THE DEFECT OF THE MODERN CIVILIZATION
Srila Prabhupada:
When he heard, the atheist father, "Oh, this boy is speaking nonsense," you see, he became very much angry. Ruṣā. Ruṣā means became too much angry. Ruṣā-prasphuritādharaḥ. His lips were throbbing. He was so angry. Immediately called the teachers, "Come on!" Guru-putram uvācedaṁ ruṣā, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā. "I gave my child, my boy, to be educated by you. What sort of education you have given him? He is talking nonsense, devotional service. I wanted to make him politician, diplomat, tricky, and you have taught him śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23)?" You see? That is still going on. That is still going on. When I wanted to start this movement in India, I approached many friends, "Sir, you have got four boys. Give me one boy. I want to make him devotee." They refused. "Oh," he will say, "Swamijī, what will be the benefit by becoming devotee? After all, he has to earn his livelihood." (laughter) Nobody agreed. Nobody agreed. Everyone wants that his son should be hard working, just like hogs and dogs, and satisfy senses. That's all. Everyone wants. That is civilization. Nobody wants that his son should be a devotee. They will not tolerate that. If somebody's son comes to us to become devotee, I have experienced, the father and mother immediately come: "Oh, Swamijī, what you are doing?" But his son becomes hippie—he will tolerate. That he will tolerate. But he becomes devotee—"Oh, we can't tolerate. How can we...?" You see? This is the nature. This is the nature. If one son is going astray by drinking, "Oh, young men, they can do that." But he becomes a devotee, he immediately becomes warned, "Oh, what danger is...!" (laughter) "He is going to be a devotee." This is the nature of demons. If the father, mother, are demons, how you can expect nice child? You see? That is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore the whole world is unhappy. There is need of devotees, need of real brāhmaṇas. That is wanted. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... Even a certain little percentage of people becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole face of the world will change. It is so nice.
[Excerpt from Lecture on Smd.Bhagavatam 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971]
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