Bhakta Sunil, 29 September 2014
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Prabhu ji I have few doubts
a) How much percentage of karma does employer take of each of his or her employee
b) If employer is sincerely practising Krishna Consciousness , though not at the place of work with employee ( not with employee , but on own ) then karma from employee to employer is reduced or nullified?
I am a bit worried because we have two employees at shop. I tried many times to directly or indirectly share Krishna Consciousness with them.
Sometimes they paid attention , but one of the employee returned the book which I gave and I am not sure if they practice God Consciousness.
At times I have noticed them behaving rudely or not giving due respect to customers. So I am worried if we have to take their karma.
I have put Prabhupada’s books and photos at place of work and often played kirtana at place of work
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Srivatsa Das, 03 October 2014
Dear Bhakta Sunil
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Gurudeva
The employer, if he is surrendered to Lord Krishna, he need not worry about karma, or law of nature or destiny and all such complications, since Krishna has already declared that His devotee never perishes. And also in BG 18.66, Krishna tells, “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” We will be free from fear up to the extent we have faith in the Spiritual master and Krishna. So it is very important to develop faith in them.
We cannot force anybody including our children to lead Krishna Conscious life unless they are attracted themselves to Krishna Consciousness. Everybody has been given the required free will to surrender to Krishna and they are supposed to use it for that purpose and unfortunately, they can even misuse it also by not surrendering to the Lord.
Regarding the rude behaviour, it can be due to many reasons. In this material world, a lot of people are frustrated due to many miseries, that could be one of the reason for their rude behaviour. But, in most of the cases, the problems can be solved just by hearing their worries patiently at suitable location. We need not talk in many cases, but sometimes we need to encourage them to talk. Just hear their worries patiently and attentively. Most of the times, they themselves will arrive at the solution and thank us too !!! or they will ask for some suggestion, then, at that time we can give some suggestions that can help them to lead a Krishna Conscious life. Sometimes, we may have to correct ourselves too based on their input, so we should be prepared for some adjustments. This is one way of solving the issue.
Sincerely,
Srivatsa Das
Bhakta Sunil, 04 October 2014
Thank you Srivatsa Prabhu
Superb answer!
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Gusti Nyoman Ambara, 04 October 2014
Hare Krishna!
Dear Sunil Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances,
All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srimati Gurumataji,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have no qualification at all to share my opinion with you, but I would humbly try to do it as per my capacity.
Srivatsa Prabhu have nicely given the explanation upon your doubts. It is true that if we are fully surrender to the Lord, we do not have to worry about karma and such things anymore. Always try to focus in making the Lord happy by executing our prescribed duties at our best and offered the result to Him no matter what it is. Then there will be no more anxiousness.
You also nicely show the symptom of a devotee by having compassion on your employees and try to share Krishna-consciousness to them. Indeed, it is the most important thing. I think you have correctly tried to do it by putting some Prabupada’s book and playing some kirtans at the place of work, because hearing (sravanam) is the most potent way for us to open our consciousness to Krishna. I myself also have proved this method. My mother started to chant Mahamantra on beads about a year ago. She told me that she was inspired to do so soon after she heard it played in my car stereo during our 8-hours journey from Bali to Surabaya.
If those things still do not work with your employees, I suggest you to give another try by using prasadam. It is also a powerful way to share Krishna-consciousness to the whole world. You can make some prasadam in the form of candies or sweets and put some of them at the place of work, so that your employees can have and taste them. You will gradually see the effect and surely you will no longer have any worries. Thank you very much.
your insignificant servant,
Gusti Nyoman Ambara
Bhakta Sunil, 06 October 2014
Dear Gusti Prabhu
Hare Krishna
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
Thank you very much. Your answer is great!
Prabhu ji , I now understand that karma of one’s employee would not act for one who is practising Consciousness
Gusti Prabhu ki Jaya!
Your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
Tirtharaja Dasa, 07 10 2014
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
My take is from a different angle and might not be absolute but good for debate.
It is said that anybody in a position of leadership attracts both positive and negative karma in proportion to position held.
In a business situation if you are the chief executive then there definitely be a degree of karmic reaction just as much as the spiritual master who accepts a disciple has accruing karma until the disciple is liberated so in similar positions of leadership especially in situations where as devotees we are DE-facto spiritual masters, then there is definitely some accruing karma.
That’s why a devotee will not mind what position or circumstances he has in life but will always serve Lord Hari unconditionally.
Regards,
your Lowly Servant,
Tirtharaja Dasa.
Mahabhagavat Das SDA, 08 October 2014
Dear Bhakta Sunil,
Hare Krishna!
All these perspectives are wonderful. What I was feeling I was unable to articulate, until I read Tirtharaja Prabhu’s masterful writing. His response is befitting a senior devotee in our movement.
What I was thinking is that all those people we interact with, either as family members, community, relatives, colleagues from school, college, or work, we are already karmically bound with them. We have taken birth in similar circumstances just to enjoy or suffer collective karmas, and also repay various karmic debts. But this is a never-ending cycle… in this lifetime, we have some set of karmic debts to pay, in another cycle, it is some other set.
So, while it is true that as long as we are on the material platform, we are exchanging karmic debts, as long as we can leverage our present circumstances to drive devotional service, the situation cannot be rectified.
On a professional level, your staff need to get good training, good pay, etc., and in the worst case, if there is no progress or improvement, they would need to be fired, let go, etc. If I pay someone for a kilo of good vegetables and the person gives me only rotten vegetables, would I continue to pay that person? So inspite of giving good training, good pay, etc., if someone is not doing what I need done, then why should I continue to pay that person? Another example, ISKCON is building the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the world’s biggest temple, we are taking full care that the engineers are qualified, the architects are qualified, the laborers are also fully qualified, the concrete is high quality, steel is perfect, etc. Of course, even though the workers are receiving payment, they are still getting the benefit of rendering devotional service.
In ISKCON Toronto, we are working on some school projects – the administrators, teachers, etc., need to be devotees, BUT they also must be professionally qualified in their specific field and be professionally competent… you could consider that, maybe there are professionally competent devotees who can also be your employees?
However, devotee or not, in the best case, even if your staff might not know or express interest in devotional service, if they are perfectly professional, and they facilitate your involvement in devotional service, they will also get some “ajnata sukrti”, or credit obtained by performing devotional service unknowingly.
Of course, you don’t expect that we will tell you how to run your business, right? You please take all these perspectives and do what is best for Krishna consciousness.
Sincerely,
Mahabhagavat Das
Bhakta Sunil, 18 October 2014
Thank you Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu for discerning the conversation even further
I had heard in Bhagavatam lecture , that king collects karma from citizens and similarly for employers from employees
Thus I asked here to clarify
After reading Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu’s reply , it further clarified what I understood in the lecture and what to do in such a situation
Tirtharaja Prabhu and Mahabhagavat Prabhu ki Jaya!
your insignificant servant,
Bhakta Sunil
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