Membership

We read in Vedic literature about this present age that we are living in now, called the Age of Kali, the age of hypocrisy, quarrel and corruption. Aside from the statements of Vedic literature we can observe that the age is full of many vices; it is a veritable ocean of vices. There is widespread poverty, war, crime, and great attention given to intoxication and illicit sex life. Persons in this age have a very short duration of life, at least compared to descriptions we get of former ages; also, duration of memory, ability to concentrate, and interest in spiritual life were all formerly greater than in this current age. The reason this has come about is by the will of Krsna. This material universe is divided into vast periods of time, and the present age is the most degraded. Long, long ago there was a golden age called Satya-yuga. At that time almost one hundred percent of the people were God conscious, but one after another the different ages came like seasons, and society became increasingly degraded. This Age of Kali-yuga is as inevitable as the seasonal cycle, but just because Kali-yuga is inevitably going to be more and more degrading does not imply that the influential, responsible people, especially the devotees of the Supreme Lord, will sit aloof and ignore or grow callous to this age of quarrel as it increases in corruption. Saintly persons are like older brothers in society, and they have great concern over the disintegration of religious principles in humanity. A pure devotee knows that no one can be happy in a society where people neglect rendering devotional service to the source, Krsna, or God.