Gerontology: Prolonging the Suffering

DR. SINGH. They are actually fighting against the laws of nature, but often they take pleasure in the struggle.

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. That pleasure is childish. Suppose a child builds a sand castle on the beach with great effort. He may take pleasure in it, but that is childish pleasure. That is not a grown man's pleasure. Materialistic men have created a standard of false happiness. They have created a gorgeous arrangement for a comfortable civilization, but it is all false because they cannot create a situation in which they will be able to enjoy it. At any moment, anyone can be kicked out by death, and all his enjoyment will be finished.

DR. SINGH. That is why they say that God hasn't given us every thing-because we are not able to live here forever.

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. But God has given them everything necessary to live peacefully, and everything necessary to understand Him. So why will they not inquire about God? Instead, they do things that help them forget God.

DR. SINGH. Now the scientists have organized a whole department in science called gerontology, in which they study how to prolong life.

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. Their real aim should be to stop the suffering. Suppose an old man is in great pain, suffering from many diseases, and suddenly the doctors increase his life-span. What is the profit?

DR. SINGH. That is what they do with heart transplants.

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. It is nonsense! Let them stop death; that would be an achievement. Let them stop all disease; ah, that would be an achievement. They cannot do these things! Therefore, I say that all their research is simply a struggle for existence. Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita [15.7]:

mamaivamso jiva-loke

jiva-bhūtaḥ sanatanaḥ

manaḥ-sasthanindriyani

prakrti-sthani karsati

"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind."

STUDENT. Now there is a shortage of oil.

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. Yes, we have built a civilization that is dependent on oil. This is against nature's law, and therefore there is now an oil shortage. By nature's law, winter is now coming. Scientists cannot stop it and turn it into summer. They wrongly think they are in control of nature. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna informs us that the living being thinks himself to be the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature. The sun is now rising. Can they make it dark? And when it is dark, can they command the sun, "Get up!" They do not realize that if they really want to conquer nature, they should try to conquer birth, death, old age and disease. In Bhagavad-gita [7.14] Krsna says:

daivi hy esa guna-mayi

mama maya duratyaya

mam eva ye prapadyante

mayam etam taranti te

"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."

DR. SINGH. So, is it very hard to overcome nature's laws?

SRĪLA PRABHUPADA. For the materialists, it is impossible. But if one surrenders to Krsna, it becomes easy.

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