work – Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress

Does an Employer take the Employee’s Karma?

A devotee grapples with the weighty concerns of karma and how it burdens employers through their employees’ actions. His anxiety reflects a larger existential dilemma: can sincere devotion offset the negative karma from associates who resist spiritual growth? Replies from spiritual leaders emphasize that true surrender to Krishna liberates one from such burdens. However, they also underscore personal accountability in leadership roles, balancing professionalism and compassion. Ultimately, the discourse reveals a timeless struggle: navigating spiritual principles in the cutthroat world of business while striving to uplift those around you.

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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Killer Earthquakes – why do they happen?

Why do earthquakes occur? Yes, the scientists explain about sesimic faults, tectonic shifts, and so on, but why an earthquake at a particular place at a particular time that affects only a particular set of people? Have we forgotten the most fundamental law of nature?

As I write this, there have been a series of earthquakes that have rocked Turkiye and Syria since Feb 6, 2023.

It is a major humanitarian disaster, with thousands of people who are dead, and thousands more expected to lose their lives.

Thousands of families are shattered, livelihoods disrupted, and so many communities are altered for ever.

I am shocked, saddened and feel extreme sorrow for the tremendous loss.

As the world rushes to provide humanitarian relief, in the form of search, rescue, food, clothing, medical assistance and more, some are asking why this happened.

It seems that almost no one is doing anything to stop things like this.

After all, Turkiye is no stranger to earthquakes. The region is well-known to be situated in an area with a high risk for earthquakes. The scientists have studied and identified what is known as the North Anatolian Fault Line, which identifies a known feature of the earth’s surface that makes this region more prone to earthquakes.

In the recent past, there have been major earthquakes in 1903, 1912, 1914, 1939, 1998, 2003, and 2020. In fact, there have been over 97 sets of earthquakes in Turkiye since AD 1900!

Of course, earthquakes have occurred in other parts of the world too, and millions of people have been killed over the course of history.

While one can look at it from an analytical perspective and say something like “why do people live in earthquake prone areas anyways” or “why don’t governments do more to prevent deaths”… the fundamental question to ask is “why do earthquakes occur?”.

While scientists will launch into a long-winded technical explanation, I’d argue they don’t know what they’re talking about. Yes seismic faults, yes, volcanoes, yes tectonic plate shifts, but why a specific place and why a specific time, and why not some other place and why not some other time?

Why do some people escape an earthquake and why do some others not escape?

Why is it that only a specific group of people are affected by earthquakes and not some other specific group of people?

Why is it that some people whose ancestors lived (or died) in earthquake prone areas for hundreds or thousands of years suddenly escape an earthquake? Why is it that people whose ancestors never experienced a single earthquake suddenly find themselves in the wave of destruction of one?

Modern material scientists have no clue, because they have overlooked an important law of nature.

It’s called the Law of Karma.

According to the Law of Karma, every soul experiences exactly what it is due to experience, and the law of karma is infallible… in other words, once someone is slated to experience something, that cannot be avoided or prevented in the ordinary course.

Krishna introduces this concept in the Bhagavad Gita…

एषा तेऽभिहिता सांख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां श‍ृणु ।
बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ॥ ३९ ॥

eṣā te ’bhihitā sāṅkhye
buddhir yoge tv imāṁ śṛṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha
karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi

Thus far I have described this knowledge to you through analytical study. Now listen as I explain it in terms of working without fruitive results. O son of Pṛthā, when you act in such knowledge you can free yourself from the bondage of works.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/2/39/

Krishna uses the words “karma bandham”, which is translated as “bondage of reaction to work”… in other words, whenever we do something in the material world, it causes a reaction.

Now, from a material perspective, this reaction can be a positive reaction, or a negative reaction, as in, either desirable outcome or undesirable outcome.

कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ॥ १७ ॥

karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ
boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ
akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ
gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/17/

In the material world, especially materialistic people teach us to act as we like, as long as we don’t get caught, or in the best case, as long as we don’t get into trouble with the local laws.

But the Laws of Karma are the Laws of God. You can’t escape them. It’s not a question of belief.

