Doctors' Intervention Third Leading Cause of Death

Cannot be saved by doctors
excerpt from Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8, Vrindaban, October 19, 1972

Your life in the hands of doctors?

Duration of Life is Destined A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Life cannot be prolonged by heart transplant. You cannot increase the duration of life. One can perhaps give some relief to disease, that is another thing, but the duration of life is destined. From the dead body, one cannot bring life. Similarly, it may appear that one is prolonging the duration of life by medicines or heart transplant, but that is not the case. If one lives 4 years after having had a heart transplant, then by nature's law he was destined to live four years with or without having had a heart transplant. So what is the value of heart transplant? more

There are different occupational activities in terms of man's different conceptions of life. To the gross materialist who cannot see anything beyond the gross material body, there is nothing beyond the senses. Therefore his occupational activities are limited to concentrated and extended selfishness. Concentrated selfishness centers around the personal body. This is generally seen amongst the lower animals. Extended selfishness is manifested in human society and centers around the family, society, community, nation, and world with a view to gross bodily comforts.

This is very important point. People are very much interested in welfare activities for the human society. So they think that by feeding poor men or giving cloth or opening hospitals, schools, colleges—"These things are required. What is the use of hearing about Krishna?" That is their opinion. But these welfare activities are extended selfishness. This word we learned from our Guru Maharaja: "extended selfishness." Just like I love myself for my sense gratification, and then I extend it to my son. I am gratifying my senses. I have got my wife. And to get my son another wife... The principle is the same. Then my grandchildren, then my great-grandchildren. Or, not only limited with the family, then society, then community, then nationally, then internationally. But they are all extended selfishness. Yes. Without knowing what is the real self-interest. Therefore we find so many faults in such welfare activities. In... They are opening hospitals for the human beings, daridra-narayana-seva, but the poor goats and cows, daridra-narayana—they are also daridra-narayana according to the definition—but they are being killed. For one daridra-narayana, another daridra-narayana is being killed.

So that kind of philanthropy is not accepted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as very advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization will be tested, how the nation, individually or collectively, has advanced in Krishna consciousness. It is very difficult to understand this, but the fact is this. Bhagavata says that you cannot rectify the destiny of another man. That is not possible. Balasya neha sharanam pitarau nrisimha. It is not that because one has got good parents, therefore he will be happy. No. Not necessarily. Balasya neha sharanam pitarau nrisimha. So similarly, it is not that a diseased person, because he is being treated by a first-class physician and he is being supplied first-class medicine, therefore he will be cured. No, there is no such guarantee. Because if the supreme authority does not sanction... Suppose a man is diseased; he is going to die or suffering. So his relatives and friends are trying to save him. The shastra says that "You cannot save him simply by giving him first-class medicine or first-class medical treatment." They, they can also, cannot guarantee. Ask any qualified doctor, that "This man is being treated by you. Can you guarantee that he will be cured?" They will say, "No, that is not possible. We are trying our best."

Therefore we should know the ultimate sanction depends on Krishna. I have got practical experience, because I was dealing in medicine. So the attending physician of my pharmacy, he came back from a call and told me that "I saw one patient lying in a very precarious condition, suffering from pneumonia. So according to our science, he could not live. I do not know how he is living." There are so many cases. I had dealings with medical men. One big medical man in Gaya, he told me that "Mr. De," that "we give very first class medicine to a patient, to my best knowledge. He dies. And I try one small medicine, and he is saved. That is my practical experience." He was Muhammadan doctor. He told me.

So actually unless one is saved by the supreme authority, there is no question of saving him by so many philanthropic work. Actual saving is this Krishna consciousness movement. Because if one is raised to his Krishna consciousness, the whole problems of his life will be solved. That is real welfare activity. Other things you cannot change. If one is destined to suffer by some agency, you cannot stop. Therefore Bhagavata says, tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.18]. You simply try to awaken your Krishna consciousness, which was impossible in other living conditions. Either going to the heaven planet or going to the hell planet or becoming Brahma or ant... Do not try for all these elevations. Simply try for awakening your Krishna consciousness.

Then why so many people are trying for happiness? The answer is: tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa. Nobody tries for distress, but distress comes; similarly, even if you do not try for your happiness, if you are destined, happiness will come. But if you take to Krishna consciousness, it is simply happiness. There is no more distress. If we become steadily situated in Krishna consciousness, then it is simply happiness. As Prabodhananda Sarasvati has explained, vishvam purnam sukhayate [1]. There is no problem for a devotee. Vishvam purnam... Everyone is perplexed with the problems of this universe, but for a devotee, vishvam purnam sukhayate.

vishvam purnam sukhayate: A devotee sees the world complete and perfect by the Lord's arrangement.