View source for If you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, to know what is the actual business

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{{terms|"if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization"|"Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what . . . to know what is the actual business"}}
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[[Category:If You]]
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[[Category:Heap]]
[[Category:Stone]]
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[[Category:This Is Not Civilization]]
[[Category:Living Entities]]
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[[Category:To Know]]
[[Category:What Is]]
[[Category:Actual Business]]
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[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SOHAM]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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So life's aim is self-realization—Viṣṇu—not the skyscrapers. These are piling stones and woods. This is not very intelligent work. The woods and pile . . . stones and earth is there already—big, big mountain, hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and high, I mean to say, heap, heap it in one place, it becomes a skyscraper building. And if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization. Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what . . . to know what is the actual business. This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds. They also pick up, according to their strength, some twigs, and they make a nest. That intelligence is there. The rat also, he makes subway. (laughter) You see. So this is not very intelligent work, to imitate the rats, the birds, the cats, the dogs. That is not civilization.
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[[Vanisource:720702 - Lecture BG 07.01 - San Diego|720702 - Lecture BG 07.01 - San Diego]]
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In the civilized nation, there is the four divisions of spiritual life and four divisions of . . . but they do not know it. But those who are followers of Vedic culture, they know how the divisions are to be made. Just like in your body you have got four divisions: the head division, the arms division, the belly division and the leg division.

They're all required. It is not that simply you have got a nice brain like Professor Einstein; that will do. No. You must have hands also. You must have belly. You must have legs. Then it is complete. The head is most important part of the body—that is all right—but leg is also required. You cannot neglect leg.

So similarly, this division is very scientific: intelligent class of men and martial class of men and productive class of men and laborer class of men. When we compare the laborer class of men with intellect . . . intellectual class of men, there is difference. But both of them are important factors to maintain this body. That is called varṇāśrama-dharma.

So life's aim is self-realization—Viṣṇu—not the skyscrapers. These are piling stones and woods. This is not very intelligent work. The woods and pile . . . stones and earth is there already—big, big mountain, hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and high, I mean to say, heap, heap it in one place, it becomes a skyscraper building. And if you simply are proud of these heaps of stones and woods and iron, that is not civilization. That is not civilization.

Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources, what . . . to know what is the actual business. This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds. They also pick up, according to their strength, some twigs, and they make a nest. That intelligence is there. The rat also, he makes subway. (laughter) You see. So this is not very intelligent work, to imitate the rats, the birds, the cats, the dogs. That is not civilization.

Civilization means self-realization, "What I am? Why I am forced to die? I do not like to die." To know this, that is civilization. When all these inquiries will come into one's mind . . . "Well, I do not wish to die. Why death is there, forced? I am forced to die. I do not wish to be diseased. Why disease comes to me, upon me?" When this "Why?" question will come, "Why?" that is humanity. And if he remains dull, "All right, let me die," then he's cat and dog. That's all. If there is no "Why?" then he's cat and dog.

So human civilization does not mean this piling of woods and stones. No. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means brahma-jijñāsā, enquiry. These are the enquiry. "Why? Why I am forced to do this?" These things are taught regularly in the varṇāśrama system. One is made brahmacārī, celibacy, spiritual. One is made a very decently, family life, gṛhastha. One is made retired life, sannyāsī. Very systematically. So if we don't follow the varṇāśrama-dharma, then we are not even human being. They are cats and dogs.
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