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A householder, he can also become a mahatma, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahatma. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment

Expressions researched:
"a householder, he can also become a mahātmā, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahātmā. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There are two classes of persons. One is interested for developing material standard of life, and one is interested for spiritual development of life. So a householder, he can also become a mahātmā, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahātmā. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment.


The gṛhastha householder mahātmā are that their aim of life is to revive their relationship with God. That is the first qualification. Ye vā mayi īśe, their aim of life. They are living with . . . all mahātmā means their idea is how to attain spiritual perfection. How to attain spiritual perfection. That is mahātmā.

So a householder, a gentleman or a person living with family, wife and children, his real aim is how to achieve the relationship, lost relationship, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ. His only aim is how to achieve that perfection. And for that, janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu na prīti-yuktāḥ. Ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara . . . therefore he's not attached at all to persons who are simply interested in material advancement of life.

There are two classes of person. One is interested for developing material standard of life, and one is interested for spiritual development of life. So a householder, he can also become a mahātmā, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahātmā. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment: ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu (SB 5.5.3). Dehambhara-vārtikeṣu means persons here in the ordinary men, they are simply interested how to satisfy the bodily needs. That's all. They are called dehambhara-vārtikeṣu.

The materialistic civilization means how to keep this body very comfortably. Not only in this life. From their thinking also they accept works of piety, just like charity, religion. How? So next life they may be elevated to the heavenly planet and they can enjoy very long duration of life, association of very beautiful girls, and drink so many beverages. Their only aim is like that, how to provide this material body with all comforts. They are called dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Deha means this body, and bhara, just to maintain this body.

So a mahātmā, a gṛhastha, a householder who is interested to reestablish his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is not interested with the association of such persons who are simply, I mean to say, interested in bodily comforts. Dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. And then what about his own family? He says gṛheṣu. Gṛheṣu means at his home. Jāyā.

Jāyā means wife. Ātmaja means children. Jāyātmaja . . . rāti means wealth or money. Na prīti-yuktāḥ. They're not very much, I mean to say, addicted. Just like ordinary man, he's very much fond of house, very much fond of wife, very much fond of children, very much fond of wealth. He is not that. Yāvad arthaḥ prayojanam. They are fond of or they are interested with their relationship as much as is required.

Therefore in the Vedic languages there are two kinds of householders. One is called gṛhamedhi, and the other is called gṛhastha. Gṛhastha means one who lives with family but his interest is realization of self and realization of God. And gṛhamedhi means he has no more interest . . . he has no interest what is spiritual life, what is God, but he's simply interest in developing the family standard of life.

So there are two classes of men. But one who is simply interested with spiritual life, they can also be claimed as mahātmā even in the household life. But his interest is only for God realization, and his symptom is described that his only aim is God, and he's not attached with material comfort or he's not attached with persons who are simply engaged for the improvement of bodily happiness.

Page Title:A householder, he can also become a mahatma, provided he has got this tendency that he wants to develop his spiritual life. Then he is mahatma. And not interested to increase economic development, or persons who are too much attached for enjoyment
Compiler:Ionelia
Created:2015-11-21, 11:16:53
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1