View source for At the present moment they are neglecting (religion). But in every country, either there may be temples or churches or mosque, people were very religious-minded before this age

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"At the present moment they are neglecting. But in every country, either there may be temples or churches or mosque, people were very religious-minded before this age"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|SharmisthaK}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|2022-12-09T11:12:29Z}}
{{last|2022-12-09T11:12:29Z}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=0|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=0|Con=1|Let=0}}
{{total|1}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:At the Present Moment]]
[[Category:They Are]]
[[Category:Neglect]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Every Country]]
[[Category:Either]]
[[Category:May Be]]
[[Category:Temples]]
[[Category:Church]]
[[Category:Mosque]]
[[Category:People Were...]]
[[Category:Very Religious]]
[[Category:Before]]
[[Category:Age - period of history]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
</div>
<div id="section">
<h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="sub_section">
<h3>1969 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div class="quote">
<div class="quote_heading">
Human society, if they have no religion . . . must have some religion. It doesn't matter whether Christian or Buddhism or Hinduism or anything, a human being must follow. That is civilized. That is the behavior of civilized world. At the present moment they are neglecting. But in every country, either there may be temples or churches or mosque, people were very religious-minded before this age.
</div>

<div class="quote_link">
[[Vanisource:690401 - Conversation - San Francisco|690401 - Conversation - San Francisco]]
</div>
<div class="text">
In human society, why there is some sort of religion? The animals, they have got no religion. Therefore if human society gives up the process of religion . . . doesn't matter what religion he professes. It doesn't matter. If he doesn't care for religion, that society is no better than animals. That is animal society. Because animals, they have got no religion.

So human society, if they have no religion . . . must have some religion. It doesn't matter whether Christian or Buddhism or Hinduism or anything, a human being must follow. That is civilized. That is the behavior of civilized world. At the present moment they are neglecting. But in every country, either there may be temples or churches or mosque, people were very religious-minded before this age.

I was very much satisfied when I came to New York . . . no, not only New York. First of all, I went to Pittsburgh, Butler. In that Butler County there were at least one dozen churches, very nice churches. That's a small county. So I was very much satisfied, "Oh, the American people are very religious. They have got these churches." And I saw on Sunday people were attending churches. And in New York also I saw. They may understand or not understand, but that religious spirit is there. You are responding to my appeal because you have got that spirit. Otherwise, why should you come and waste your time with me?

So religious principle must be there in the human society. And what is the purpose? Why? The religious principle means that this material life is not happy. And we are searching after happiness. So real happiness is not in this world. You take any, I mean to say, messiah. You take Lord Jesus Christ or Buddha or Lord Caitanya or Kṛṣṇa, or anyone you take, nobody says that, "You make adjustment here and live peacefully." No. Nobody says. You know that. So religious principle means to know that this is not the place to live happily. This is the principal aim of teaching religion. We are trying to live here, making things nicely adjusted, peace and prosperity. That will never be possible. This is foolishness.

So religion means . . . religiously trained mind means he will know that, "This is not the place for me. I should (with)draw my attachment for this place, and I must know what is my necessity. I am a spirit soul. I am not this body. Therefore bodily necessities are not all my demands. I must have spiritual necessities also. So all this means that I must give up my attachment for this body and I must develop my spiritual needs." That is the purpose of religion.

So here it is stated that vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.7|SB 1.2.7]]). All these religious principle can be achieved immediately if you place your love unto Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ. Bhakti-yogaḥ means devotional . . . if you try to serve, in devotional service, Kṛṣṇa, then all these principles of religions will automatically come. You will know that "I am not this body; I am a spirit soul. I have . . . the material attachment is useless for me. My real business is spiritual advancement of life." Everything will be clear if you simply execute devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati.

Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.8|SB 1.2.8]]). Again, it is stated, one may execute very nicely his prescribed duties according to his religion—very good boy—but if he does not develop to hear about Kṛṣṇa, or God, this propensity . . . just like you are sitting here to hear about Bhāgavata. Why? This is very nice symptom. You are developing to hear some things about God, or Kṛṣṇa. These tendencies. The temple, somebody comes to hear. Not all, because they have no development. Life is wasted.

So dharmaḥ svanuṣṭha . . . you may do your duty very nicely, you may be very moralist or philanthropist or so many they have manufactured. You may become everything. But if you have not that propensity to hear something about God, then all these are śrama eva hi kevalam ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.8|SB 1.2.8]]), simply laboring, laboring, laboring. That's all. That means wasting time. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.9|SB 1.2.9]]).

Now, people are generally inclined to execute religious principles to make economic development. Just like in your Christian religion they go to church and pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." That is mean economic development. Not only here; in India also the temple go, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, please keep my family well," or this or that. Economic problem. Generally, people, they become religionist . . .

Therefore modern politicians, they say: "Why should you . . ." Just like the Russians. They say: "Why should you go to church for begging, 'Give us our daily . . .? Oh, you come to us. We shall give you sufficient bread." The Bolshevists, they make propaganda like this. They go to village to village and ask the village men, "Oh, you pray to your church, pray, 'O God, give us our daily bread,' so have you got your bread?" "No, sir." "All right. Pray to us." They have taken a truck full of bread, and . . . "Take bread. Take bread. As much as you like, you take." "So whom do you like?" Oh, they will naturally say: "I like you." (laughter)

Because they are not intelligent enough to answer, "You rascal, wherefrom you have brought this bread, from your father's house?" (laughter) "Can you manufacture the bread in the factory, rascal? It is God's bread." But they have no intelligence. They cannot say like that. If they had presented to me, I would have at once said: "Rascal, this is not your father's bread. It is God's bread. You have stolen the property." You cannot manufacture bread or wheat. It is sent by God. That answer we have to give to these so-called Communists and rascals, godless people, that "You are not proprietor. You are all rascals. Everything belongs to God." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
</div>
</div>
</div>