Can We Keep Society from Going to the Dogs?

Srila Prabhupada speaks out to India’s Bhavan’s Journal: “A dog comes when there are some eatables; I say ‘Hut!’ and he goes away. But again he comes-he has no memory. So when our memory of God is reducing, that means that our human qualities are reducing…. There is no religion, simply a dog’s race. The dog is running on four legs, and you are running on four wheels-that’s all. And you think that the four-wheel race is advancement of civilization!”

Ref. VedaBase => SSR 6b: Can We Keep Society from Going to the Dogs?

Srila Prabhupada is so smart and His mantras are so powerful.

“This word man, man means mind. Man-tra — tra means deliverance. So mantra means which delivers from our mental platform. Every one of us are now hovering either on the bodily platform or on the mental platform, subtle. Mental platform is subtle, and bodily platform is gross. But beyond this mind there is intelligence, and beyond intelligence there is soul. So by this mantra we, I mean to say, cross over the mental platform, intellectual platform, and come directly to the spiritual platform. And as soon as we come to the spiritual platform and we understand our relationship with Krsna, or God, then we are in peace.Ref. VedaBase => Press Conference – June 26, 1971, Paris

Every word and sentence in whatever language is a mantra.

We could even extend this further and say that every sound vibration is a mantra.

African tam tam is a mantra.

Ludwig van Beethoven produced many mind charming mantras.

Of course, these last statements of mine do not, strictly speaking, satisfy the definition of mantra given by Srila Prabhupada in His Press Conference of June 26, 1971 in Paris, as that which brings us to the spiritual platform.

So yes, in this particular case, I am stretching things a little.

But if we define mantra as a particular sound vibration to achieve a very particular aim, then all is fine. There is no better activity than Samkirtan book distribution to realise, to practice and refine the use and power of mantra. The preacher is expert in the use of mantra. Any orator must be. Amen or Om Tat Sat.