Idle

Expressions researched:
"idle" |"idlement" |"idleness" |"idles"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.1.2, Purport:

Less fortunate persons are not at all interested in hearing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The process is simple, but the application is difficult. Unfortunate people find enough time to hear idle social and political conversations, but when invited to attend a meeting of devotees to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they suddenly become reluctant.

SB 1.8.37, Purport:

The highest achievement of perfect civilization is to work with valor but at the same time depend completely on the Lord. The Pāṇḍavas were the ideal executors of this standard of civilization. Undoubtedly they were completely dependent on the good will of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but they were not idle parasites of the Lord. They were all highly qualified both by personal character and by physical activities.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.7, Purport:

No one can remain vacant of thought. It is said that an idle brain is a devil's workshop because a person who cannot think in the right way must think of something which may bring about disaster.

SB 2.2.35, Purport:

There are some less intelligent arguments that matter develops the power of seeing and moving as a certain organic development, but such an argument cannot be accepted because there is no experimental evidence that matter has anywhere produced a living entity. Trust no future, however pleasant. Idle talks regarding future development of matter into spirit are actually foolish because no matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in any part of the world.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.5.29, Translation:

After accepting the feature of avadhūta, a great saintly person without material cares, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva passed through human society like a blind, deaf and dumb man, an idle stone, a ghost or a madman. Although people called Him such names, He remained silent and did not speak to anyone.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 20.81, Purport:

This practice is still current in Vṛndāvana, and there are many places where alms are offered. Unfortunately, there are many beggars who have come to Vṛndāvana to accept alms but not follow the principles of Sanātana Gosvāmī. People try to imitate him and lead an idle life by practicing mādhukarī. It is almost impossible to strictly follow Sanātana Gosvāmī or Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is better to accept food offered to Kṛṣṇa in the temple than to try to imitate Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 18:

He is always anxious to utilize his time in the devotional service of the Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always, twenty-four hours a day, without deviation.

Nectar of Devotion 43:

One friend of Kṛṣṇa's addressed Him thus: "My dear lotus-eyed one, when You were living in Gokula You were always bearing a stick in Your hand. That stick is now lying idle in the house of mother Yaśodā, and whenever she sees it she becomes motionless just like the stick." This is a sign of becoming stunned in separation from Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Instruction

Nectar of Instruction 3, Purport:

Bhakti is a sort of cultivation. As soon as we say "cultivation," we must refer to activity. Cultivation of spirituality does not mean sitting down idly for meditation, as some pseudo-yogīs teach. Such idle meditation may be good for those who have no information of devotional service, and for this reason it is sometimes recommended as a way to check distracting materialistic activities. Meditation means stopping all nonsensical activities, at least for the time being. Devotional service, however, not only puts an end to all nonsensical mundane activities, but also engages one in meaningful devotional activities.

Nectar of Instruction 3, Purport:

Endeavor executed with intelligence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is called utsāha, or enthusiasm. The devotees find the correct means by which everything can be utilized in the service of the Lord (nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate). The execution of devotional service is not a matter of idle meditation but practical action in the foreground of spiritual life.

Nectar of Instruction 3, Purport:

As already explained, one should not be idle but should be very enthusiastic about executing the regulative principles—tat-tat-karma-pravartana. Neglect of the regulative principles will destroy devotional service.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

So any intelligent man can understand that the real father, within the body, was a different thing. But our ignorance is so great that we accept this body, this dead body, as my father. This body is not only dead now, it was always dead. Because the living soul was there, within this dead body, it was moving. This is the fact. Just like a nice motorcar is running. But when the driver is not there, the motor is lying there, idle. If one identifies with the motorcar, the driver of the car, that is foolishness.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

Secular means they have meant like that, that "You do all nonsense; we don't care. You pay me tax, that's all. Income tax. And you go to hell. It doesn't matter." This is not secular state. Secular state means the state must be very vigilant whether everyone is doing his duty, everyone is employed in his duty; and if everyone is not employed, it is the duty of the government to see. He must be employed. A brāhmaṇa is employed, a kṣatriya is employed, a vaiśya is employed. Otherwise, if they are unemployed, idle brain, then idle brain will be devil's workshop. That is happening. Because everyone is not employed, they have discovered machine, and the machine is working hundred men's work. So actually, a hundred men are unemployed. So the machine has not improved the situation. It has improved the pocket of the capitalist.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

Karma means work. Karma means work. One should not think that "Because I am not this body, so I shall cease to work." No. You cannot cease to work. If you cease to work, then idle brain will be a devil's workshop. No. We have to work. So therefore the Lord says, "The technique of acting on the spiritual platform is that you have your right to act. You have your right to act according to your position."

