Science
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Imported quote 13824 As will be explained in the next verse, Prthu Maharaja used to please all kinds of citizens by his extraordinary capacity to understand the mentality of others. Indeed, his dealings were so perfect that every one of the citizens was very much satisfied and lived in complete peace. The word acyutatmakaḥ is significant in this verse, for Maharaja Prthu used to rule this planet as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He knew he was the representative of the Lord and that the Lord's creation must be protected intelligently. Atheists cannot understand the purpose behind the creation. Although this material world is condemned when it is compared to the spiritual world, there is still some purpose behind it. Modern scientists and philosophers cannot understand that purpose, nor do they believe in the existence of a creator. They try to establish everything by their so-called scientific research, but they do not center anything around the supreme creator. A devotee, however, can understand the purpose of creation, which is to give facilities to the individual living entities who want to lord it over material nature. The ruler of this planet should therefore know that all the inhabitants, especially human beings, have come to this material world for sense enjoyment. It is therefore the duty of the ruler to satisfy them in their sense enjoyment as well as to elevate them to Krsna consciousness so that they all can ultimately return home, back to Godhead.
(More...) Imported quote 13828 In this verse Maharaja Prthu is compared to the kings of the moon and sun. The king of the moon and the king of the sun serve as examples of how the Lord desires the universe to be ruled. The sun distributes heat and light and at the same time exacts water from all planets. The moon is very pleasing at night, and when one becomes fatigued after a day's labor in the sun, he can enjoy the moonshine. Like the sun-god, Prthu Maharaja distributed his heat and light to give protection to his kingdom, for without heat and light no one can exist. Similarly, Prthu Maharaja exacted taxes and gave such strong orders to the citizens and government that no one had the power to disobey him. On the other hand, he pleased everyone just like the moonshine. Both the sun and the moon have particular influences by which they maintain order in the universe, and modern scientists and philosophers should become familiar with the Supreme Lord's perfect plan for universal maintenance.
(More...) Imported quote 14892 How condemned is the advancement of material knowledge can be understood from the behavior of Maharaja Priyavrata. He performed such wonderful acts as creating another sun, which shined during the night, and creating a chariot so great that its wheels formed vast oceans. These activities are so great that modern scientists cannot even imagine how such things can be done. Maharaja Priyavrata acted very wonderfully in the material field of activities, but because he was dealing in sense gratification-ruling his kingdom and dancing to the indications of his beautiful wife-he personally condemned himself. When we think about this example of Maharaja Priyavrata, we can just consider how degraded is the modern civilization of materialistic advancement. Modern so-called scientists and other materialists are very satisfied because they can construct great bridges, roads and machines, but such activities are nothing comparable to those of Maharaja Priyavrata. If Maharaja Priyavrata could condemn himself in spite of his wonderful activities, how condemned we are in our so-called advancement of material civilization. We can conclude that such advancement has nothing to do with the problems of the living entity entangled within this material world. Unfortunately, modern man does not understand his entanglement and how condemned he is, nor does he know what kind of body he is going to have in the next life. From a spiritual point of view, a great kingdom, beautiful wife and wonderful material activities are all impediments to spiritual advancement. Maharaja Priyavrata had served the great sage Narada sincerely. Therefore even though he had accepted material opulences, he could not be deviated from his own task. He again became Krsna conscious. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:
(More...) Imported quote 21462 Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your nice letter. I can understand from your letter that you are very intelligent. Generally India people are not taking up this movement, although it is their original culture, they are now in favor of economic development and technological advancement which can never do any good to the people in general, neither material nor spiritual. After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice'' Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg 5.29], "The sages knowing me to be the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices, the Supreme Lord of all planets, and the well wishing friend of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries''
(More...) One is led to believe in the strength of material science, with its discovery of atomic energy and space travel by mechanical vehicles, and by such tiny advancements in material science the false egoist tries to challenge even the strength of the Supreme There are many duratmas who claim to have realized themselves as Brahman and yet are unable to conquer material desires. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly explained (Bg. 18.54) that an absolute self-realized soul becomes completely aloof from all material desires. Material desires are based on the false ego of the living being and are exhibited by his childish and useless activities to conquer the laws of material nature and by his desire to lord it over the resources of the five elements. With such mentality, one is led to believe in the strength of material science up to the discovery of atomic energy and space travel by mechanical vehicles, and by such tiny advancements of material science the false egoist tries to challenge even the strength of the Supreme Lord, who can finish all man's tiny endeavors in less than a second. The well-situated self, or Brahman-realized soul, perfectly understands that the Supreme Brahman or the Personality of Godhead is the all-powerful Vasudeva and that he (the self-realized living being) is a part and parcel of the supreme whole. As such, his constitutional position is to cooperate with Him in all respects in the transcendental relation of the served and the servitor. Such a self-realized soul ceases to exhibit his useless activities by attempting to lord it over material nature and fully engages himself in faithful devotion to the Lord, scientifically well informed.
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