Transcribed By Dips Prabhu
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2011)
Here it is described that gradually the society at large will become more and more difficult, and that there will be more and more taxation.
We are seeing that when you are driving around, it is incredible how much toll you have to pay – incredible and everything is taxed. You pay direct tax to the government, then indirect tax and VAT. It is inconceivable on how much tax is being paid ….80 – 90% we’re already working for the government – actually its a fact, 80% 90% of work is for the government, either direct tax or indirect tax, and all the things we buy, and all the tax is on that. That is the situation and it will increase and we see instability.
It is being predicted sooner or later, that there will be great droughts! Once that happens then everything will change, because then nothing will grow. No vegetables will grow, and so it will become difficult to eat, then meat eating will become more and more for the purpose of survival.
So, there’s no doubt that this is destined to happen, because Bhagavatam is describing it, and we are also seeing so many elements being described, which is happening right now. So in this way, we can appreciate Srimad Bhagavatam, which is describing the present and the future. We are already discussing Kali Yuga this week –‘Ugra-Karma’, the activity of the Kali Yuga.
‘Ugra-Karma’, as Srila Prabhupada describes it as ‘horrible work meant to destroy the world’. So we are working in Ugra-Karma companies…. ‘Ugra’ – means aggressive, destructive, to destroy the world. You can call it multinationals if you want to – they pay us and what can we do? But just abide by it.
They make us work ridiculous hours, they do not give you any chance to live. It is almost impossible to chant your rounds and it’s suffering to chant in the midst of all that, and you have just been released on the Saturday morning to come to the temple, which is your good fortune – so it is not that bad yet!!! They still allow you Saturday mornings off but they say:
‘We are working on that! We are working on it….. there are financial crisis’.
Then everybody becomes afraid of losing their jobs, and then you have to work overtime without pay to keep your job, which is now very complicated, since due to the economic crisis, many people are working overtime without pay and they gladly do so to keep their jobs so they can work again on Saturday. Now, the shops are open on Sundays, because that’s no longer the day of the Lord! So we can work on that as well.
‘Why waste the Lord’s time?’
Anyway, now that we have the good fortune on Saturdays, so that we can assemble in marginal numbers and we can discuss the Srimad Bhagavatam.
So one of the points that we discussed this week was that there is the ten thousand year of the Golden Age in this age of Kali – and that of course is ‘our hope’. So we hope that it kicks in fast!!
It is said that it will start 5,000 years after the appearance of Lord Krishna. So it should start shouldn’t it? But maybe, it has already started in a seed form and maybe the seed is just sprouting because, everywhere devotional service is spreading and we’re seeing miraculous things. We are seeing people from all over the world wearing tilak and chanting Hare Krishna – so something is definitely going on – no doubt!
