(Click to enlarge photo of Srila Prabhupada at the Family Dog auditorium, San Francisco, 1969)
Prabhupāda: So this is civilization, this is culture. So at the present moment there is no respect for brahminical culture. Just like we are trying to make our disciples perfectly men of character: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. And people will take it very lightly. They laugh. Because they do not know what is brahminical culture, what is the perfection of human life. So all these are happening and will continue to happen till the end of this age, very, very dangerous. We must always consider. Don't be allured by big, big highways and skyscraper building with full advertisement of wine and cigarette. This is not life. This is not life. Life... Here is life. Let anyone come and compare this life in this temple and outside. This is life.
So be careful that this material world is itself dangerous. Especially in this age of Kali, it is dangerous. It is stated in the śāstra, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: every step there is danger. This is the position. Māyā is so strong that you should always expect simply danger. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you can overcome these dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. It is not... This dangerous position is not for them. Who? Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam: one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet. It is a great ocean, just like the Pacific Ocean. It is just like a great ocean, big ocean of ignorance. As in the ocean if you go, even on a boat, it is always dangerous, similarly, we are in the ocean of material civilization. There is always danger. But if you take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ padam, then you overcome the danger and you go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much.
Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles, July 11, 1974)
.
.