What if you don’t know the laws of karma? Just as in our world, ignorance of the law is no defense, similarly, while the reaction of an offense unknowingly committed might be less than the reaction of an offense knowingly committed, that is similar to the difference between manslaughter and first-degree murder… punishment may be less for one vs. the other, but punishment nevertheless.

So, one should take the trouble to understand that meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex, and gambling are the pillars of forbidden action.

Until we get out of the cycle of forbidden action, we cannot get out of the reactions of it.

As you sow, so shall you reap… as we slaughter, so shall we be slaughtered.

Collective Karma

There is such a thing as collective karmic debt… in other words, the laws of nature gather a certain set of people, small or big, to experience the pleasures and pains related to karmic reactions… certain nations are hot, others are cold, some have a shortage of water, others are prone to certain diseases… some cities are safer than others, some villages are next to horrendous pollutors and suffer from all sorts of untimely diseases. Some families are prone to certain disorders…

It is all related to the infallible law of karma, souls collected together to suffer and enjoy.

So, while we should feel compassion for all those caught in the cycle of birth and death, we should strive hard to bring them out of that cycle of birth and death, by helping ourselves and others purify our consciousness completely clean of all material contamination.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

“ ‘Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’
https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/antya/20/12/

So therefore, earthquakes, floods, fires, these things are unavoidable. We cannot change that. Our main business should be to exit this temporary world that is full of suffering. This we can do only if we attain spiritual perfection.

aprārabdha-phalaṁ pāpaṁ
kūṭaṁ bījaṁ phalonmukham
krameṇaiva pralīyeta
viṣṇu-bhakti-ratātmanām

For those who are engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all sinful reactions, whether fructified, in the stock, or in the form of a seed, gradually vanish. Therefore the purifying potency of devotional service is very strong, and it is called pavitram uttamam, the purest. Uttama means transcendental. Tamas means this material world or darkness, and uttama means that which is transcendental to material activities. Devotional activities are never to be considered material, although sometimes it appears that devotees are engaged just like ordinary men. One who can see and is familiar with devotional service will know that they are not material activities. They are all spiritual and devotional, uncontaminated by the material modes of nature.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/2/ purport by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

It is possible to pull souls out of the karma chakra, of endless action that produces endless reaction.

But it needs everyone to act in a spiritual way, right now.

Why do earthquakes happen? Because we’ve accumulated a lot of bad karmic reactions, and it’s payback time. What goes around, comes around.

And the solution?

We should act for the ultimate spiritual benefit, before it is too late.

Please be a part of the ultimate solution – the only solution.

If you want to benefit yourself and all the living entities who have lived, are living, and have lived, Please chant…

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare
The Hare Krishna Mahamantra, the great chant for deliverance

Human Animal Farm

George Orwell’s Animal Farm describes a horrifying story of how “equals” exploit other equals… There are so many different social systems being tried out, communism, capitalism, socialism, and so on, but practically all of them are animalistic. Is there an ideal social system?

There is a famous book by George Orwell, Animal Farm. It is a satire on communism.

In the book, the oppressed animals on a farm overthrow their human farmer and try to create a society based on egalitarian principles, but they end up in a situation much worse than before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon.

But have you considered any other competing “ism”, such as, say “Capitalism”?

Is any materialistic ideology different from any other materialistic ideology when implemented in human society?

Is the end result any different?

Let’s take the case of any “democratic” country… take for example Canada, where I live presently… Canada is high up on the list when it comes to social liberty and freedom, with its famous Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and so on… but even in Canada, let’s take, say, the Prime Minister of Canada – does anyone feel that such a person is “equal” to the rest of us living in Canada? OK, let’s leave the top powerful people aside… let’s take an ordinary police officer… there was recently a case in which a Toronto Police Officer accessed a database, gave his son the name and address of an individual who drove a car with a certain license plate, and the individual ended up dead because of that.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

And if you want to exclude that type of power from the equation, let’s take the case of the Native Canadians! The original first nations people of Canada – where are they? I have mostly seen them destitute and begging on the streets. How on earth did Canadian society engineer that injustice?

There are extreme examples, for example communism is supposed to be a classless society in which everyone is equal, has access to common prosperity, and equal opportunity for the best possible life. What is the reality though? The children of communist leaders study in the top schools, go to the top universities, and the children of the rural citizens? They are not even allowed to get off the farm, because then, who will feed the cities cheap food? This is institutionalized with many systems, such as the Hukou system. We see leaders trying to hold on to power until their dying breath, Stalin, Lenin, and Mao are all examples of that. There are any number of present leaders who want to entrench themselves for the duration of their lives!

