# Civilization *On what constitutes real human civilization* --- ### What Is Civilization? > If you want to become civilized, then you must take education. Without education, how you can become civilized? So what is that education? The first-class education is to understand "What I am." If a man does not know what he is, what is the use of his so-called education? — [[spoken/1976/761016bg.cha|Bhagavad-gītā 9.3, Chandigarh, 1976]] --- ### More Than Skyscrapers > Civilization is not that there are so many big skyscraper buildings and many motor cars. No. Civilization means how one becomes spiritually advanced. That is civilization. Material advancement is not civilization. That is called polished animalism. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Cats and Dogs in Skyscrapers > The dogs are also barking, and we are also barking in a big motorcar. Does it mean civilized? The dog is running here and there on four legs, and we are running, covering four hundred miles, five thousand miles by jet plane. Does it mean civilization? It is the same doggish mentality, extended. — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Beginning of Human Civilization > This is the beginning of human civilization, that man should know what is his duty. Without knowing the duty, you remain an animal. The human civilization begins when there is varṇāśrama-dharma. Otherwise it is not human civilization. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Society of Cheaters and Cheated > So my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "This world is the society of cheaters and cheated." The members are somebody are cheating, and somebody are cheated. The association of cheaters and cheated. So we want to save them from this society of cheaters and cheated. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- ### Not a Slaughterhouse > Civilized man does not mean one who has got big building, big motorcar, and electricity. That is not civilized. Civilized man means one who has got knowledge, who is educated, who knows the value of life, who can control his senses, who is not like cats and dogs. — [[spoken/1976/760630sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.16, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- ### Purpose of Varṇāśrama > This is the system of varṇāśrama-dharma—four kinds of varṇas and four kinds of āśrama. It is very scientific. The whole idea of human civilization should be how to push one to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to Viṣṇu. — [[spoken/1970/701215sb.ind|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.27, Indore, 1970]] --- ### Godless Civilization > The godless civilization is always disturbed. There is no peace. That is a fact. You cannot have peace in this godless civilization. That is not possible. — [[spoken/1976/761016bg.cha|Bhagavad-gītā 9.3, Chandigarh, 1976]] --- ### Not Meant for This > This human civilization is not meant for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending like cats and dogs. There is something more to do. That is to understand God, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. — [[spoken/1968/680816jm.mon|Janmāṣṭamī Lecture, Montreal, 1968]] --- ### Real Advancement > So real advancement of civilization means advancement of spiritual knowledge. That is real advancement. Not motor car, skyscraper building, or eating meat, drinking. This is not advancement. This is called polished animalism. — [[spoken/1976/760630sb.nv|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.16, New Vṛndāvana, 1976]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on civilization* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]