To remain karmis or remain animal-like life, no knowledge, simply eating, sleeping, mating, that’s all… And little advancement means the same eating, sleeping, mating, but in a polished way… Mostly we find in the Western countries, the aim is animal propensities, but in a polished way. Suppose they live in very, very high skyscraper buildings, and the animals live in some cave, in some hole, in some nest.
So for living condition, improving the living condition, does not mean brahma-darsanam. Brahma-darsanam is another thing. Improving the living condition, improving the eating condition, improving the sex life condition, or improving the defending condition. Just like human civilization, they’re discovering so many laser weapons, atomic bomb, so many things. So it is improving the defending condition. But modern civilization is in the opinion that if they can improve their material condition of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is advancement of civilization. But that is not advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means brahma-darsanam. That is advancement. Because so long we do not come to the platform of understanding that “I am spirit soul, I am part and parcel of the Supreme Spirit,” we are in the ignorance— in different forms. The example is given very nicely. Just like raw wood, just from the trees, you cut the trees, it is raw, it is not immediately fit for burning. But when it is little dried you can ignite fire, and, igniting fire, immediately there is no flame, there is smoke. Then, after the smoke, there is flame. And that flame is required.

So this gradual process of evolution means one must come to the platform of understanding Brahman. Aham brahmasmi: “I am…, I am spirit soul, and I am part and parcel of the Supreme Soul.” This understanding one must come. So for that understanding one has to come to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna. If one remains in the rajo-guna and tamo-guna, as we have explained, then we shall be entangled in this material world.