Category:Animal Society
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently emphasizes that the basic principle of civilization is dharma. Without religion or a systematic approach to understanding the Absolute Truth, a gathering of human beings is simply an animal society. In the animal kingdom, there are no churches, mosques, or philosophical inquiries; life revolves entirely around filling the belly and defending territory. Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that when modern states pride themselves on being strictly secular and actively tell their citizens, "Don't talk of God," they are intentionally cultivating an animal society.
A major theme in this category is the absolute necessity of varnasrama-dharma and regulated social institutions, such as marriage. In an animal society, there is no restriction on sexual behavior or social duties. The Vedic system of varnasrama is designed specifically to elevate the conditioned soul from this chaotic, animalistic standard to the platform of spiritual advancement. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda brilliantly exposes the futility of mundane diplomacy. He notes that modern leaders strive to create global peace through organizations like the United Nations, but because the populace is maintained in a state of ignorance regarding the soul, these assemblies are essentially just a "Society for United Animals." You cannot expect peace among animals, no matter how nicely they are dressed. The only practical solution is to utilize the unique capacity of the human brain to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, thereby transforming a chaotic animal society into a peaceful, godly civilization.
- The Defining Factor of Dharma: Religion and the pursuit of God consciousness are what separate human civilization from an animal society. A completely secular society is a society of beasts.
- The Chaos Without Varnasrama: Without the scientific social divisions of varnasrama and the regulations of civilized institutions like marriage, human beings revert to unrestricted animal behavior.
- The Illusion of World Peace: Political organizations cannot bring peace if the citizens are completely ignorant of their spiritual identity. A society of polished animals will always fight over material resources.
- The Capacity for Knowledge: The fundamental difference between a tiger and a human is the capacity to be taught about the soul and Kṛṣṇa. Neglecting this education is a severe misuse of the human form.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Animal Society - The Consequence of Godless Civilization.
Subcategories
This category has the following 3 subcategories, out of 3 total.
Pages in category "Animal Society"
The following 28 pages are in this category, out of 28 total.
A
- A society of polished animals cannot benefit suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal but rarely do good
- Animal society has no church, mosque or religious system. In all parts of the world, however downtrodden human society may be, there is some system of religion. Even tribal aborigines in the jungles also have a system of religion
- Animal society, they do not know what is freedom. Ours also, the so-called freedom. But still, we have got some consciousness that we fight for freedom. And they fight for eating. That's all
H
- How can there be happiness or peace in animal society? The big leaders want to keep the citizenry as animals, and at the same time they are striving to make a United Nations. How is it possible? United Animals? Is it possible? Society for United Animals
- Human society without God consciousness, without any knowledge of the science of God, it is animal society. Actually it is happening. The world is now full with so many problems, so many difficulties, because the chance of human life is being misused
I
- If varna is not there, then this is a society of animal. And when the varna is working perfectly, then we give them asrama. Varnasrama. That is later on
- If you analyze the whole population, you will find that we are simply a crowd or assembly of so many animals, that's all. This is fact. Because we not know beyond this body. So you cannot expect any peace and prosperity in the animal society
- In order to satisfy Him (Visnu), there is no other way than to act according to the tenets of varnasrama-dharma. This is the beginning of civilization. Without accepting this division of varnas, that is animal society; everything is chaos
- In the animal society, however a big animal may be, either he may be a lion or a tiger or an elephant or any other big animal, he cannot be taught about the constitution of the soul, although he has got the soul also
- In the human society there is marriage. In the animal society there is no marriage. They indulge in sex life any way, because they are animal
T
- That a dog, it does not know what is the taste. He is simply chewing the, one bone, this way, that way, this way, that way. Because he is animal. He has no other engagement. So this whole society is animal. Especially the westerners
- The Bhagavata says, sva-vi-varahostra-kharai samstutah. Here is one big animal, and the small animals voting him. That's all. This is the society, animal society
- The varnasrama-dharma is meant for imperfect, conditioned souls. It trains them to become spiritually advanced in order to return home, back to Godhead. A civilization that does not know the highest aim of life is no better than an animal society
W
- We go to the human society to speak of Krsna consciousness. We do not go to the society of animals, because they have no capacity to understand. Their body does not permit to understand what is God
- When a civilized man, so-called civilized man, has no knowledge of God, no knowledge of the laws of God, it is simply animal society, that's all
- When the so-called human society becomes devoid of God consciousness, it is animal society. Sa eva go-kharah - SB 10.84.13
- Without such knowledge, detachment and custom (of Sankhya philosophy), the so-called human civilization is no more than an animal society of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy
Y
- You cannot expect any peace in atheistic society or animalistic society. So they must be made godly. God conscious, Krsna conscious. Then there will be peace
- You live in the animal society. So animal society, some . . . another animal comes as very ferocious, that is not very astonishing. After all, you are living in animal society. So you become human being, ideal. This is the only solution