Scientific and Economical Advancement or Just A Big Bluff?

Prabhupada: What they have done? Tell me that “This they have done, very beneficial to the human society.” What they have done?

Satadhanya: They say that they are curing disease.

Prabhupada: Disease? So what is the benefit? One disease after another disease…

Satadhanya: They say that the life-span is getting more years.

Prabhupada: That is another bluff. Formerly people used to live very long. Actually in this Kali-yuga the limitation is one hundred years. But who is living one hundred years?

Satadhanya: Even less.

Prabhupada: Fifty, sixty… Average India, thirty-five years. In your country a little more. Nobody lives hundred years. That is also another bluff. But even if you live for hundred years, does it mean that you have stopped death? Then what is the benefit? You are eternal. Na jayate na mriyate va, na hanyate hanyamane sarire. You are eternal, but why you are dying? What the scientists have done? Na jayate na mriyate. Eternal means one who has no birth, no death. But you have birth and death, so where is your scientists’ help?

Upendra: The reason the original faith was placed in the scientists was because radio, airplanes, tape recorders have been manufactured, and people are impressed by these originally.

Prabhupada: So what is the benefit? Without radio, people were dying, or with radio they are not living?

Upendra: They say they are living more comfortably.

Prabhupada: Nonsense comfortably… They have changed the season? Is it comfortable? We have to take this cooling machine. What is the practical benefit? You can say that it is comfortable. That’s all right. But that does not mean that you have moved the uncomfortable situation. You are struggling against. That much you can take credit. Real benefit is not there. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Real unhappiness is this, that you are: “Why I am struggling? I don’t want death.” Actually why I am taking massage and so on, so on? So that I may not die. So where is the scientists’ guarantee, “No, you’ll not die”? Has he any…? You’ll struggle only. That’s all. The scientists cannot guarantee, “No, you’ll not die.” That is real guarantee. “You’ll die comfortably.” Hm? Die comfortably? Now there is no appetite. Where is the scientist, assuring, “Take”? What actual benefit they have done? They are giving some… Nothing they have given. It is simply bluff. Things without which we could do, such things are there.

There were no motorcars. There was horse carriage and bullock carriage. Things were going on. Not that without this horseless motorcar society would have been vanquished. No. There are other alternatives. Rather, they were complicated. As soon as you ride on a car, there is anxiety, especially in your country, so many cars. When you ride on a car, full of anxiety… At any moment there may be accident. It is not comfortable. If you are full of anxiety. Aeroplane may be. At any moment you can die. It is your time only. They’re going in good faith: “I shall go there.” But before rising to the sky, finished, crash. So many airplane has been… So where is the comfort? As soon as you get on the aeroplane, you are in full anxiety that at any moment there may be crash. Is it not? Then where is comfort? Real comfort is without anxiety. That is real comfort. Canakya Pandita has given, real comfort means: “One who is not out of home and one who has no debts, he is happy.” Nowadays people are going out of home, and everyone is debtor to the bank and so many… The economic machine is so made that one is put always in debts for some so-called comforts, and he’s full of anxiety. The whole month he has to work to pay debts.

(Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, June 18 1977, in Vrindavana, India)