Prabhupada: Our first necessity is food and clothing. So that can be done anywhere: you grow your food and grow your cloth, the material necessities. And you can have a small cottage. We should always remember that we are not materialists. We are not going to pompous show that "I have got this material possession." That is not our business. But because we have got this body, that is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. We need something to eat, to sleep, so finish this business as simply as possible, and save time for spiritual advancement.

Just see. Vyasadeva has given unique literature, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Not only Srimad-Bhagavatam — there is Mahabharata, Puranas, Upanisads. There is no such literature throughout the world — you can say throughout the universe. But at least you cannot find such duplicate literature any part of the world. And the Gosvamis, they were in cottage. They were not after this so-called material life. That is simply a waste of time. These rascals, they…, they spending so much energy for devising this skyscraper building. One man is devising; another man…, another man is devising another way. In this way, they are spoiling the valuable time of life. That is the defect of this. And they have no time to grow natural food; their energy is being misused for standing in skyscraper building. And therefore to make shortcut of their eating, kill the animal. Just like uncivilized man in the primitive age, they did not how to produce food. Kill one animal and eat.

So these rascals, they're still barbarian because they have diverted their energy in making machine, motorcar and this skyscraper building. So no growing, no food, so the same primitive… They used to kill one animal; that is going on. They remain the barbarian. Simply they have learned some craftsmanship, that's all. But the mentality is barbarian. The uncivilized man, in the primitive… Uncivilized man is still there; it is not Darwin's theory, that now uncivilized. That chapter is always there.

But civilized man, they have turned their attention in some ludicrous activities and keeping themselves in the same barbarian stage — kill some animal, kill some bird — to make shortcut. They did not know how to get fruits, flowers, grains, and how to cook them nicely and offer to the Deity and then chant, dance and take prasadam. The uncivilized man did not know that. So they're remaining still the same uncivilized barbarians. They do not know the civilized way of life. And their intelligence is being utilized in technology so much. Now they're finding difficulty in educational system: the boys are giving hell. They have to conduct education with guns and police.

Vedic civilization is to develop brains how to understand God, not develop brain for technology. These things are being done by the demons: big, big palaces, wonderful aeroplane, like that. The demons, they're not interested in God; rather, they have got good brain, they utilize. So modern civilization is demonic because their brain is being utilized for things which are done by the demons. Just like Ravana, he was very much advanced in material opulence, but still he has been designated as raksasa. He has not been given any credit. Raksasa.

(Conversation – June 17, 1975, Honolulu)