follow his instructions and in that way think from a Krishna conscious point of view. That is all I have done and anyone else can do it also. It is open to everyone, thinking from a Krishna conscious point of view.

      As far as your education, we have to do something in the material world, some work, to maintain ourselves and our families. So you have to study some mundane things and pass some mundane exams and get some mundane job and work at it to support yourself and your family. That is what Srila Prabhupada did. He went to Scottish Churches College and got an English education there and studied all the mundane subjects, of course ultimately he did not sit for the exams but that had nothing to do with Krishna consciousness. At that time he was a follower of Gandhi who as part of his non-cooperation policy with the British boycotted the English education system and requested his followers to reject the English education. So Prabhupada did that.

      But he got a job with a big chemical company and later started his own medical business and worked in that job and made money and supported his family. And at the same time he remained a pure devotee of Krishna.

      So being Krishna conscious does not mean that you can not work and make money to support yourself and your family.

      So just work out what you would like to do, what you can do, and study that and do it. And at the same time keep on chanting at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day and read Srila Prabhupada’s books and follow the four regulative principles…

      I can not tell you exactly what to do. I do not know your situation, what you are good at, etc. You have to work that out for yourself. But there is no problem in studying something and passing the exams and getting some job.

      Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

      Madhudvisa dasa

      • vanshika says:

        Ya, Prabhu now you got my point. I know about prabhupaada’s journey about maintaining his life and preaching about Krishna consciousness, after reading about him from every authorized place, I was really inspired by his life, not only spiritual but also material, as everyone is not building temples and preaching about Krishna with 40₹ in there pocket! Prabhupada was a vikuntha man!
        And ya, you are right, I have to see where am good and what I can do, to maintain myself and family. I’ll not let it affect my Krishna consciousness, and actually it really doesn’t has anything to do with it!!
        but thanks for your reply, I really appreciate your replies to me as they are a good help.
        Hare Krishna!

  3. Vanshika says:

    Hare Krishna!
    I totally agree with prabhupad here, great! The title suits what is written in the article!!

  4. Rameshwar Pal says:

    Jai Gurudeb Prabhupada
    Jai Gurudeb Prabhupada
    Jai Gurudeb Prabhupada

    I have already surrendered all to the Gurudeb Prabhupada.By this we know gradually who is GOD Krishna.God Krishna is Parambrambha,Paramatma,Paramguru.
    I feel that when I chant another mantra then I am not so pleased or happy but when I chant HARE KRISNA MAHA MANTRA —-“HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISNA KRISHNA KRISNA HARE HARE HARE RAM HARE RAM RAM RAM HARE HARE” I see that I am very much pleased and happy and feel pure myself.After this I know that God krisna resides Every Soul.When this Mantra is chanted He appears.

  5. Krishna follower says:

    Hello all,

    I am happy to know that Krishna consciousness is being spread all over the world. and now myself and many others are trying to know Lord Krishna more.

    But i request one thing from your organisation, that Lord Krishna should be the center of focus to everyone, not any Guru. When i see website or your emails, there is lot of emphasis on Guru rather than Lord Krishna. It is Krishna consciousness that we have to gain rather than anyone else’s.

    I really have respect for what Guru Prabupadha has done by propogating Krishna consciousness everywhere.

    But still please give respect to Lord Krishna and make him the center of knowledge or center of discussion rather than anyone else. Since Krishna is the creator of this world He is the only omnipotent and omnipresent in this world. He is the only LORD of all only GURU of all and no one else. This we have to keep in mind.

    • Hare Krishna

      It is only possible to get the mercy of Krishna through the mercy of Krishna’s pure devotee. Without the mercy of Krishna’s pure devotee there is no possibility of ever getting the mercy of Krishna. Therefore actually Srila Prabhupada is the key and our only way of connecting with Krishna. We have to approach Krishna through his bona fide pure devotee representative. In this sense Srila Prabhupada is actually more important for us than Krishna because without his mercy there is no possibility we will be able to reestablish our original relationship with Krishna.

      Krishna is God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He sends His pure devotees like Srila Prabhupada to this material world to guide us, the fallen conditioned souls, and to chalk out for us the path back home, back to Godhead.

      So actually it is more important for us to worship Srila Prabhupada that it is for us to worship Krishna. Although of course Srila Prabhupada is guiding us how to worship Krishna, so we are worshiping Krishna, that is going on of course, but we are only able to worship Krishna because of the mercy of Srila Prabhupada…

      Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!

      Madhudvisa dasa

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