Quotes: Crisis of Harmony with Nature (Srila Prabhupada)

(cars) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 4.29.33, purport. “In contemporary civilization we see that there are many automobiles manufactured to carry us swiftly from one place to another, but at the same time we have created other problems. We have to construct so many roads, and yet these roads are insufficient to cope with automobile congestion and traffic jams. There are also the problems of air pollution and fuel shortage.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/4/29/33/

(way to work) Morning Walk, May 27, 1974, Rome. “Everywhere. In New York they are coming from hundred miles, from the other side of the island. First ferry steamer, then bus, then so on, so on. Three hours, four hours they spend for transport.”

https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/740527mwrom/

Conversation on Train to Allahabad, Jan. 11, 1977, “Where is leisure time? You rise early in the morning and start for your office. Where is your leisure time? All imagination. I have seen in New York. They are coming from the other parts, starting early in the morning, two hours in the ferry and two hours in the cars, and standing two hours. What is this? Leaders, rich men, can think like that, that "I have leisure," but a worker, lower class, they have no freedom. That is illusion, and we are trying to give freedom to everyone. That is freedom. You are forced to go to the factory and work there in a hellish condition. Is that freedom?”

https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/770111ttida/

(climate) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 3.17.5, purport. “There are many countries on the globe, even at the present moment, where all these disturbances are current. This is true all over the world. There is insufficient sunshine, and there are always clouds in the sky, snowfall and severe cold. These assure that such places are inhabited by demoniac people who are accustomed to all kinds of forbidden, sinful activity.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/17/5/

(industrialization) Dialectic Spiritualism. Plato. “Of course, now there is industrialization, and large scale industry means exploitation. Such industry was unknown to Vedic civilization. Then, people lived by agriculture and cow protection. If there are healthy cows and enough milk, everyone can get grains, fruits, vegetables, and other foods. That is sufficient in itself. Unfortunately, modern civilization has taken to animal eating, and this is barbarous. This is not even human.”

(industrialization - abandonment of the goal) “Teachings of Queen Kuntī”, chapter 23. “Human prosperity flourishes by natural gifts and not by gigantic industrial enterprises. The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization, and they cause the destruction of the noble aims of human life. The more we go on increasing such troublesome industries to squeeze out the vital energy of the human being, the more there will be unrest and dissatisfaction of the people in general, although a few only can live lavishly by exploitation.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/tqk/23/

(clothes and jewelry) “Teachings of Queen Kuntī”, chapter 23. “Minerals are produced in the hills, and the jewels in the ocean. If the human civilization has sufficient grains, minerals, jewels, water, milk, etc., then why should we hanker after terrible industrial enterprises at the cost of the labor of some unfortunate men? But all these natural gifts are dependent on the mercy of the Lord. What we need, therefore, is to be obedient to the laws of the Lord and achieve the perfection of human life by devotional service… The oyster produces pearls, and formerly people decorated their bodies with pearls, valuable stones, silk, gold, and silver. But where are those things now? Now, with the advancement of civilization, there are so many beautiful girls who have no ornaments of gold, pearls, or jewels, but only plastic bangles. So what is the use of industry and slaughterhouses?”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/tqk/23/

(industry) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 3.6.32, purport. “Industry is an artificial means of livelihood, and large-scale industry especially is the source of all the problems of society.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/6/32/

(stability) “Yes. Their time is spent in breaking and building, that’s all. They do not inquire, ‘Why breaking and building? Why not permanent?’ That question does not arise. And they cannot solve it. They think this breaking and building is the nature. But we are giving information of another nature, where there is no breaking and building – permanent. But they cannot believe that there is such a thing.”

https://vedabase.io/en/library/spl/2/46/