Krishna

CIVILIZATION

Life's aim is self-realization — and Lord Visnu — not the skyscrapers. This piling of stones and woods, this is not very intelligent work. Piling the woods and stones and earth is there already as big mountains and hills. You do the business of a porter, carry it out, and put it high, heap it in one place, and it becomes a skyscraper building. If you are simply proud of these heaps of stones and wood and iron, that is not civilization. Civilization is that the living entity who is using these resources must know what is his actual business.

This piling of stones and wood is done also by the birds. They also pick up, according to their strength, some twigs, and they make a nest. That intelligence is there. The rat also, he makes a subway. (devotees laugh) So this is not very intelligent work, to imitate the rats, the birds, the cats, and the dogs. That is not civilization.

Civilization means self-realization, "What I am? Why I am forced to die? I do not like to die." To know this, that is civilization. When all these inquiries will come into one's mind,like: "I do not wish to die. Why death is there, forced upon me? I am forced to die. I do not wish to be diseased. Why disease comes upon me?" When this "why" questions comes, that is humanity. And if a man remains dull, "All right, let me die," then he's cat and dog. That's all. If there is no "Why?" then he's a cat and dog.

So human civilization does not mean piling of woods and stones. Human civilization means brahma-jijñāsā, inquiry.

- Srila Prabhupada