Prabhupada's lecture - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.27 - New York, March 6, 1975
Just like it is, the example is, if there are two boats and if you place your leg this boat and that boat, the position is very precarious. (laughter) Neither in this boat, neither that boat. Fully. So our position is that. We are learning technology, and the western countries, they are advanced in technology always hundred years more. Some years ago there was a big exhibition in Delhi. The show was that India had manufactured cycle and sewing machine. That is their proud. The cycle, I think, two hundred years ago (laughs) was manufactured in the western countries and so also sewing machine. So India was very much proud, that "Now we have got cycle." When they are manufacturing big, big 747 airplane, we are manufacturing cycle. (laughter) Just see. Medicine also. Technology, that is also technology. They are advanced in... They were meant for this... They have got brain. They can advance in material civilization because fully... So we cannot compete. We cannot compete, although it is, this technology is the business of the śūdras.
Technology is not the occupation for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, or vaiśyas, no. In our country still, there are blacksmith, weaver, oil crusher. Still they are in the village. But they are śūdras. So this technology means craftsmanship. That is not knowledge. That is not knowledge. Just like I do not know how this microphone is working. If it is wrong, some man who knows the art, he repairs it immediately. That does not mean he has got knowledge. That particular department, he has got knowledge, that's all. Knowledge means that one who knows God. That is knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is knowledge. So the western countries, they have taken-advancement of knowledge means manufacturing a big motor car. That's all. That is also good. But simply for manufacturing motor car, simply for driving motor car, if we forget our real business, God realization, then it is ruinous. Mūḍha. Mūḍha, then we become mūḍha.