View source for The pollution, is it to some extent the result of material activity, which will cease when the spiritual...?

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{{terms|"The pollution, is it to some extent the result of material activity, which will cease when the spiritual"}}
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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1973]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationwithMisterPopworthandEFSchumacherJuly261973London_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="53" link="Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London" link_text="Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London">
<div class="heading">Yes, there are so many things. What is material activity, what spiritual activity is. These are to be understood. But we are sure, if simply this chance is given, anywhere, let us execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and speaking something from this Bhagavad-gītā. We are getting practical result. Just like you were describing, that in communist country.
Haṁsadūta: Ah...
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London|Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Popworth: How do you envisage one should act, if I may ask that?</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: He said, how do you envisage that one should act. How should one act? He's asking.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like Arjuna. He was a kṣatriya, a warrior, but he acted on account of Kṛṣṇa. We are acting, but we are acting at the present moment for our sense gratification. Everyone is thinking that "If I do like this, it will give me great satisfaction." That is my sense gratification. I am acting for my satisfaction, not for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. So when we act for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is the perfection. Then we save the material pollution. This is the secret. Arjuna is a good example. Before fighting, he was thinking in terms of his own satisfaction. But when he understood Bhagavad-gītā and he agreed to act for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, then he became perfect. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that we do not say immediately to stop. Just like "Cars, Profits and Pollution," the very nice description of these three things. But there is no suggestion of remedy. That he does not know. If he suggested remedy, "Now stop all cars driving," or "Stop this nonsense business," that is impossible. That is craziness. So we do not say that you stop it. But we say, purify it. Just like there is pollution. So pollution is there. You cannot stop manufacturing cars or driving cars. That is not possible. But you can purify the pollution. That is possible.</p>
<p>Popworth: It's possible to what?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Purify.</p>
<p>Popworth: Purify the pollution.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Popworth: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. So everything should be done—that is called karma-yoga—in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna is doing. He did not change his position as a fighter, as a warrior. But he acted according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is recognized: bhakto 'si priyo 'si ([[Vanisource:BG 4.3|BG 4.3]]). "You are My dear friend. You are My devotee." This is the process. So we have to purify. We cannot stop. That is not possible. The progress which is going on, let it go. But let it go, we do not want that, but it has come so far, it is not possible to stop it. But here is the remedy. You can purify it.</p>
<p>Popworth: What means do you suggest for purifying it?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: The means is that... Our process is that wherever we go, we perform saṅkīrtana, chant the holy name of God. That purifies, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam ([[Vanisource:CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). It doesn't matter where it is. Even if we... We can go to the factory. Anywhere. We can go to the hell even. By, but this process, it is a very simple thing, chanting the holy name of the Lord. So what possible objection can there be? Suppose if we go to a motor car factory, and we ask them, "Please give us some chance. We shall chant here the holy name of the Lord." What their, what is the possible objection? You are very thoughtful man. You can say.</p>
<p>Schumacher: I don't see the point.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh? There cannot be any objection.</p>
<p>Schumacher: No.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. So let us get this chance. Simple method. So we'll go. Let us go everywhere, hell or heaven. It doesn't matter. Let us have this chance and speak something about God. That's all. And we don't want anything from you in exchange, that "You give us some money." No. We don't want. If you give us something, welcome. It will be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. But we don't demand anything, that "First of all give me a hundred dollars, then I shall go." No. So... From the other side, there is no loss. But if they give us the chance for prosecuting, for pursuing, this Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement, everything will be purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni... ([[Vanisource:CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). All problems will be solved. This is the beginning. Now, gradually, as people understand this philosophy, they will understand. They will understand. If they simply give us the chance. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Let them remain in their position. We don't disturb. We don't disturb. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Simply they will kindly give their aural reception what we are speaking.</p>