Communism is based on materialistic ideals

But lest you think that some other competing system like democratic capitalism is better, just look around us – some people have no access to clean drinking water, food, and opportunity in life, just by the compounded effect of generations of exploitation. Some people have what is known as “inter-generational wealth”, and others struggle to pay their rent, living in buildings owned by REITs funded by, guess who, those with inherited wealth! Of course, who ends up born in better or worse material circumstances depends on the past karma of every individual.

Ultimately no materialistic or man-made system can be perfect. The only perfect system is the one that is created by the Creator of all Natural Systems, variously referred to as Allah, Jehovah, or Krishna but referring to the same one Person.

Krishna, the Perfect Creator of the Perfect Society

It is called “Varnashrama”, which is a combination of 2 words “Varna” and “Ashrama”… Varna means occupation, Ashrama means “Life Status”…

The system is organized as follows – there are 4 main Varnas, and 4 main Ashramas, which gives rise to a combination of 16 different categories of people, which are a natural order of society.

The 4 Varnas are:

“Brahmana” – the intellectual class
“Kshatriya” – the administrator class
“Vaishya” – the mercantile class
“Shudra” – the worker class

The 4 Ashramas are:

“Brahmacharya” – the student class
“Grhastha – the householder class
“Vanaprastha” – the retired class
“Sannyasa” – the renounced class

Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३ ॥
cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam
According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/13/

Ah, there you go, you might say, here comes the infamous Indian caste system, which has resulted in so much suffering, so much inequity, so much bias, and so much violence and exploitation.

The present-day Indian caste system is demonic

Two words are key here, one is “guna” and the other is “karma”.

The present Indian caste system is based on birth, which is called “janma”… basing the caste system on birth is like saying that all doctors’ children will be ever forevermore doctors, or that all of the judges’ children will be anointed judges. Yes, if you are born in a technical or a medical or a business family, it is very likely you will take up the same line because the whole atmosphere is steeped with that particular mood, but you still have to go to medical school or law school or learn to operate a business!

So therefore, the caste system based on birth alone is rejected… instead, every person is analyzed according to their qualities and the work they do.

If for example, someone is born in a family of doctors cannot clear high school or medical school, they will not get the degree and will not be allowed to practice. So why then is someone born in the family of a Brahmana but has the mindset of a worker still demand the social position of a Brahmana?

This degraded practice alone has completely destroyed the original social system in India, and is responsible for the destruction of the high class Vedic culture. After all, just like in the famous book by George Orwell, if you make a pig the leader of society, the position will not alter the fact that the pig is, at the root of it, still a pig!

The 4 orders are compared to the various parts of the body – the Brahmanas to the head, the Kshatriyas to the hands, the Vaishyas to the stomach, and the Shudras to the legs. This is not derogatory, the head alone cannot get much done, and neither can the hands, stomach, or legs on their own.

The different sections of society must work together, just like the parts of our bodies

Imagine the legs running around without a head, or the hands flailing about in one place, or the stomach starving for the want of food! Our society is presently just like that.

So, in modern day society, we see that the humans are actually divided into 4 categories, represented by animals.

श्वविड्‍वराहोष्ट्रखरै: संस्तुत: पुरुष: पशु: ।
न यत्कर्णपथोपेतो जातु नाम गदाग्रज: ॥ १९ ॥
śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ
saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ
na yat-karṇa-pathopeto
jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ
Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/19/

Why dogs, hogs, camels, and asses? Do we have some kind of hatred for these animals? No, we respect every living entity, but we lament the lost opportunity when a living entity who has achieved a human form of life descends to lower species in life…

Why and how are humans like dogs?

Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As dogs are negligible animals and serve the master faithfully for bits of bread, a man serves a master faithfully without sufficient rewards.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in purport to https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/19/

Why hogs?

