Krishna consciousness and Sansari Life

[dev 0]

Hare Krishna prabhu ,

 

I would like to know how the people in my profession are following the Krishna consciousness . I am a software professional and married having kids also.

I took it seriously for last one year. But I see many controversies when I compare with my professional , personal life and Krishna consciousness.

 

We get some payment by serving my company . My 8 hours service goes for somebody else than Krishna.

Again I don't spend the whole money for Krishna . I pay my rents , I buy clothes ( needed ) , I buy to offer and eat something. Well I can somehow correlate that these thing are also for Krishna , since I have Krishna's Idol , if I don't give the rent where will I keep my idols. Similarly my other expenditure also I can relate to Krishna. But I don't know that If Krishna likes it . He does not say that you live in some good apartement, you can go and live in village and keep my Idols and worship it there. I mean how can we follow this Krishna consciousness in day to day life .

my work also is no way Krishna conscious , if I follow Krishna conscious I should leave it go in a village do some agriculture that means just stay in bare minimum.

 

I know bhakt will give Bakhi Vinod Thakur's example also but I want some motivation from the people of my profession now , so that I can do some more for my dear lord.

 

Hari Bol

[Guest guest]

Haribol,

 

I'm in a similar position, being a computer engineer, single though, anyways.

 

From what I see, don't call Them "krishna idols" please ... They are persons, those deities are Krishna's mercy manifested into some form that you can serve.

 

It seems like you're doing the right thing, you're offering you foodstuff to Krishna. You have to understand that it is normal to have some bodily expenditures, as long as sense gratification doesn't become the central point of those expenditures.

 

One thing Krishna likes is that you read His pastimes and chant His glories in front of Him. You can read with your family so many nice devotional books by Srila Prabhupada and this is very dear to Krishna. That's what I've been doing for the last 2 years, I've been reading Srimad-Bhagavatam and now am to Caitanya-Caritamrita.

 

Act according to your nature, but dovetailing it with Krishna consciousness is the most perfect execution of life. Do not think yourself in control at your job, Paramatma takes care of everything.

 

Ultimately it boggles down to whom you remember at the time of death and hat's why it is called Krishna consciouness.

 

Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 9.27 that everything we do, everything we offer should be a conscious offering to Him.

 

Haribol

[Subala 1]

99% of devotees will probabaly fall in this category...

I might be wrong with numbers but -

 

"ante narayana smritihih" is the goal of course, but while we are in a body of the man/women we are forced to act in material nature.

 

Prabhupada said - you all american boys and girls (replace american with you) do something wonderful for Krishna.

 

Say if someone buy out World Disney and remake it to Krishna Lila this will be wonderful achievemnt. Someone may do it. But at least minimum you can do it to make or help someone to become devotee in your lifetime.

 

"yare dehe kare kahe krishna upadesh" (may not be correct spelling /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Advise is - whatever you are and wherever you are - chant Hare Krishna.

 

 

PS. "Plz do something wonderful for Krishna" does not mean to get married and sit at home. "Do something wonderful"!

 

last time I said that in forum - someone replied to me - get married and you give up this thoughts heh.

 

 

 

 

[theist 1]

 

He does not say that you live in some good apartement, you can go and live in village and keep my Idols and worship it there. I mean how can we follow this Krishna consciousness in day to day life .

 

 

Krsna doesn't expect everyone to just scrape by. You are married with kids so you must take care of them in a nice way. Just don't think happiness will come from a nice apt. It won't, but it won't come from living in squalor either. Just keep it reasonable and not too far either way. You have a nice place in a safe neighborhood for your family, what's wrong with that?

 

I have met so many householders that lament they can't preach because of family duties. But Krsna has placed others in your care to help them become devotees.You have kids and Krsna lives in their heart. Help them become conscious of that. How could that not please Krsna?

