What Has Really Changed

By krishnasmercy on March 30, 2025 • ( 0 )

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

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दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

“This is something that has crossed my mind lately. Only because of behavior I see playing out in the younger generations. To me, they are the first ones to show such a brazen lack of respect for the people who came before them. If you mention a respected founder of the country, for instance, they almost laugh at you. They have targeted some blemishes in the character of such people, and so anyone from the past is dismissed immediately.

“What I have been thinking about is this idea of progress. Consider something like innovation, wherein society at large benefits. Because of someone’s sacrifice, their dedication, their repeated attempts after consecutive failures, people now do things completely differently. The smartphone. The washing machine. Launching men into outer space. The shopping cart. The swivel chair. These are but a few examples. These are all things that had to be invented. There was study. There was consideration and deliberation. There was pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable at the time.

“But where does that lead? If I invent something which changes the way people live, what will that get me? I don’t think there will be any appreciation. A local government might name a bridge after me, but then people will curse my very existence every time they are stuck in traffic on that very same bridge. People will just exploit whatever it is I create. I don’t think I will get any credit.

“This is not to say I am against good behavior or helping your fellow man. Charity and benevolence are time-tested. They are mentioned in scriptural texts for a reason. For instance, installing a well in a rural community goes a long way towards helping people. They will be able to find water to drink. There is a direct impact made on sustaining life.

“But how do any of these other so-called advancements help? There won’t be any long-term appreciation. The people benefitting will be just as unhappy in the future as they are today. They might even become more unhappy, as we see all the focus on mental health today. Addiction to technology certainly plays a role in that. Do you see what I am saying?”

In this regard, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada asks, “What can you change?” The suggestion is to travel back in time. Choose an arbitrary number. One hundred years. Two hundred years. Now think of what people were doing. What was their daily life like? What were their aspirations? What were their frustrations? What did they have to contend with?

Well, people in any period of time deal with the weather. The changing of seasons. The bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer. The boundless opportunity symbolized by the spring season and the winding down of activity symbolized by the leaves falling from trees in autumn. The cycle continues, like a wheel that keeps spinning.

This review is not meant to dampen spirits, but rather to trigger a reassessment of priorities. Just what exactly will we be able to change? What kind of innovation will spark a reconfiguration of nature itself? Will the seasons still not arrive on schedule? Will not the wrongdoers get punished for their misdeeds? Will not the pious get rewarded for their kind acts?

अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्

avaśyaṃ labhate jantuḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ
ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpamivārtavam

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

Bhagavad-gita explains that the material nature is difficult to overcome. The living entities are struggling within that nature. Of this, there cannot be any doubt. At every moment we are being harassed. I made the mistake of eating too much peanut butter yesterday, and so last night there was a steady disturbance to sleep caused by mucous buildup. This morning I cannot enjoy the sun shining in the window because I have an emergency to take care of at the office. I must wake up the other members of the household, encouraging them to be responsible in meeting their own deadlines.

Better to transcend that nature by worshiping the person who controls it. Better to make meaningful progress in the journey of the individual, who is always timeless. I will continue to exist in one hundred years. I can shape my destiny. I can choose which destination to call home.

जल थल नभ गति अमित अति अग जग जीव अनेक
तुलसी तो से दीन कहँ राम नाम गति एक

jala thala nabha gati amita ati aga jaga jīva aneka
tulasī to se dīna kaham̐ rāma nāma gati eka

“There are an infinite number of living beings, both moving and nonmoving, who have many different abodes, with some residing in the earth, some in the sky, and some in the water. But O helpless Tulsi, for you Shri Rama’s holy name is your only home.” (Dohavali, 37)

This is the message from the acharyas of the Vedic tradition. You cannot change material nature, but you shouldn’t need to. There is nothing to be gained by the endeavor. No matter how much power you have, no matter the level of authority you wield over a given population, eventually things will return to the way they have always been. Rather than remain stuck in that perpetual cycle of attachment and aversion, of swinging between the dualities of like and dislike, make this the final round. Become conscious of the Supreme Lord, place His interests at the highest priority, and easily cross beyond the otherwise confining fortress that is the material nature.