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

So the Lord says, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, that "According to your quality, you have to do your duty." You just... Just you can... Hereditary or by your own choice, you can have your own duty. But there is no question of that one should be idle. No. If you are intelligent class, then you have to take to intelligent quality of work, just like you must become a scientist, you must become politician, not politician, philosopher. You must be a religionist or so many intelligent class of work.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

If you perform this sacrifice, then your necessities will be supplied profusely by the agents of the Supreme Lord. So mind that always, that we are not going to be idle. We shall go on with our work, as we are doing. But at the same time, we must perform yajñas, or sacrifice for the Supreme. Then we'll have sufficient for our necessities.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

The rājas, the kings, the government, they understood. Therefore the kingdom was so peaceful, without any cares for the citizens. The citizens were also trained up very nicely, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is employed. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is engaged. Otherwise, idle brain will manufacture devil's brain. They will manufacture so many things, and there will be chaos.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

In every country nowadays, all over the world, there is so much unemployment. Why there... Why one should be unemployed? He must be trained up in such a way that he's employed, he's engaged. This is the duty. So if you understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll be able to train your students, your citizens, your subordinates, how to remain engaged. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, we are simply after the people, whether he is engaged or not. There must be engagement. If one remains idle, then it will be devil's workshop. Immediately māyā will dictate, "Do this, do this nonsense, do that nonsense, do that nonsense."

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.Now at the modern age, in every country all over the world, there is unemployment. Why unemployment? Because people do not know how to divide the population according to guṇa and karma.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this system is being followed. We have got a very nice business. Spiritual Sky. We are making good profit, millions of dollars. Therefore our expenditure is going on. We sell our books and we sell our Spiritual Sky products. In this way, we meet not less than eight to ten lakhs of rupees expenditure per month, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not idle; neither we allow anyone to become idle. It is not this business that go to the temple and ring the bell and close the door and go to smoke gāñjā. No, it is not like that.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Child is playing all day and doing mischief in the house, and... So he cannot be stopped mischief-doing. He must be given some engagement. If he's given some engagement, some playthings, and if his attention is diverted there, then he'll stop mischief-making in the house. Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. He will go on, go on. So therefore we must have spiritual engagement. Simple understanding that "I am spirit soul" will not help me.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

Those who are in the preliminary stage, they should always work for Kṛṣṇa. Always. They must find out always some duty, "What is there to work now for Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Karma kāraṇam ucyate. They should not remain idle for a second. Always find out some duty. That is meditation. "How I shall work for Kṛṣṇa?"

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

This is the perfectional stage of yoga system, yoga practice. A person is said to have attained to yoga, that means, yoga means connection. Just like, the same example. Suppose this finger was out of my body. Or don't take this finger, take any machine part. It is out of the machine, lying idle. And as soon as you join with the machine, it works with different functions.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Yes, that is the point. We must have engagement. We cannot stop, the same example. You cannot stop a child working. Or in activities. By nature we are living entities, we must act. It is not possible to stop activities. So just like it is said, "An idle brain is a devil's workshop." So if we have no good engagement, then you will have to engage yourself in something nonsense.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

At night I work with dictaphone. So I am sorry... I become sorry if I cannot work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very much anxious to work. It is not that it is an idle society. No. We have got sufficient engagement. They are editing papers, they are selling papers. Just simply find out how Kṛṣṇa conscious can be spread, this much. This is practical.

