Category:That Is Civilization
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category redefines the concept of civilization, contrasting the modern materialistic worldview with the eternal Vedic standard. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, true civilization is not marked by technological advancements, fast cars, or the unrestrained pursuit of sense gratification, which he categorizes as polished animal life. Real civilization is meant for the elevation of the soul. It involves organizing human society—specifically through the varṇāśrama system—so that people can systematically reduce their material desires, control their senses, and focus their energy on understanding the soul and loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Furthermore, a civilized society is inherently compassionate, prioritizing the protection of cows to receive pure milk (which is blood transformed by love) rather than engaging in the barbaric slaughter of innocent animals.
- The Goal of True Civilization: The actual aim of a civilized society is not to build better roads or discover atomic weapons, but to understand the soul, stop the cycle of birth and death, and awaken pure love for the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva.
- Contrasting Animal Life and Human Elevation: Modern society mistakenly identifies civilization with hedonism and working extremely hard for sense gratification like "hogs and dogs." True civilization minimizes unnecessary labor to save time for spiritual advancement.
- Regulation over Hedonism: A civilized human being learns to control the senses, particularly by restricting illicit sex and viewing all women except one's wife as mother. Unrestricted freedom for sense gratification leads only to disaster.
- The Principle of Compassion and Cow Protection: A truly civilized society does not murder animals. Instead, it protects cows, recognizing that milk is a miraculous, non-violent provision of the cow's blood that nourishes the brain for spiritual understanding.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: True Human Elevation - That Is Civilization.
Pages in category "That Is Civilization"
The following 32 pages are in this category, out of 32 total.
2
A
- Advanced in knowledge how to live, what is the purpose of life, goal of life, how to become peaceful. That is civilization. And blindly go on committing criminal activities under a nice dress, and nice motorcar, that is not civilization
- Aim of civilization is to understand Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they're missing the point. They're thinking motor tire civilization, very nice road and running motorcar in seventy, eighty miles speed, that is civilization
B
- By gradual process, to bring one to the platform of vasudeve pritir, that is bhakti. Pritir means love, how to love Vasudeva, Krsna. That is civilization - to bring one to the platform of loving Krsna
- By Krsna's grace if we actually become dharmic, follow Krsna, the milk supply will be so profuse that everyone, even the animals, can take the butter and yogurt. That is wanted. That is civilization
E
- Everyone should be very serious. That is civilization. Not that to remain for sense gratification like cats and dogs fighting
- Everyone wants that his son should be hard working, just like hogs and dogs, and satisfy senses. That's all. Everyone wants. That is civilization. Nobody wants that his son should be a devotee. They will not tolerate that
- Except one's wife, all women should be addressed as "Mother." This is civilization. Then there will be no corrupt relation
H
- Here in Hawaii we see that children and elderly person also, the whole day and night simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, how they're wasting time. But they have taken, - This is civilization
- How much you are able to gratify your senses. That is civilization. How much you are given facilities to gratify your senses. This is the modern idea, hedonism. More eat, more drink-eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy. Sense gratification
- How to increase sex desires. This is not civilization. Civilization is how to cut down sex desire and ultimately become free, paramahamsa. That is civilization according to Vedic culture
- Human civilization begins when they take Krsna's instructions: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah (BG 4.13). Divide the whole human society into four divisions and let them cooperatively act for the benefit of God. That is civilization
I
- If somebody cuts my throat, I become so sorry or so aggrieved. Why shall I cut the throat of other animals? This is civilization. And not that go on killing animals like anything and hunt upon the woman, topless woman, make business
- If we simply discover atomic weapons for defense, that is not final advancement of civilization. Final civilization is how to save yourself from death. That is civilization
T
- The cow is very, very important animal. If you want to advance your spiritual consciousness, then you must have sufficient milk and sufficient grains. That is civilization. Therefore it is the duty of the vaisyas to produce food grain
- The so-called civilization, so-called unrestricted sense gratification allowed in the name of freedom, that is disastrous. One must learn how to control. Controlling the senses, this is civilization
- The so-called president and leader and Gandhi, they are also another animal, big animal. So does it mean an animal big and very powerful, he has got the human intelligence? This is civilization
- The whole civilization should be on the basis of understanding the soul. That is civilization