Category:Western Civilization
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda offers a surgical analysis of Western civilization, not to condemn the people, but to diagnose a spiritual sickness. He observes that despite immense technological advancement and economic development, the civilization is fundamentally flawed because it is built solely on the bodily concept of life. By prioritizing sense gratification—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—modern society has reduced human beings to polished animals, lacking the essential brahminical culture that provides spiritual direction. Prabhupāda's call is not merely for adjustment, but for a total revision of the civilization's values, aiming to combine Western material facility with Vedic spiritual vision.
- The Bodily Concept: Modern society focuses exclusively on bodily necessities while ignoring the needs of the soul, effectively keeping the population in a state of animalistic consciousness.
- Degradation through Wealth: The unnecessary increase of wealth, without spiritual purpose, naturally leads to degradation through intoxication, illicit sex, and gambling.
- Lack of Authority: A defining characteristic of this civilization is the rejection of bona fide spiritual authority, where everyone becomes their own authority based on a vague or non-existent conception of God.
- Imitation and Loss: There is a tragic irony where India is losing its rich spiritual heritage by imitating the materialistic West, while the West is starving for the very culture India is discarding.
- The Mission of Revision: The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement aims to rewrite the narrative of Western civilization by introducing varṇāśrama and spiritual training, effectively creating a new chapter in human history.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Revise the Whole Edition of Western Civilization.
Pages in category "Western Civilization"
The following 32 pages are in this category, out of 32 total.
B
- Because we are spiritual beings. That I was trying to explain. That we have bodily necessities, at the same time we have spiritual necessities. This Western civilization, they are simply after the bodily necessities
- But Krsna's grace, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace, they are being now trained up. Now you be trained up and revise the whole edition of the western civilization, especially in America. Then a new chapter will come in. This is the program
I
- I have come here to give some culture, and you have come to imitate the Western civilization by technology. That is the difference
- In Western civilization, these three things (wine, women and gambling) are very prominent because of an unnecessary increase of wealth
- It is predicted that as the sun and moon gradually move west, the movement They (Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda) began five hundred years ago will come to the Western civilizations by Their mercy
- Its a very interesting concept because often in Western civilization God is defined more as an idea
S
- So especially now, people all over the world, they are trying to imitate the Western type of civilization. That is not bad. Do it. But you also do something so that Westerners may also take your knowledge
- So far I am personally experienced, in our childhood there were not so many problems. Now India is faced with so many problems on account of imitating Western civilization
- So the Western type of civilization, industrialism and capitalism, is no material advancement. It is material exploitation
T
- That is the defect of Western civilization. Vox populi, taking opinion of the public. But what is the value of this public? Drunkards, smokers, meat-eaters, woman-hunters
- The economic development's cow killing. Just see, rascal civilization. Don't be sorry. It is Sastra. Don't think that I am criticizing the Western civilization. It is sastra says. Very experienced
- The entire world is imitating the materialistic civilization of the West, and therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is very much interested in giving the Western people knowledge
- The idea is, that the rapid advancement of the Hare Krsna Movement has threatened the foundation of Western Civilization. One American politician has remarked in this connection, that the Hare Krsna Movement is spreading like an epidemic
- The whole Western civilization, they do not know what is the aim of life. Naturally the aim of life becomes like animals - eat, drink, have sex and defend. That's all. That is the Western civilization
- Their mission is, "What is this nonsense, spiritual understanding? Simply some sentiment, waste of time. Produce. Enjoy. Invent so many things for sense gratification" - Western civilization. And this is very attractive to the raksasa class
- These Oriental philosophies generally and in particular the Krsna consciousness has found a lot of devotees in the western civilization. What is the main reason for this?
- They (the western civilization) have got some vague idea of God, practically no idea. But human life is not meant for that purpose, simply living very comfortably in material life. The other necessity is that they should know Bhagavan, become bhagavata
- They don't mind even if they become a dog next life. Is it not? This is Western civilization. They say plainly, "What is wrong? I'll forget." Such degradation has taken place in the human society
- They know how to live comfortably in the material world, but there is no spiritual information. Missing point. That is the defect of the Western civilization. They have got some vague idea of God, practically no idea
- This is the basic principle of western civilization. They don't accept any authority. Everyone is his own authority
- This rascal civilization, they could not take the Western civilization, and they lost their own civilization. This is India's bad luck
W
- We can actually see, especially in this age, that those who have unnecessary riches simply try to enjoy these three things (wine, women & wealth). In Western civilization, these three things are very prominent because of an unnecessary increase of wealth
- Western civilization is not brahminical culture. There is no brahminical culture. And brahminical culture is needed. That is the head. That is the brain
- Western civilization. They are creating motor cars every year, and the bank is prepared to give you loan so that you may work day and night. Take loan from the bank and purchase a motor car and repay him by working so their machine will go on
- What is this interpretation? How demonic this Western civilization. "Because Jesus Christ, the God, has given the animals to our care, therefore we shall kill and eat." Anyway, try to introduce a renovation of civilization