Work is Worship?

Pradnya, 07th March 2012

Hare Krishna,

Today somebody asked question related to is work is worship?

To this question Gurudeva replied following:-

“If one spends all of his income in the service of Krishna, that is karma yoga, worshiping Krishna through one’s work. But if one spends his income on the sense gratification of himself and his family members, that work is karma and will oblige him to take birth again in this material world.”

I have not understood first part of sentence..  How can we spend all our income in service of Krishna?
We have to spend some part of money to take care of family.

Can you please share your views about the same?

Regards,
Pradnya

Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 7th March 2012

Hare Krishna Pradnya Mataji,

Very important to understand practically how we can spend all our income in the service of Krishna. It does not mean that we give all our income to temple and live like paupers, that is not the intent.

1. Make home into a temple with proper deity worship according to our standards – consult with Guru before starting any deity worship, get proper training from local pujaris and establish a minimum standard of daily worship that is sustainable.
2. Have devotional programs regularly at home, say, once a week, to discuss topics of Krishna consciousness
3. Invite devotees for Kirtan and Prasadam regularly, especially those who are new to Krishna consciousness
4. Never consume anything that has not been specifically prepared for Krishna and offered to Him with love in proper procedure

There are many other ways, for example allowing out-of-town devotees to stay in your home for festivals, etc., but above three steps means that the home is a centre of Krishna consciousness, not just a place for you and your family to eat and sleep… in this way, any income spent on maintenance of home is used in the service of Krishna.

5. Train your family members to serve Krishna according to their own capacity
6. Daily have a scheduled program of hearing and chanting of Hoky Names, Kirtana, and also Srila Prabhupada’s books and deity worship
7. Encourage family members to serve devotees regularly, either in temple, or in their homes, in Krishna conscious projects
8. Take Prasadam together in the proper consciousness that this is Krishna Himself in the form of His Prasadam

In this way, your family members are not ordinary humans, but devotees, Vaishnavas… so any income spent on their needs, such as school, clothes, medicine, etc., is actually Vaishnava seva, service of devotees.

9. Regularly donate according to your capacity to local temple and other Krishna conscious projects, measure every year what percentage of your income you were able to donate to Krishna and His devotees

10. Save 25% of your income for emergencies, to be spent in times of need, as noted above.

If income is spent in this way, then it is 100% spent in the service of Krishna and His devotees, regularly measure what percentage of income was spent on sense gratification (activities that do not involve service to Krishna or His devotees) and try to cut it down.

Please let me know if this helps generally to move in the right direction.

Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das

Tushar Vora, 07th March 2012

Dandavat,

Spending money on the family in this case would be that you are spending money for Krishna’s family since he is the head of the house. So it is spending for Krishna. One just has to take care that he spends only to maintain his body and soul together so that  he can peacefully prosecute Krishna consciousness. Rest of the money after accounting for saving for the family in case of unexpected expenditure and emergencies should be spent for so to say ‘Outside your family (Krishna’s family) for Krishna conscious movement.’.

To decide on the limits of the money to be spent on the family, we have to undertake high quality sadhana. Then the Lord will in the form of supersoul direct us to spend just the right amount. Hence, Sadhana is very important.

ys,

tushar

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