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Renunciation means you must first stop your sense gratification. That is renunciation. If you engage in your sense gratification, how you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses? So you have to stop this nonsense sense gratification, you have to adopt the real sense gratification. That is renunciation. Renunciation does not mean you become idle. Renunciation means you have to stop nonsense things and then begin real thing. That is renunciation.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

We have to do some work. That's a fact. Kṛṣṇa says that "Without doing something, you cannot maintain your body and soul together." Karmaṇo jyāyo... What is that? No. That... Karma is better then vikarma. The... Kṛṣṇa says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good." "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." Kṛṣṇa never said that "My dear Arjuna, you are My first-class devotee. Now you sit down and I'll do everything for you." No. Kṛṣṇa never said. Rather, Arjuna was not willing to fight, and Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You must fight. You must fight." Kṛṣṇa never said that "You become idle kṛṣṇa-bhakta," never said. So those who are trying to be idle kṛṣṇa-bhakta, they are not devotees. One must be engaged with Kṛṣṇa's work. That is devotion.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

Just like in this old age, we are traveling all over the world to do benefit to the people because we are hankering that people should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Don't you think that we are serving the people everywhere? We are not sitting idle. So anyone who will be really Kṛṣṇa conscious, he'll not be idle. He'll serve the whole human society, everywhere. Not only human society, the animal society, everyone.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa never said, "Oh, Arjuna, you need not fight. You sit down silently. I shall..." Actually, He was doing everything. At last He said, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "You are simply instrumental, and I am doing everything." So Kṛṣṇa does for the devotee everything, but it does not mean that he will sit down. It is not. This is not our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that idle, creating some idlement. You must work for Kṛṣṇa's sake. That is the program. Not for sense gratification. That is called dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you get better activity. Therefore you can give up the inferior activities. Otherwise, simply by negation, it is not possible. We must work. We must work for Kṛṣṇa's sake. We shall go to the Kṛṣṇa's temple, or we shall go for selling Kṛṣṇa's books, or meeting some Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is nice. But you cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

So yajña is required. Human life is meant for performing yajña. Karma, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said. Karma... Karma means activity. There must be activity. It is not that because we are interested in self-realization, in the elevation of the soul to the spiritual world, that does not mean we shall be idle and lazy. No. You cannot be idle and lazy because if you become idle and lazy, you cannot even maintain your body. That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

You must work. You should not be idle. But yajñārthe, for Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll not be implicated. Otherwise, you'll be implicated. By the grace of māyā, you'll be so implicated that you have got this human form of life, and after giving up this body, you'll have to accept, according to your karma, one of the 8,400,000 species of life; maybe it may be a tree, it may be a cat, it may be a dog, or it may be something lower grade.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

So, so this is our process, to depend on Kṛṣṇa. Depend does not mean I shall remain idle. Depend means to work according to the direction of the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

In your country, they'll throw away grains. But there are so many hungry people; why they should not give? Produce more, if you have got land. You have got men. And they are not producing, they are (not?) engaging. The men are becoming hippies and they're lying idle, without any production. God has given so much land. Produce. Distribute prasādam. This is kindness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

Child is always restless. Similarly... "Child is the father of man." One who becomes father, the same restlessness because that is the nature. Na hi dehavān akarma-kṛt. So if you are not engaged in good work, then you must act badly. That is natural. You have to work. Therefore idle brain is devil's workshop. If you are sitting idly, then brain also will work, mind also will work. The bodily function will go. So if you don't engage yourself in good work, then you must be engaged in bad work. And if you are not engaged in good work and if you are engaged in... There are two things, good or bad. So in one of them we must be engaged.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

This material world is karma-kṛt—you have to do something. Kṛṣṇa has explained that "Without acting, you cannot even maintain your body and soul together." Śarīra-yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. If you become idle, then you cannot even maintain your body. That is the difference between civilized man and uncivilized man or developed country...

