Category:Modern World
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda diagnoses the modern world as a place of profound dissatisfaction and confusion, stemming from a fundamental misconception of the self. He describes it as a "society of the cheater and the cheated," where imperfect teachers offer speculative knowledge to a population largely consisting of śūdras. The modern world is characterized by "foolish activity"—people working hard in factories for unnecessary economic development—while neglecting the actual goal of life. Unlike the ancient demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, who at least had knowledge of the soul, the modern population is deeply entrenched in the bodily concept of life. This spiritual vacuum creates a hankering for happiness that material opulence cannot satisfy. The remedy lies in hearing from authoritative sources like the Bhagavad-gītā, the prime scripture for this age.
- Cheaters and Cheated: Because knowledge is speculative and imperfect, society is a cycle of deception.
- Foolish Activity: The world is very active but in ignorance and passion, leading to confusion and accidents.
- Bodily Misconception: The "dirtiest thing" in the heart is the bodily concept of life, which blinds people to self-realization.
- Historical Amnesia: Modern history traces back only 3,000 years, ignoring the millions of years recorded in Vedic history.
- The Remedy: Lord Caitanya stressed the hearing process to cure the dissatisfaction of the common man.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Spiritual Dissatisfaction in the Modern World.
Pages in category "Modern World"
The following 24 pages are in this category, out of 24 total.
A
- Actually, these ideas what we have explained in our books, they're unknown to the modern world
- Although Hiranyakasipu was a great demon, he was not as foolish as the population of the modern world. Hiranyakasipu had clear knowledge of the spirit soul and the subtle and gross bodies
- Arjuna herein (BG 10.14) confirms that persons of faithless and demonic nature cannot understand Krsna. He is not even known by the demigods, so what to speak of the so-called scholars of this modern world? BG 1972 purports
- Asurah means they are also very powerful, but almost atheists. Just like in the modern world there are many powerful men and materially advanced, many powerful men. But because they are godless - they have no sense of God - they are called asuras
B
- Because our knowledge is imperfect, still, we take the position of teacher; therefore we are cheater - not teacher, but cheater. So the teacher society nowadays is the cheater society. And this modern world is a society of the cheater and the cheated
- Because the population of the modern world consists mostly of sudras, the brahminical culture is now lost and is extremely difficult to reestablish in a proper way
I
- In the modern world every knowledge is speculative, hypothetical. There is no perfect knowledge. So if you want to be perfectly in knowledge, then you have to take knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- In the modern world they cannot trace out chronological history more than three thousand years. That's all. But we can give account for many millions and millions of years
- It will be a great contribution to human society if this authorized information from the Vedic literature is presented to the modern world on the basis of modern scientific understanding
T
- The dirtiest thing now within our heart is the bodily concept of life. Actually, this is the misconception of whole situation of the modern world
- The dissatisfaction of the modern world means that actually everyone is hankering after spiritual happiness. But nobody is offering. And even if it is offered, they cannot understand. They do not take it. This is the position
- The so-called scientists of the modern materialistic world are proud because they have created modern facilities like great airplanes, but the credit for creating the airplanes should go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The words ko vicaste gatim atmano yatha indicate that when one is puffed up by the false prestige of possessing material opulence, he certainly neglects the goal of self-realization. This is the position of the modern world
- There are so many persons in the modern world who have been highly educated in the materialistic universities, but it is seen that they cannot take up the movement of Krsna consciousness and develop the high qualities of the demigods
- This hearing process is very important. Lord Caitanya, who preached Krsna consciousness in the modern world, gave great stress to hearing because if the common man simply hears from authoritative sources, he can progress. BG 1972 purports
W
- We are forced to work, especially in this modern world - so many factories, so many work. Unless we work, we cannot get the so-called comforts of life
- We have got very pessimistic view of this modern world. You may like or not. Simply spoiling time
- We have to save our time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. After all, this, in the modern world they have invented so many varieties of occupations unnecessarily, to develop economic condition
- We should take advantage of these (scriptures), especially of Bhagavad-gita, which is the prime scripture for the modern world
Y
- You know the radio message, how it is transmitted in the modern world. Similarly, as I am speaking, so whatever I am doing, that is immediately recorded and there will be some reaction
- You trace out the history of the human society . . . of course, in the modern world they cannot trace out chronological history more than three thousand years. That's all. But we can give account for many millions and millions of years