Accept the best source of monetary income..

[suchandra 1]

This letter by Prabhupada raises to me the question of Vaishnava sanga, is it for a Vaishnava acceptable to work as a permanent condition in karmi association in order to be "better than sannyasa", because it is, "the best source of monetary income to be used for Krishna"?

 

 

 

April 4, 1971

 

 

Bombay

 

My Dear Gopala Krishna,

 

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th February, 1971 and have noted the contents.

 

So far as your working engagement is concerned, certainly you are not a karmi. Any person whose constant occupation is Krishna Consciousness, he is not a karmi; he is a devotee in all circumstances. So you should accept the best source of monetary income and use it for Krishna. And that is better than sannyasa. So stick to your job and use it for Krishna Consciousness. You are not a karmi.

 

Here we are having a very large festival at Cross Maiden in Bombay where 20,000 to 30,000 people are attending daily for chanting, lecturing, arati and prasada distribution. You will be glad to know that both your mother and father came to visit me there. Your mother is always asking that you come with your wife and get a job in India. But I told her that you cannot get a better job here. But she is mother, and so naturally wants to see you. So I have told her that after your examinations you might conveniently come to India to visit her at her home.

 

So far as your plan for producing one French BTG for both Paris and Montreal, that is a very good idea. You might be interested to know that Dr. Bigelow has already acknowledged my letter and he has already admitted that our knowledge of the spirit soul is far greater than in the Western world. That he has admitted.

 

So far as going to U.S.A., I am glad that you are going there for better occupation. And if your mentality for devotional service is good and you continue in that spirit, then surely you are a pure devotee.

 

Offer my blessings to your wife Ekayani. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

 

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

ACBS/adb

[Guest guest]

If working in the karmi environment is being an impediment to spiritual progress, then obviously it must be considered carefully. However, if it is not such an impediment, then it is nice to continue the full time job and use part of the salary to propagate Krishna Consciousness. Srila Rupa Goswami has commented about this in his explanation of Yukta Vairagya.

 

 

This letter by Prabhupada raises to me the question of Vaishnava sanga, is it for a Vaishnava acceptable to work as a permanent condition in karmi association in order to be "better than sannyasa", because it is, "the best source of monetary income to be used for Krishna"?

 

April 4, 1971

 

 

Bombay

 

My Dear Gopala Krishna,

 

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th February, 1971 and have noted the contents.

 

So far as your working engagement is concerned, certainly you are not a karmi. Any person whose constant occupation is Krishna Consciousness, he is not a karmi; he is a devotee in all circumstances. So you should accept the best source of monetary income and use it for Krishna. And that is better than sannyasa. So stick to your job and use it for Krishna Consciousness. You are not a karmi.

 

Here we are having a very large festival at Cross Maiden in Bombay where 20,000 to 30,000 people are attending daily for chanting, lecturing, arati and prasada distribution. You will be glad to know that both your mother and father came to visit me there. Your mother is always asking that you come with your wife and get a job in India. But I told her that you cannot get a better job here. But she is mother, and so naturally wants to see you. So I have told her that after your examinations you might conveniently come to India to visit her at her home.

 

So far as your plan for producing one French BTG for both Paris and Montreal, that is a very good idea. You might be interested to know that Dr. Bigelow has already acknowledged my letter and he has already admitted that our knowledge of the spirit soul is far greater than in the Western world. That he has admitted.

 

So far as going to U.S.A., I am glad that you are going there for better occupation. And if your mentality for devotional service is good and you continue in that spirit, then surely you are a pure devotee.

 

Offer my blessings to your wife Ekayani. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

 

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

ACBS/adb

[Guest guest]

I become very suspicious when gurus advice their followers to keep their jobs when it is obvious that such an engagement in karmi environment is hurting their sadhana and even their mental health.

It depends on many factors but I had an experience of working in awful conditions and known people whose sadhana was practically obliterated after year od two of work in such an environment surrounded by the worldly-minded.

Giving general advice to keep your job no matter the conditions so that you can provide the money for maintaining the temples or ashrams is unacceptable.

Some gurus will give such an advice just because they are competitive and aware that with greater number of working grihastas they' ll be able to build more temples around the world and than boast before their god brothers and other sampradayas.

In other words- they choose outer gloss and quantity over quality of spiritual life of their followers.

 

 

 

I use to come home from work totally depressed and exhausted . After awhile I found myself unable to follow regulative principles , I couldn't concentrate while chanting. My mind was disturbed and most of the time I used to hear the conversation form the work inside my head. It was very vivid and quite disturbing, it reminded me on times when I was in fever having an auditive hallucinations.

It all depends on company. Other times i didn't feel that my spiritual life is being threatened although, people surrounding me were far from spiritualy minded but they they didn't radiate this disturbing negative energy.

If this is the case I think that devotees shoud try to keep the job but if it 's seriously interferes with sadhana and maintaining of the certain fundamental principles of spiritual life, than they should quit and try to find more suitable working environment.

[Guest guest]

Such a person is not a guru. He is a pretender.

 

 

Some gurus will give such an advice just because they are competitive and aware that with greater number of working grihastas they' ll be able to build more temples around the world and than boast before their god brothers and other sampradayas.

In other words- they choose outer gloss and quantity over quality of spiritual life of their followers.

[Guest guest]

 

I become very suspicious when gurus advice their followers to keep their jobs when it is obvious that such an engagement in karmi environment is hurting their sadhana and even their mental health.

It depends on many factors but I had an experience of working in awful conditions and known people whose sadhana was practically obliterated after year od two of work in such an environment surrounded by the worldly-minded.

Giving general advice to keep your job no matter the conditions so that you can provide the money for maintaining the temples or ashrams is unacceptable.

Some gurus will give such an advice just because they are competitive and aware that with greater number of working grihastas they' ll be able to build more temples around the world and than boast before their god brothers and other sampradayas.

In other words- they choose outer gloss and quantity over quality of spiritual life of their followers.

 

 

 

I use to come home from work totally depressed and exhausted . After awhile I found myself unable to follow regulative principles , I couldn't concentrate while chanting. My mind was disturbed and most of the time I used to hear the conversation form the work inside my head. It was very vivid and quite disturbing, it reminded me on times when I was in fever having an auditive hallucinations.

It all depends on company. Other times i didn't feel that my spiritual life is being threatened although, people surrounding me were far from spiritualy minded but they they didn't radiate this disturbing negative energy.

If this is the case I think that devotees shoud try to keep the job but if it 's seriously interferes with sadhana and maintaining of the certain fundamental principles of spiritual life, than they should quit and try to find more suitable working environment.

 

I see what you mean. But if you have no job, how do you pay bills?

[theist 1]

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty.Bg 6.1

[Guest guest]

 

I see what you mean. But if you have no job, how do you pay bills?

 

 

If you are grihasta then the only solution is finding another job even if it means working for less money but in better environment.

I'm talking about severe cases when person has strong desire to follow strict sadhana. When you feel that your inner spiritual life is being extinguished, as if you are losing your soul. We all have to put up with smaller disturbances but serious sadhaka may get to the point when coexistence with people under controls of tamasic and rajasic impulses will become unbearable.

You can tolerate them but you won't be able to spend 9-5 every day in their company.