Defects of Modern Civilization
While modern civilization prides itself on scientific advancement and economic growth, Śrīla Prabhupāda offers a piercing diagnosis of its fatal flaws. He describes the current state of society as a "soul-killing" civilization that has become expert in manipulating matter but has completely forgotten the spirit. By prioritizing temporary bodily comforts over eternal spiritual realization, modern society has created a hellish atmosphere of anxiety, exploitation, and violence. The glittering facade of skyscrapers and technology hides a deep spiritual bankruptcy where humans are reduced to the level of "dressed animals."
A Soul-Killing Civilization
The fundamental defect of modern civilization is its gross identification with the material body. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that without knowledge of the soul, human life is no better than animal life. Animals also eat, sleep, mate, and defend, and modern man simply does these same things in a more polished way. By neglecting the self (the soul) and focusing entirely on the machine (the body), civilization is committing mass spiritual suicide.
- Actually we are in a very precarious condition, the modern civilization, I mean to say, manipulated by the Western people. It is a soul-killing civilization, this civilization.
- Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah. They are animals, that's all. The modern civilized man is nothing but an animal - dressed animal, two-legged animal. The animals are four-legged, and these animals are two-legged, that's all.
- Darwin's theory that life is made possible by chemical evolution is not correct. They are missing the soul. That is their mistake. They are simply observing the material cover. That is the basic mistake of modern civilization.
Exploitation and Violence
A defining characteristic of this age is the ruthless exploitation of other living beings. Śrīla Prabhupāda condemns the ingratitude of modern man, who kills the very cows that provide milk and cuts down the trees that provide fruits and honey. This culture of violence, represented by the maintenance of thousands of slaughterhouses, creates severe karmic reactions in the form of wars and pestilence. It is a demoniac civilization that attempts to build prosperity on the blood of the innocent.
- Abundant honey can be obtained if the forests are protected. Unfortunately, in modern civilization, men are busy killing the cows that are the source of yogurt, milk and ghee, they are cutting down all the trees that supply honey.
- A needy person may derive many advantages from trees and also from many animals, but in modern civilization people have become so ungrateful that they exploit the trees and animals and kill them. These are some of the sinful activities of modern civilization.
Artificial Standard of Living
Modern civilization is built on artificial necessities. Instead of living simply, society has created a complex web of needs—heavy industry, motorcars, and electricity—that requires constant, intense labor (ugra-karma). Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while a man may think he is advancing by driving a truck day and night to solve his "bread problem," he is actually just increasing his anxiety. This economic development is compared to pouring fat into a fire; it only increases the burning fever of material existence.
- In modern civilization the horses and elephants have been replaced by cars and conveyances with considerable horsepower. To maintain all the household affairs, one has to increase the bank balance and be careful about the treasury house.
- The policy of trying to satisfy material desires by catering to one's material demands will never be successful. In modern civilization, everyone is engaged in economic development, which is another way of constantly dropping fat into the material fire.
- He (the living entity) thinks, "If I do not solve my bread problem, if I do not drive my trucks day and night, how can I live?" This is the nonsense of our modern civilization.
Four Pillars of Sin
The pillars of modern society are the four sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. Śrīla Prabhupāda observes that modern life is designed to facilitate these vices. Sex life has become the focal point of all activities, intoxication is encouraged to help people forget their miseries, and gambling and slaughterhouses are state-sanctioned. This addiction to sin degrades human consciousness and blocks spiritual advancement.
- According to sastra, these are four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. But these are modern civilization. It is very difficult.
- In modern civilization, sex life is the focal point for all activities. Wherever one turns his face, he sees sex life predominant.
- I am speaking this freely because you are a gentleman, but the civilization, modern civilization, everyone is addicted to intoxication, everyone is flesh-eating, everyone is illicit sex, everyone is addicted to gambling. So where is pure person?
Ignorance of Death and Karma
Perhaps the most dangerous defect is the total ignorance regarding the laws of nature. Modern education teaches how to manipulate matter but provides no information about what happens after death. People live under the illusion that "I am this body" and that death is the end of everything. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that this aimless life is risky because nature's laws are strict; a life of sin leads to degradation in the next birth, regardless of one's material prestige in this life.
- The mistake of modern civilization is that man does not believe in the next life.
- This is the missing point of modern civilization. They do not know . . . there is no educational system in the university what happens after death.
- We are working very hard in this material world, but we are not preparing ourself for death, which is a "must" fact. Everyone must die. The modern civilization, they are afraid of death, but they do not know how to counteract death.
Conclusion
Modern civilization offers a dazzling array of comforts but fails to solve the real problems of life: birth, death, old age, and disease. It is a "dangerous civilization" that creates wants rather than satisfying them. The only hope for correcting this defect is the introduction of God consciousness. As Śrīla Prabhupāda states, "We do not condemn modern civilization but we don't like to get it at the cost of God Consciousness; that is suicide."
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Modern Civilization. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.