Suppose I ask the United Nations to explain the purpose of this cosmic manifestation. I am created a man, another is created an elephant, and another is created an ant. Why? The sun is rising on time, the moon is rising on time, seasons are changing. What is the purpose behind this?
You may enjoy, but by enjoying you forget your real goal in life. Is that intelligent? You have been given the human body to improve your next life. Suppose you become a dog in your next life. Is that success? You must know the science of Krsna consciousness.
If the people of Paris would have installed the Deity of Krsna in these buildings, how nice that would have been! People chanting, dancing, and taking prasadam [food offered to Krsna] every day. Then there would have been no maya.
Eating, sleeping, sex, and defense—these are common to both human beings and animals. The distinction between humans and animals is a man can search after God but an animal cannot. Therefore a man without that urge for searching after God is no better than an animal.
“This material world is worthless”—that is real knowledge. As long as one thinks, “No, it is not always bad; sometimes it is very good”—that is ignorance.
Chanting the holy names of God in congregation raises us to the state of pure spiritual consciousness–a state of joyful awareness of God that transcends all petty prejudices and material distinctions.
Your charge is that they have forgotten God. They will answer, “We have not forgotten God. We are going to church. How have we forgotten God?”
Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna books directly tell us what God is like in His original, personal form and what He and His liberated associates are doing in the eternal, spiritual world.