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

Anyone who has got this material body, he has to work. Everyone has to work. In the spiritual body also you have to work. In the material body also you have to work. Because the working principle is the soul—soul is living force—so he is busy. Living body means there is movement. There is work. He cannot sit idly. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "Not even for a moment one can be idle." That is the symptom of living being. So this working is going on according to the particular body.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

So those who have taken very seriously to this business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are already free. I was just going to explain the word īhā. Īhā means endeavor. This īhā has been explained by Rūpa Gosvāmī very nicely. He says, īhā yasya harer dāsye. Īhā means endeavor. One who has engaged... Everyone is endeavoring. Nobody is idle. Everyone is trying something, do something, endeavoring something for higher position or higher distinction. So many things. The endeavor is there. That is the symptom of life. A living entity means he is always active.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

He's always defending, but you should not be idle. It does not mean "Because God is defending, therefore we shall stop our work." No.

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

That pleasing activity is bhakti. Bhakti. And bhakti means the activities which will please Kṛṣṇa. Without that bhakti, means sitting down silently... No. "No, no. I am chanting. I do not want to go out. I am busy." Means excuse. What you will chant? You will think of money and woman, that's all. Just work. Go to sell books and work hard. That is wanted. Therefore we do not give that opportunity. My Guru Mahārāja did not give this opportunity, and we are following the same principle: no opportunity of sitting idle. No. You must work. That will rectify.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

Just like nowadays in your country the machine is there in every respect. Even for shaving your cheek you require a machine. So this increasing the artificial necessities of life is possible when there is no higher thought. After all, we are thoughtful. We have got better consciousness in the human form of life than the animals. Our consciousness is developed. But because in this age, material world, we have no spiritual idea, so whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva... Sevā means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasādam, everything. Sevā, activity.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101 -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So service of Kṛṣṇa is not idleness. There are different methods of spiritual realization, especially jñāna and yoga. That is all right, but actual process of self-realization is service.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: There is no question of inaction, sitting idly and gossiping about God imagination. Even an impersonalist or personalist, they are fully engaged. Just like the impersonalist in India, they are reading Vedānta-sūtra, they are trying to understand. They are not idle.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1970, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why he is crying? If he is hungry, let him come here. We shall provide him. Why he is crying for that? What business he has got to cry, "What will they do?" What they will, that they know. Why he is crying? What is his business for crying for this future? If he is hungry, let him come and we shall provide him. This is not... That is a childish conception. "If everybody becomes sādhu, then what will be the nature of the society?" That is, never becomes. That never becomes. To become sādhu and to become a Vaiṣṇava is not so easy thing. These idle questions, why they publish? I do not know. This is idle question. It never becomes. Lord Kṛṣṇa personally says that "You simply surrender unto Me." How many have surrendered till now? Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." So how many have done that?

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discussion with Indians -- January 18, 1971, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. If you surrender and if you get jñāna-datta, that is all right. So far we are concerned, if we do not surrender, if you do not surrender, then you simply waste our time, idle talk. This is not the process.

Room Conversation with Mayor -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: You should see that he is good health and working. That's all. Not idle.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Certainly. Niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ. Instead of sitting idle, if you act badly, that is good.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's advice. Kṛṣṇa does not say sit idly. Neither Arjuna was advised like that. Neither... Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent, sit idly. Kṛṣṇa never did so. Kṛṣṇa said, "Oh, you fight. You are kṣatriya. It is your duty." And in order to raise him to that fighting position, this position, He taught him Bhagavad-gītā. So don't think that Kṛṣṇa bhaktas are idle, sitting only. No. That is mistaken idea. Kṛṣṇa bhakta can do anything under the direction of Kṛṣṇa.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 4.13.48 to SB 4.14.11 -- January 18, 1972, Jaipur:

Prabhupāda: In your country, five thousand drunkard priests were consolidated in a hospital for treatment. They're getting money. So there is possibility, we are opening temples, public is contributing. But if we become easy-goer, "Now money is coming, let us eat sumptuously and eat, eat and sleep, and if possible drink also." But, of course, we are restricting. But naturally when one man becomes idle, idle brain is the devil's workshop.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Idle brain is a devil's workshop. If they're not directed, then think like devil. We are thinking rightly because we are taking direction from Kṛṣṇa, the most perfect. Therefore our thinking has meaning. And what is the value of their thinking? It has no value.

Morning Walk -- April 30, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Idle brain is a devils' workshop. Because they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their brain is a workshop of the devil. That's all.

