Real Problems of Life

Questions
Like we just saw we are always looking for happiness but end up in misery. Today we will be
discussing about the 4 real problems of the world.

1. You are constantly talking about problems so here’s one – doing chores
2. Yes, it is. Everyone I know does chores and no one like sit. It is a real problem.
3. Really? What is that criteria?
4. Then what is a real problem?
5. What makes birth a problem?
6. Can’t you avoid disease by staying healthy? But since the problems are unavoidable and
we can’t do anything about them, shouldn’t we just carry on and enjoy while we can?
7. The real problems may happen only a few times but unfortunately there are 3 other
problems which affect us constantly
8. I’m still not convinced what if a child dies young. They wouldn’t have been old, right?

OH my, I guess that makes sense.

Answers:
1. But that isn’t a real problem
2. But chores do not meet the criteria of a real problem
3. For a problem to be a real problem, the problem must be – common to all, no one
wants it but no one can avoid it.
In your case, not everyone in the world hates doing chores – some people actually like
them…and they can be avoided too
4. There are 4 real problems that meet the above criteria – birth, disease, old age and
death.
5. Birth is a problem because the child suffers so much in the mother’s womb.
6. No. Disease can come in many forms – such as cancer or a small cough. I’m sure healthy
people have coughed before in their lives
7. The real problems may happen only a few times but unfortunately there are 3 other
problems which affect us constantly
8. Adhy atmika, Adhy bhautika, adhy devika.

Andyatmika is misery caused by one’s own mind – our mind comes up with so many
troubling thoughts without us wanting.
Adhy bhautika is misery caused by others – like a dog barking or even a relative

Adhy devika is misery caused by mother nature like storms, earthquakes etc.
9. First, it would be sad. But old age isn’t counted in number of years but actually how
close you are to death. That is old age. In the child’s case, they experienced old age as
they got closer to death.
Next, we will talk about how animals and humans are alike or different

Questions
1. What do animals do that humans do too?
2. Do animals have reasoning power?
3. Can we compete with animals in what they are best at?
4. What is the special prerogative of a human?
5. Answer – it will run away (x3)
6. If animals are better in so many ways, then what makes humans special?
7. What distinguishes a human from an animal in the performance of dharma?
8. All in all, what is the similarity and difference between animals and humans?

I get it! What distinguishes human from an animal is his performance of dharma or duty
towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dharma of every human is to understand
who he is, who is god, the relationship between him and god and to engage in rendering
loving service to God

Answers:
1. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are similarities between animals and humans
2. Yes, when someone says “hut” to a dog it will use its reasoning power to know to move.
Similarly, if a cat wants to steal milk it will wait for the owner to go away before it steals
the milk
3. No, you can’t compete with an elephant in eating, you can’t jump as high as a kangaroo.
And you can’t compete with an eagle in seeing
4. Humans have a power to ask questions like “who created the world”, “who is God”,
“Who am I”, An animal doesn’t have the privilege to do that.
Add on:
Imagine this, there is a dog crossing the street. A small boy hits the dog with a stone.
What will it do? (wait for answer). Yes, absolutely right (x3) Exactly.

5. Animals live in cages and eat with claws while humans live in houses and eat with forks
and spoons. Animals may defend with teeth and claws and humans may defend with
bombs and missiles.
6. The dharma of every human is to understand who he is, who is God, the relationship
between him and God and to engage in rendering loving service to God. If a human
doesn’t do these, he is just a sophisticated two-legged animal
7. Animals eat, sleep, mate and defend. A human can live in a more sophisticated manner
while animals live in a cage and eat with claws. The difference is that humans have a
privilege to as the question like “who is god?”, “who am I?” etc. Animals do not have the
privilege to do this.
The Mahabharata clearly illustrates the difference between animals and humans

AhAra-nidrA-bhaya-maithunam cha
samAnam_etat_pashubhir_narANAm |
dharmo hi teShAm adhiko visheSho
dharmeNa hInAH pashubhiH samAnAH||

The activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending are common in animals and human
beings. The human beings are considered superior only when they inquire about the absolute
truth, otherwise they are considered just like animals.

Eyes of Knowledge

Questions:
1. Where can one get knowledge about harmonizing our lives with nature?
2. Why scriptures? Science is the best. We scientists prove things?
3. How do we learn about the scriptures?
4. How offensive. Real scientists would not do that. (pause) Actually, you’re right
5. How do you know that the spiritual master is correct?
6. Oh, so then how do you know the scriptures are correct? And random person could
have written it
7. My mom
8. Yes, well, uh, uh
9. Are you saying the Vedas are like my mom?
10. I guess so. But then if you are so sure that the scriptures are correct, then tell me more
about the scriptures. Or do you not know about them.
11. Have you gone mad? You are speaking completely gibberish like a fool
12. Who is this person? If he is even 1% as weird as you, I won’t trust him
13. What are your thoughts on the big bang theory?

Answers:
1. It’s the Vedic scriptures
2. No science is based on our imperfect senses, which causes us to come under illusion and
make mistakes. When we make mistakes, we tell lies to cover those up. Also, science is
mainly based on guesswork. That’s why there are so many versions of the same thing.
3. All crows are black story
4. The right way to learn about the scriptures is from a bonafide spiritual master who
comes in a disciplic succession.
5. Well the bonafide spiritual master never adds or subtracts anything from the scriptures.
He or she is like a postman and just delivers the message as it is.
6. Let’s say you want to know who is your dad, how do you find out?
` Yes, exactly, you trust the authority of the mother. (Pause) The scriptures aka the Vedas
are similarly the authority of Vedic knowledge. And anyway, you are accepting the authority
of your science books and methods, right?
 7. The Vedas are apaureshya
8. Yes, that means that they are spoken by someone beyond us. Hence, they are not
incorrect. There has never been BG version 2.0 because the message is coming from a
person who is absolute and complete.
9. Let’s bring in some experts to discuss that

Big bang theory

Questions
1. So, did the big band theory really happen?
2. What proof do you have that it did not happen?
3. Well no, but the big bang is a one in a million chance
4. So, what do you believe in?
5. I guess you are right. Thank you for enlightening me today.

Answers

1. No, because there is no real proof that it happened.

2. Ok, so think about this. What materials do you need to make a building – wood, bricks,
metal and sand etc., right? If I gave you these materials and a piece of land and asked
you to make an explosion. Will you be able to create a building from that explosion?
3. Let me tell you another incident. One day, the assistant of Isaac Newton saw a very
detailed model of the solar system and asked Isaac Newton, “Who created this model”.
Isaac Newton replies, “No one created it. It just came about by chance last night”. The
assistant insisted that someone must have made it. Isaac Newton said, “then if you
cannot believe that a model of the solar system can come into existence by chance then
how can you believe that the whole universe came by chance. “
4. Plus, who knows about science. It always keeps changing. No one has proved Vedas to
be wrong yet. In 2014, scientists proved that washing your hands with soap is good but
in 2018 they said that washing hands is not good as the soap chemicals get absorbed by
the skin and can cause cancer.
5. Also, scientists describe how the universe expanded from a very high-density and high-
temperature state. After its initial expansion, the universe cooled sufficiently to allow
the formation of subatomic particles, and later simple atoms. That seems hard to
believe isn’t it?
6. We depend on the authority of the Vedas. The main purpose of Vedas is to know
Krishna. Unlike Steven Hawkins, who got sick, got old and died, Krishna never gets sick,
gets old or dies. So, should we believe in what Steven Hawkins said or what Krishna
says?