View source for You can avoid government's law, but you cannot avoid nature's law. That is not possible. So that is the defect of the modern civilization: they do not know how nature is working, and they are keeping themself in ignorance, and they are suffering

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{{terms|"You can avoid government's law, but you cannot avoid nature's law. That is not possible. So that is the defect of the modern civilization: they do not know how nature is working, and they are keeping themself in ignorance, and they are suffering"}}
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[[Category:You Can]]
[[Category:Avoid]]
[[Category:Laws of the Government]]
[[Category:You Cannot]]
[[Category:Laws of Nature]]
[[Category:That Is Not Possible]]
[[Category:So That]]
[[Category:That is the Defect]]
[[Category:Modern Civilization]]
[[Category:Do Not Know How]]
[[Category:Nature]]
[[Category:They Are]]
[[Category:Keep]]
[[Category:Themselves]]
[[Category:Ignorance]]
[[Category:Suffering]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SUSOVITA]]
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<h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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If there is government laws, if you do not know it and you act independently, then you are making your life risky. So this is the case of the government law. And what to speak of God's law, nature's law, how strict it is. You can avoid government's law, but you cannot avoid nature's law. That is not possible. So that is the defect of the modern civilization: they do not know how nature is working, and they are keeping themself in ignorance, and they are suffering, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), one body after another.
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[[Vanisource:750513 - Conversation B - Perth|750513 - Conversation B - Perth]]
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Prabhupāda: . . . if there is government laws, if you do not know it and you act independently, then you are making your life risky. So this is the case of the government law. And what to speak of God's law, nature's law, how strict it is. You can avoid government's law, but you cannot avoid nature's law. That is not possible. So that is the defect of the modern civilization: they do not know how nature is working, and they are keeping themself in ignorance, and they are suffering, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 2.13 (1972)|BG 2.13]]), one body after another. And if he becomes a tree, stand up for five thousand years. And we have to pass through all these stages. He has come to the human form of body. Still he neglects. He continues suffering. And they are mad after sense enjoyment; and accepting different material bodies, that means suffering. As soon as you accept a material body, this is suffering. But the suffering of the trees is more suffering.

In a forlorn place he stand up for five thousand years and tolerate all the blast, wind, scorching heat, water. He doesn't know that, "I may become a tree like this." Then he must be . . . why there are varieties of life? This is different type of punishment for different kinds of sinful activities. And he doesn't care for sinful activities. He got the human form of body, he doesn't care. Saintly persons, they are coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Buddha or Christ. They are warning, "You do not do this." No, they will do it. So who is responsible for his sufferings? He is responsible. And so long he has got this short duration of life, fifty or sixty years or utmost hundred years, he is thinking, "I am free. Whatever I want, I can do," and making life risky. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27 (1972)|BG 3.27]]). He is not independent. He knows that. Still, he will declare independent and suffer. This is the position. He is not independent; that he knows very well. But still, he will act independently. Is it not the position? Who can think that he is independent unless he is a madman? Hmm? Are you independent?

Amogha: No.

Prabhupāda: Nobody is independent. And still, everyone is thinking independent, "I can do anything I like." Yesterday morning we were talking. You are independent. That is, means, misuse of independence. Just like in a state every citizen is independent, but dependent on the state laws. If he forgets that, that "I am not dependent on the state laws," then he is foolish. Similarly, if one does not know that, "The nature's law is the God's law, state laws, I cannot violate it," then he is sober? Dhīras tatra na muhyati ([[Vanisource:BG 2.13 (1972)|BG 2.13]]). One man is dying. A dhīra knows that he is changing his body; he is not dying. He will get another body. Dhīra, sober. And one who is not sober, he says: "No, life is finished." Or he can imagine he is going to heaven or hell. But a dhīra knows what is going to happen to him. If he was in the material modes of nature, goodness, then he is going to higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti. From śāstra we can understand. If he is in passion, then he will stay in this material world. And if he is in ignorance, then he is going to be animal. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. He knows.
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