Prabhupäda: Well, scientific advancement, all this nonsense you can say. Just like Iran. God has given the oil underneath the ground, you are so proud. But if God would not give you the oil, then you starve in the desert. Then talk of improvement, nonsense. You're dependent on the oil. That is given by God. By God's grace, you havegot some stock of oil, and there is good demand of oil. Then you are proud of making advancement. You are depending on the oil. The oil is supplied by God. You're dependent. Where is your independence? When the oil is finished, then your all pride is finished. Where is your independence?-August 1976 Tehran
Prabhupäda: Yes. In this universe only Brahmä has got four hands. Nobody within this universe. And Visnu also. In this brahmäëòa, in this universe, there is a planet where the ocean is of milk. Here, just like salted water. There are many oceans. Ocean of oil, ocean of ghee, ocean of milk. The ocean of oil, you have got experience in this planet. Within the earth you are getting some... Your civilization depending, your motor car civilization is depending on that ocean of oil.You are getting oil and lavishly spending it. Stock is supplied by God. Your material advancement will be finished if the stock is not supplied by the Lord. So these foolish men, they do not know. They think that "Without God we can live." Who has created the ocean of petroleum within the earth? Is it possible for human being? (laughter)-1969 N.Y April
This contemporary civilization is so proud of its independence, but actually it is so much dependent on oil. If the oil supply is stopped, then what will these rascal scientists do? They cannot do anything. Let them try to manufacture oil in
their test tubes, enough oil to run their civilization on. BTG 1974
Srila Prabhupäda: The Western civilization is a nasty civilization, artificially increasing the necessities of life. For example,take the electric light. The electric light requires a generator, and to run the generator you need petroleum. As soon as the petroleum supply is stopped, everything will stop. But to get petroleum you have to painstakingly search it out and bore deep into the earth, sometimes in the middle of the ocean. This is ugra-karma, horrible work. The same purpose can be served by growing some castor seeds, pressing out the oil, and putting the oil into a pot with a wick.
We admit that you have improved the lighting system with electricity, but to improve from the castor-oil lamp to the electric lamp you have to work very hard. You have to go to the middle of the ocean and drill and then draw out the petroleum, and in this way the real goal of your life is missed. You are in a precarious position, constantly dying and taking birth in various species of life. How to get free of this cycle of birth and death—this is your problem. And this problem is meant to be solved in the human life. You have advanced intelligence for self-realization, but instead of using your advanced intelligence for self-realization, you are utilizing it to improve from the castor-oil lamp to the electric lamp. That's all.
Kulaçekhara däsa: People would say that your suggestion is impractical. Besides, electricity does many other things besides produce light. Most of our modern comforts depend more or less on electricity.
Srila Prabhupäda: In this life you may be living very comfortably, but in the next life you might become a dog.-BTG 1981
Vishnujana Swami: We're given a hint here into the nature of spiritual love. That even the dress of the spiritual body is of the nature of ever-increasing ecstasy for the Supreme Lord. Radharani is seated in the swing there with Krishna, and it's
described that Her dress is not made of cotton, it's not made of silk, it's not made of oil, like the modern, today all these fabrics are made from oil, isn't it? They take oil and they turn in into dacron and this ron and that ron, you see, so it's not
oil, it's not cotton, it's not this, it's not that, what is it? Her dress in made of ever-increasing love for Krishna. Now just imagine—what is the spiritual world. You see, that we cannot imagine, we're always used to making things out of dull matter, but in the spiritual world things are made out of ever-increasing ecstasy. So we're given a little hint. Visnujana Swami purport to Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava Dayite
Formerly there was barter exchange. That was very good thing. Still in Indian villages, the remote villages, there is barter.Yes. He has produced some grains, paddy. He will bring to the storekeeper. And the storekeeper will take, "For so much
oil, you have to give me so much paddy." So he will weigh and keep it and give him oil. So he will arrange to sell the paddy. But for the villagers, he brings the paddy and he takes. They require little salt, little oil, some spices. That's all.Otherwise they have got their own thing. They have got däl, their rice, wheat, everything. They have produced. In this way, still there are, Indian villages. There is no question of scarcity.
Bhagavän: The easiest way to manage, then, is to have everything more or less in small villages.
Prabhupäda: Yes, that was Gandhi's philosophy, village organization. These people, they are attracting villagers to work in the factory, and they are exploiting them. Instead of producing food, they are attracted by so-called high salaries, to the factory, and they are producing bolts and nuts, motor parts. But food is produced somewhere else. But the food producers, they are working in the factory. Therefore scarcity of foodstuff. But this factory owner, he has got more money. He doesn't care. The poor public, they are suffering.Our philosophy is that you produce your food anywhere. You stay, and keep cows, take milk, produce vegetables, food grains, and chant Hare Krsna. That's all. This is our philosophy. Make your life successful. By becoming Krsna conscious, you become free from all these troubles of material condition. This is our education. Don't be after these motorcars,television, and all nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don't be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep your health nicely, chant Hare Krsna, realize Krsna, and go back to home. This is our philosophy.
Satsvarüpa: But sometimes, because this materialistic society is so far advanced, you say we cannot actually hope to change it.
Prabhupäda: No, no. That is a fact. We cannot hope to change. But we request everyone to chant Hare Krsna.
Yogeçvara: In their factory or wherever they are.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Because it is very difficult to close the factory. That is not possible. So whatever you have done, it is all
right. But you chant Hare Krsna. Then things will be adjusted. May 1974 Rome
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