A human is distinguished from animals because it has consciousness. You cannot expect a dog to go to school and inquire from teachers. But as far as modern civilization is concerned, they are not even humans. So what to speak of getting a learned man? Because everyone is engaged in animalistic activities, viz., eating, mating, sleeping, and defending. That is the work of an ass. The so-called scientists, philosophers, etc., are also animals because they are far away from the truth or knowledge. Whatever we study in schools and colleges is but ignorance. Knowledge means to understand what is spirit (ātmā), matter, and the controller of both, God (Īśvara). But there is no knowledge of spirituality in the modern education system, which emphasizes the ignorant conditional state of society. Then who is knowledgeable? The followers of the Vedas are learned. As far as modern science is concerned, they are more or less on the matter only. They are trying to understand the universal manifestation with their imperfect senses and therefore neglecting the creator, Godhead.
The Bhagavad-gītā, as spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, states this mortal world as a place of misery: mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ (Bhagavad-gītā 8.15): "After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection." Nonetheless, we try to find happiness in this mortal world and become hopeless, birth after birth. But inquiry about Brahman, or Self-realization, or in other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, takes us to the platform of reality—the Absolute Truth. Here we find metaphysical paraphernalia like Eternity, Bliss, and Knowledge. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, this material world is like an inverted banyan tree, and no one knows its origin: ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit (Bhagavad-gītā 15.1): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas." The point is, whatever we find in this world—for example, loving propensity—is but mere reflection of actual reality that is in the spiritual world, therefore, every effort, whether it's on a personal, social, or political level, is going to fail until and unless it is connected to the complete, that is, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or in other words, devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Everyone is suffering, but His Divine Grace, the senāpati-bhakta of Lord Caitanya, is there, in His instructions, books, etc. He has the power and potency to take us back to home, back to Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs: "If one is actually serious, then by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, and reading my books, certainly you will make advancement" (Letter to Nari—Vṛndāvana, 6 September 1974). In conclusion, actual knowledge lies in Vedic scriptures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which emphasize the point of surrender to the supreme reality, Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is the only path of self-realization or re-establishing our lost relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. By chanting His holy names: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "In this Age of Kali, there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari" (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 17.21).
