REPORTER: How do you feel about the future of America? Will there be a lot of destruction? There have been prophecies like that.

HANSADUTTA: Well, if one uses his common sense, he can see the future. Just like you can tell when it's going to snow or it's going to rain. Similarly, if one becomes a little advanced in Krishna consciousness, he can understand what the future holds. The future of not only America, but the whole world, is very dark because the whole world is now in a godless state. Everyone has rejected the authority of the Supreme Lord, and is trying to manufacture their own authorities in the name of democracy, communism, socialism, capitalism. In this way people have created different camps of communists, socialists and anarchists all at odds with each other. Even among so-called religious communities there is fighting, as between the Christians and Muslims and Jews and Hindus. Everyone is at odds with each other because of godlessness. And they have created terrible weapons that are capable of destroying cities in a moment.

It is nature's law that every action has a resultant reaction. In other words, they have created so many atomic weapons and other weapons, and in due course of time, when the karmic reaction matures, then these weapons will be unleashed, and the whole world will be enveloped in the fury of war. That has happened already twice in this last century with World War I and World War II. Right now practically there are a dozen countries at war. In Africa there is war, in the Middle East there is war, in Vietnam and Cambodia there is war, in South America there is war, in the Philippines there is war. War is going on everywhere, and it is just a matter of time before it spreads to our country and other countries. Just like when there is a disease in the body, first it manifests as a pimple here, a pimple there, and suddenly when it becomes mature, the whole body becomes overwhelmed with fever, collapses and breaks down. So the world is headed for such a breakdown in the fever of war, and these atomic weapons will certainly be used. There is no precedent in history where men have created weapons and then put them aside and become peaceful. Just like when a man marries, certainly he's going to have children. It's inevitable. Maybe today, tomorrow or after some years.

But even if there's no war, even if everything remains peaceful and harmonius, it doesn't mean that you won't die, that you will not become old or that you will not become diseased. Either peace or war, rich or poor, everyone should try to become Krishna conscious and get out of this material existence, because it means suffering in any case. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gita: janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-doshanudarshanam. One should always be aware of the evils of birth, death, old age and disease. If one is always conscious of these miseries, then he's not going to be very enthusiastic to work very hard to get a big position, to accumulate a lot of money, to marry and have dozens of children. No. He will think, "What is the use of this? Let me get out of here. Let me be liberated, go back home, back to Godhead." This is real intelligence, seeing that it is a hopeless waste of time to struggle for existence simply to lose everything at the time of death. Just look at President Kennedy. So powerful, popular, handsome, rich, nice family, beautiful wife. But in one second everything was lost.

So that is always with us. Wherever you go, death goes with you. Bhagavad-gita says, "For one who is born, it is certain he will die." Therefore, don't waste time on something which is not going to last. Nothing we accomplish in this life is permanent. It is all temporary. The intelligent person does only what is absolutely necessary to keep his body and soul together, and with the time saved, he practices Krishna consciousness, chants Hare Krishna. That is yoga. Yoga means to live only for the purpose of advancing in God realization. He doesn't live for sense enjoyment, he doesn't live for his country, he doesn't live for his business, he doesn't live just to eat, sleep and have sex. He lives because human life gives him the opportunity to be liberated from birth and death and go back home to Godhead.
Hansadutta das