Persons who have no discrimination in the matter of foodstuff and who eat all sorts of rubbish are compared to hogs. Hogs are very much attached to eating stools. So stool is a kind of foodstuff for a particular type of animal. And even stones are eatables for a particular type of animal or bird. But the human being is not meant for eating everything and anything; he is meant to eat grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, etc. Animal food is not meant for the human being. For chewing solid food, the human being has a particular type of teeth meant for cutting fruits and vegetables. The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man’s food is another man’s poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (Bg. 9.26). As prescribed by Vedic scriptures, no animal food is offered to the Lord. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food. He should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared to a hog.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in purport to https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/19/

A camel eats thorns, and thinks they are tasty whereas it tastes its own blood as the thorns cut the insides of its mouth

Why camels?

The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, and so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the material world is maintained by sucking one’s own blood. The central point of attraction for material enjoyment is sex life. To enjoy sex life is to suck one’s own blood, and there is not much more to be explained in this connection. The camel also sucks its own blood while chewing thorny twigs. The thorns the camel eats cut the tongue of the camel, and so blood begins to flow within the camel’s mouth. The thorns, mixed with fresh blood, create a taste for the foolish camel, and so he enjoys the thorn-eating business with false pleasure. Similarly, the great business magnates, industrialists who work very hard to earn money by different ways and questionable means, eat the thorny results of their actions mixed with their own blood. Therefore the Bhāgavatam has situated these diseased fellows along with the camels.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in purport to https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/19/

An ass carrying a heavy load, all for a little grass

And why asses?

The ass is an animal who is celebrated as the greatest fool, even amongst the animals. The ass works very hard and carries burdens of the maximum weight without making profit for itself.* The ass is generally engaged by the washerman, whose social position is not very respectable. And the special qualification of the ass is that it is very much accustomed to being kicked by the opposite sex. When the ass begs for sexual intercourse, he is kicked by the fair sex, yet he still follows the female for such sexual pleasure. A henpecked man is compared, therefore, to the ass. The general mass of people work very hard, especially in the Age of Kali. In this age the human being is actually engaged in the work of an ass, carrying heavy burdens and driving ṭhelā and rickshaws. The so-called advancement of human civilization has engaged a human being in the work of an ass. The laborers in great factories and workshops are also engaged in such burdensome work, and after working hard during the day, the poor laborer has to be again kicked by the fair sex, not only for sex enjoyment but also for so many household affairs.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in purport to https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/3/19/

What happens when humans who are just like hogs, dogs, camels, and asses go to the election? The dogs vote for a big dog, the hogs vote for a big hog, the camels vote for a big camel, and the asses vote for a big ass.

We end up with a civilization of dogs, hogs, camels, and asses!

And we get a leadership that is full of such dogs, hogs, camels, and asses!

And what will such leaders do in society? They will promote animalism, they might spout big ideals just like the hogs in George Orwell’s book do, but quietly or openly promote animalistic civilization.

Srila Prabhupada once called democracy as “demon crazy”! In other words, the democratic process does not get us the best leaders, only the lowest common denominator.

An ideal society without God in the Centre is not possible

Take your pick, the system created by God or the system created by animals masquerading as humans.

Krishna, the Creator of the Perfect Social Order

What is your choice?

How can we spend all our income in the service of Krishna?

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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Sincerity in occupation by sincerity in devotional service

Sunil, Nov 6 2011

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Is it true that if a person is sincere in devotional service then that person would automatically be sincere in his or her occupation too?

Regards,

Sunil

Jagannatha Dasa, Nov 7 2011

Hare Krishna Sunil,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Gurudeva!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you for participating.

For a sincere practitioner of devotional service, all that one does is calibrated to fit into devotional service.

One’s work, diet, recreation, relationships and aspirations are all included in the course of their devotional service. Cf. Bhagavad-Gita 9.27

yat karosi yad asnasi

yaj juhosi dadasi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

tat kurusva mad-arpanam

TRANSLATION

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.

I mention this because your question assumes a false distinction between devotional service and one’s occupation.

Since, one’s occupation is just as much a part of devotional service as, for example, chanting or book distribution, then it follows that our sincerity should manifest there to the same degree as in our chanting etc.

It is a common misconception that work is not part of bhakti, and Krishna takes the whole of Bhagavad-Gita to explain to Arjuna, and us, how work is in fact, perfected when performed under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master.

Your servant,

-Jagannatha dasa

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