<p>Popworth: Well, the diagnostic's not altogether clear to me how the chanting is going to affect the pollution. How do you see...?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is a purificatory process. Pollution means impure. So if you purify, then there is no more pollution. Just like infection. You have got some disease, infection. If you give some vaccine to purify the body, the infection is gone. It is like that.</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: It seems that there's a difference in the usage of this word pollution.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: I think there's a difference in the way the word pollution is being used.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, whatever meaning you may do...</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: So, for instance, if it is used to indicate air pollution...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: ...then how will the chanting will affect that?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, it will affect.</p>
<p>Revatīnandana: He's asking how.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: How? That you do not know. You'll have to realize when you give us the chance. But if you give us the chance, there is no loss on your part. But you'll practically see how it is rectified, how it is...</p>
<p>Vicitravīrya: Pollution is to some extent a result of materialistic activity?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Hm?</p>
<p>Vicitravīrya: The pollution, is it to some extent the result of material activity, which will cease when the spiritual...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, there are so many things. What is material activity, what spiritual activity is. These are to be understood. But we are sure, if simply this chance is given, anywhere, let us execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and speaking something from this Bhagavad-gītā. We are getting practical result. Just like you were describing, that in communist country.</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Ah...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You just explain to them.</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: They have a big youth festival there in East Berlin. Maybe you know? "The Festival of Youth."</p>
<p>Popworth: Yeah.</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: So they have invited youth from all over the world to come and see what they are doing there. So some of our devotees went there just the past week. And they reported to me that at every moment during the day that they were there they were surrounded always by at least three hundred young people who simply stood taking notes and asking questions about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They want to know what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what they are doing. That means that there is some dissatisfaction. They want something. They want something substantial. And they're getting it from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This philosophy is substantial. It is practical. They are hankering for it. Their so-called communist philosophy is not perfect. It's imperfect.</p>
<p>Popworth: They were communist youth who were surrounding?</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Yes.</p>
<p>Popworth: The people.</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Yes. They were surrounding our devotees and asking questions and taking notes and taking addresses.</p>
<p>Popworth: But the people who are at the conference are not all communist youth, are they?</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Well, whoever they may be, they've gone there with some interest about communism. Otherwise, they would not go there. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect communism, Prabhupāda always explained, because communism, so-called communism, they give advantage only to the human being, but not to the animals or the other living beings. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure, genuine, absolute communism because we recognize that the Supreme... Everyone should work for Kṛṣṇa. Everything should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme head of state, and everything is utilized for His purpose, His service. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you do as work, whatever you eat, whatever you give away, you do it for Me." The same philosophy... Communist philosophy is "Everyone works for the state; the state will distribute." Right? But it's imperfect. But here is the perfect thing. Kṛṣṇa, He is the supreme creator, He's the proprietor. Therefore everything must be used for His pleasure. Then it becomes perfect communism.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Instead of making the state center, make God center.</p>
<p>Popworth: Do you think that the Christian monasteries practiced this in the past, or perhaps even today?</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Well, today, no one is practicing it. Otherwise why people are leaving the church? No one is in the monastery, no one is in the church. They are abandoning it. Because there is no center. As soon as there is a center, it will carry weight. Just like a wheel. If there's a hub, if there's a hub, that it will carry weight.</p>
<p>Popworth: I have not abandoned the church. I have embraced it.</p>
<p>Haṁsadūta: Anyway, our point is... We're speaking in general. In general, because the center, factually the center, God, is missing, somehow or other, He's missing, therefore people are also giving it up. They can't take it. Because it's not practical. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is practical. It's not a sentiment or a dry philosophy. It's a practical philosophy of life, absolute philosophy of life, how to do everything without any pollution, without any contamination. Just like we are experiencing by our so-called advancement that we have created so many modern facilities for comfort, but the result is, alongside, simultaneously, there's an equal disadvantage. Just like we create a motor car. But we create air pollution. Or you create a highway. But you have to create snowplow to clear the highway. You have to create police. You have to create so many other things.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: And there is list of accidents, injuries.</p>
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