The Indian Disease

In India, “Oh, Vasudeva, we know everything of Vasudeva,” “Hare Krsna, oh, What you can teach? We know everything.” This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vasudeva, with the name of Hare Krsna, they think… Just like in Europe and American cities these boys and girls, they go for sankirtana, and the Indian people, they say, “Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine.” This is the condition. And the leaders, they are also leading in that way: “Give up this Vedic culture. Throw away.” The leaders say openly that “Throw away your sastras in the water. No more sastra. Now you take to industry, technology, if you want to become happy just like the Americans, like the Europeans.” So the leaders, such leaders have been described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, andha. Andha means blind. They do not know how to lead people, what is the aim of life.
- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.26 – January 3, 1975, Bombay