Civilization and Transcendence is a thought-provoking classic based on Srila Prabhupāda’s answers to a questionnaire from Bhavan’s Journal, a cultural and religious magazine in Bombay. In these conversations with his disciple Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, Prabhupāda addresses fundamental questions about the meaning of real progress, religion, and human civilisation.

Prabhupāda explains that when society neglects spiritual values and God’s laws, human beings live no better than animals. True civilisation begins with the Vedic system of varṇāśrama-dharma—the social and spiritual framework designed to guide humanity toward self-realisation. Unlike modern pursuits of economic growth and technology, the Vedic vision focuses on worship of Viṣṇu and awakening one’s eternal spiritual identity.

He critiques the false idea of material “progress” and emphasizes that science and technology, though useful, cannot fulfil the soul’s eternal longing for happiness and transcendence. Real progress, he insists, means purifying one’s life, living in harmony with divine law, and cultivating devotion to Krishna.

With his clarity and authority, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON, offers timeless solutions for the modern world—pointing to a civilization rooted in transcendence rather than material illusion.

Civilization and Transcendence is not only a critique of materialistic culture but also a roadmap for anyone seeking higher meaning, spiritual discipline, and inner peace.