 

I know it is difficult in this world we are forced into so many compromising positions that we would rather not be in. Even buying food bothers me. I do not like to give laxsmi to any store that sells meat products (including dairy in the west). But they all do. I must eat, so what to do?

 

Do your duty and surrender the results to Krsna, big or small. It's not that we all we have a big preaching program around us to please Krsna.

[I_love_krishna_ 0]

You don't have to be a sadhu to follow krishna consciousness.

 

A sadhu would just sit idly and do nothing. Thats not what we want. We want to work for krishna, but how? well, what you are doing right now... you are not doing it because it is for yourself, but you are doing it because it is your dharma.

 

You have to support your family... your kids, you have to provide them with shelter and their neccessities. You are not doing it for yourself, but you are doing it for krishna.

 

Also, Krishna is not in just your idols, he is every where, even in the body that you are in right now. So, to take care of it you need to do what is necessary for it. Like some food to eat and a place to live.

 

So, when you are eating your food, you are feeding that body that belongs to krishna and also working to feed the bodies of krishna that depend on you.

 

You are working for krishna now, you don't have to leave it and go to a village and do agriculture.

 

Whats the point in making your life harder by doing something that krishna didn't want to make you do in the first place (Like Agriculture).

 

You have a logical brain if you are a computer programmer, wasting such a thing and becoming a farmer is a terrible waste of such a logical brain .

 

Anyway, those are just my views and I think you are a saint in your own profession.

 

You can stay at bare minimum in your profession, by doing everything for your family and friends and nothing for yourself.

 

 

 

[Bhaktavasya 0]

 

Nice post, ILK, except for your comment that "a sadhu would sit idly and do nothing." We are encouraged to seek the association of sadhus whose lives are dedicated cent-per cent in the service of the Lord. In the transcendental socity of devotees there is no superior and inferior service, just different gradations. Householders who are serving Krishna by raising (hopefully) KC children are a vital, important part of the society yet we as householders need to seek the association of those who are in a position to give guidance and council. Gradually we too may become sadhus in this lifetime, even while living in the householder ashram, as exemplified by Bhaktivinode Thakur. But for most of us it is very difficult. That's why we need the association of the sadhus.

 

 

Here's an excerpt from Srila Prabhupad:

 

So if you want to increase your faith in Krsna, then you have to associate with Krsna bhaktas. Associate. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah.

 

This sadhu means krsna-bhakta. Without becoming krsna-bhakta, according to Bhagavad-gita, nobody can become a sadhu. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah [bg. 9.30]. Who? Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah [bg. 9.30]. He's sadhu. Not that sadhu, simply like me, change the dress or having a long beard or... No. The sadhu means one who's purely devotee of the Lord. He's sadhu. Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Without any deviation. One who has taken Krsna, the Supreme Lord, as the only worshipable, he's sadhu. Sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Titiksavah karunikah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. Ajata-satravah santah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. There, these are the definition of sadhu. Sadhu means titiksava. One who has taken Krsna as the Supreme Lord, Krsna as the Supreme Person, he has to tolerate so many things -- so many criticism, so many tribulations. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada Maharaja had to undergo so much tribulation from the hands of his father because he became a sadhu, krsna-bhakta. The only fault was that he was a krsna-bhakta. Even the father, the atheistic father, became enemy. He wanted to kill him. You know Prahlada-caritra. If there is opportunity, we shall speak. It is horrible. Five-years-old boy, because he was chanting Hare Krsna, Narayana, the father became enemy. Titiksava. Therefore a sadhu has to become very tolerant.

 

 

[I_love_krishna_ 0]

Thanks for pointing out the definition of sadhu, I had a very bad view on them until now... blame the media! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

that was a very nice post , "This sadhu means krsna-bhakta."- I will definitely keep that in mind.

[Bhaktavasya 0]

 

Glad to be able to convey the words of Srila Prabhupad; yes, sometimes the 'sadhu' is maligned but fortunately we have the words of guru, sadhu and shastra to set the record straight!