Acharya Shree, according to hindu mythology we are in the period of Kali Yuga. What is your opinion on this?
Kali Yuga is considered the worst period of the cycle.
Not only according to Hindu mythology. Even you read the very ancient religion of India, Jains. Jains are the tradition from the Shramanic tradition.
And the Hindus are the tradition comes from the Brahmanic Parampara or Brahmanic tradition.
So the Jains even believe that it is a Pancham Kaal. Where the Hindu consider Kali Yuga, Jains consider Pancham Kaal. Both are wrong.
Because this Kali Yuga is created out of fear.
Because if you read the concept of Kali Yuga, it is considered that the son will not respect to the father, the father will not respect to the son.
Or the daughter will shout on the mother and they will fight. Brother will kill the brother.
That if you go to the chinese history and they claim that they found a book that is almost 7000 years old.
And the first line of that book it says "What a bad period of the time. The brother is killing the brother. Everywhere is violence. Nobody respect anyone. Friends kills the friends."
"And the sister fights with the sister. And the mother they kill the babies." That is the first book 7000 years old. And chinese people they claim it.
So it was Kali Yuga then or now?
It is very difficult. Kali Yuga you have to understand this word. Kali Yuga is not a bad period of time. Kaala means a machine.
The period of the machine. The period of the machinery period. Like everything works like a machinery works. People, they don't have to work in the field.
They invented tractors. They don't have to walk. They invented cars. We invented airplanes.
That is called machinery. Machinery. The period of machinery.
And we invented now computer. We are very fast.
We are, whole Earth, this is the first time what in Hindu mythology they were claiming that "vasudhaiva kutumbakam".
That whole Earth is my family. And it never happened except Kali Yuga what they call it - worst period.
Because whatever happened in the East, West knows immediately. Whatever happened in the West, eastern country know immediately.
Go to CNN, go to the other medias - they show you the news right away. And you will be surprised, this is the best period of time to flourish spiritually.
Because according to Jains, this is the weakest structures of human body. In pancham kaal, what they call...hindu call Kali Yuga, they call it pancham kaal.
So the pancham era. And they get...the human get the weakest structure of the human body. And they claim also if with this body we do little spiritual practice, just a little, we get hundred thousand time more result
Like, give an example: If Mahavira's time 2600 years ago, if Mahavira does one month fasting and he burns all the karma in one month, today's person who is after 2600 years later born, he does only one day fasting - he equals to Mahavira.
Same thing. He burns or she burns all the karma in one day. So, you consider Mahavira's time was better than today's time? In one day they can finish all the karmas!
Can you believe if a spiritual aspirant, a spiritual practitioner can do little more sadhana. Sadhana included lot of things. So fasting is one of it.
Or you can sit and recite mantra. That is another kind of sadhana. Or you can stand and meditate. Or you can sit in the crossed leg and you can meditate.
There is many ways to do sadhanas. So I am not going to mention all kind of sadhana.
But that is sure, in this, the weakest structures of human body, if we do little good things we get the best result. And that is the time it is going on.
And not only that, in this weakest structure of the human body we cannot collect a lot of sins we have to go and suffer in the hell, whatever people think.
The hell exist. So we don't have to go there because we cannot collect that many bad karma with this weakest structure.
So it is like contradictory. They consider, Jaina consider no enlightened master happens on this Earth in this Pancham Kaal. And the same time they say that this is the best time because it equals many things.
So they are contradicting. Same thing in Hindu mythology. Hindu mythology if you read the concept of Kali Yuga, it seems like it is created out of fear.
It's created so much fear in the human mind that the human mind doesn't do the worst thing. I think that is the only thing.
But I think the real meaning of Kali Yuga means the time for the machinery. Machinery is taking over everything.
Even the computer is taking over everything. I think this is the best period of time and it is going to take a big shift.
It used to be, people used to believe that only all the Tirthankaras, all the prophets, or all the best people are born in India.
Yes, there was a time we never heard that somebody, like Tirthankara, Buddha, Mahavira, was born in the western countries.
And on this Earth usually the most neglected part in that aspect was Europe. Now in this Kali Yuga Europe will be the one, the continent of Europe will be the one which is taking the big shift.
And the best people, or the best awakening - I am talking about spiritual awakening - will happen more and more in Europe.
And European people will maybe lead people in the aspect of spirituality. I'm not talking leading like in the government level. Yes, it will be a big shift and that time is coming in the future, near future.
And I begin to see already that the Europe begin to awaken. And it is awakening - it's a big shift. They begin to inquire about vegetarianism.
They begin to inquire about what is Sattvic diet. The begin to inquire about what is soul. They never heard about it before. They used to think that this is the only life and there is no incarnation.
But it is happening already. It is a big shift. They will begin to believe already. They are beginning to believe already in karma, incarnation.
And especially spiritual practices. And you will see in the near future, Europe will lead the people in that aspect. In the spiritual aspect.