If
there is no rainfall, what this improvement
will help? So that is not in your hand. That is adhidaivika. It
depends on the demigods. If they want, they can stop completely, no
rainfall. Then what this improvement will do?
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[Posted May
22, 2006]
Improving on Nature
His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the
world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya
The
Telegraph, Calcutta, Monday, May 22, 2006--It's
not a wonderful world anymore
The United Nations has declared May 22 as International Day for
Biological Diversity. But how should we celebrate an occasion such as
this? The most effective way would be by changing some simple things.
For instance, we could switch to buying organic food, saving
electricity, and not buying things that we don’t need.
G.. ANANTHAPADMANABHAN
This year’s theme is desertification — an aspect of
climate change which poses a serious threat to the survival of many
species including our own. Last year, we saw disturbing images of
extreme drought in the Amazon — one of the worst ever. Across China and
Africa, severe lack of water is leading to conflicts, while in
Indonesia, there were reports of loss of lives from landslides caused
by heavy rainfall.
The human cost of climate change is already 150,000 lives a year, and
that is set to soar as weather changes become commonplace and global
warming brings forth new diseases that would affect vulnerable regions.
Prabhupada: ...
Material nature's business is beating and kicking. That's his only
business. But we are so fool, we are taking, "Oh, very nice kicking."
That is the disease. We accept the kicking as very nice. That is
foolishness. We are suffering always by three kinds of..., adhyatmika,
adhibhautika, adhidaivika disturbances. There is disturbance in the
body, in the mind, disturbance by other living entities, so many,
disturbed by climate, disturbed by famine. Always disturbance. Still,
we are thinking, "It is very nice place." This is foolishness. Still,
we are trying to improve it. That is foolishness. He does not think
that "What is the meaning of improvement? The disturbing is always
continuing." That does not come to his brain. They are making
improvement. ... They can say, "This is improvement." But how long this
improvement will go? If there is no rainfall, what this improvement
will help? So that is not in your hand. That is adhidaivika. It
depends on the demigods. If they want, they can stop completely, no
rainfall. Then what this improvement will do?
Brahmananda: There'll be no
water for their machines.
Prabhupada: Yes. So they are
thinking that "This is improvement." What is this nonsense improvement?
You are dependent fully on other elements. What improvement will do?
And Krishna says, "This is a place for misery." How you will improve?
This is folly, this is illusion. Krishna says, "This place is for
suffering," and you are making improvement. "Yes, we are advancing. In
future we shall live. Nobody will die." Therefore they are called
rascals. Persons who are trying to do something which is impossible,
they are fools. Mudha. They do not see, still, they hope, "Yes,
we are trying. We shall do in future." This is going on. This is the
example by the ass. The ass... Driver is sitting on the back of the ass
and showing one bunch of grass, and the ass is thinking, "I will get
it." [laughter] And he is going on, and he is sitting safely, that "The
ass will go on." So our improvement is like that. "Just little forward,
then I shall get the grass." He will never get the grass. That he has
no brain, that "I am improving; the grass also improving, going on."
That they do not see. Now we invented so many airship. It was thought,
"Oh, now it will be very nice. Within two hours we shall reach
somewhere." Now there are so many dangers. Now there is problem, how to
protect us from these accidents.
Brahmananda: Now they have
too many airplanes.
Prabhupada: Too many
airplanes. So where is the improvement? Improvement means to die
altogether two hundred men at a time. This is improvement.
Kurusrestha: They are trying
to create a plastic body with plastic heart transplants and plastic
liver. They feel that as soon as they can replace all the breakable
parts with replaceble ones...
Prabhupada: That is a
Frankenstein? [laughter]
Yadubara: They're very
persistent, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: That is the
foolishness. Fools are very persistent.
Brahmananda: I was reading
that in order to go to the moon, it took ten years and the cost was 25
billion dollars.
Prabhupada: Just see how
foolish they are. And again they are trying. Punah punash
charvita-charvananam [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.30].
Chewing the chewed. This is their business. Horrible civilization.
Kasirama: Mistaking suffering
for happiness.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Ambarisa: They are always
trying to look for the bright side, but there is no bright side.
Prabhupada: Just like north
of Sweden, there is no sunrise?
Brahmananda: No.
Prabhupada: So where is
bright side? Where is bright side? Vedic injunction is
tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness; go to the
bright world." Jyotir gama. [break] ...to create some bright
side. He will not be allowed to enjoy it. He will have to die. So where
is your bright side?