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Because the process is devotion, bhakti. Bhakti means not idle. Activities. Bhakti is not idle gossip. It is something, activity. Therefore karmīs sometimes misunderstand that they are working like us. So where is the... what does it mean, bhakti?

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Banker: Welfare. Payment to people who don't work.

Prabhupāda: No, everyone should work. Our Vedic philosophy is that everyone must work. But there must be division of work. Just like in your body there are different parts. The head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the legs department. These are different parts. So all these departments must work for the total benefit of the body. That is our philosophy. Nobody should sit idle. But he must work according to his capacity.

Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: Trust means to depend completely upon God?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Just like Arjuna. While Arjuna was fighting the battle, he completely depended on Kṛṣṇa. But he was not idle. Completely, to depend completely on God does not mean idleness. Arjuna is the example. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You are My friend. You are My devotee, completely dependent upon Me. So you can sit down." Never said like that. Similarly, we should remain always completely dependent upon God. That does not mean we shall be lazy and idle and gossiping. We must fully utilize the intelligence which God has given us, but at the same time, we must completely depend on God. This is called "In God we trust."

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So management should be in that way, that nobody is sitting idly. Automatically he'll fall sick. Sickness means idleness. Or excess eating, sleeping. No excess, no less.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then... The first thing is that we should see that everyone is engaged. How he should be engaged, that requires leadership. But the first business is to engage everyone. Nobody should be without engagement. Then it will be idle worse, works... What do you call? Idle brain is devil's workshop. And the devil is kāminī-kāñcana, woman and money. This is devil. So if you remain idle, then you shall think of devil. So we should see that everyone is engaged properly.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then? You have to engage laborer and spend two hundred rupees per head at least, including salary and food, and the production is nil. In this way, there must be ten thousand, twenty thousand expenditure. Am I right or not, that "You bring money some way from anywhere, and let us spend lavishly?" What kind of management this is? We should consider the money, after all, is earned with hard labor. So somebody will bring money with hard labor, and another body will spend like irresponsible prince; that should be stopped. That is management. (break) ...especially is that the religion means to make a class of men, simply idle... What is? Opiate...? What is called?

Devotees: Opiate of the people.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Therefore they are against religion. But actually, if we show that we are producing, we are managing, we are educating, then we can counteract the communist tendency. But they are seeing that, that escaping. They say, "They escape responsibility of worldly life and they're indulging in some religious..." That is the tendency. All... Everywhere the government is complaining like that. Therefore they do not want to increase the number of temples, increase the number of devotees. They do not want. Because they say, "These are a class of idle men. They cannot do anything, and they take to this religious life." That is the tendency. They are feeling like that. But if you show that you are actually doing something ideal, then they will appreciate. Make a small unit of community and show ideal life, not idle life. Ideal life.

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is no production. He will go to the office and fight with the pen as a kṣatriya. And instead of studying Vedas, he'll study the rules and regulations given by the office. But he'll not come to plow. Therefore this scarcity of food. He'll go to a mill to work as ordinary laborer. (Hindi) He'll not come. So much land we see lying unutilized. And they're crying for grain. Why? The same example. I was writing that in New York City, the whole city is full of dirty things, garbage, for want of cleaners, and you go to the Central Park, you'll find so many hippies are lying down idle.

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This poverty. Why there is poverty? Because they are not producing food. Everyone wants so-called comfortable life. So-called education. Sitting idle in the table and chair, and talking all gossips, nonsense, and sleeping. They have been trained up in this way, śūdra.

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: People will argue that "Why should we work? If we can make an arrangement for being idle..."

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayādvaita: People argue that "If we can make an arrangement to be idle, then it's nice. We've worked so hard. Now we can be idle. That's nice."

Prabhupāda: Then, that, if you become idle, you'll be diseased. You'll have dysentery. That's all. That will not help you. You'll have to suffer. That, that, that stage has already come. Because so many rascals are idle, now there is so many things want. So you'll suffer. If you don't work, then you'll suffer.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes. By spinning thread, then you make cloth. Without any price. You grow your cotton and have your cloth. So by machine, they have created so many idle brain, and therefore hippies are coming out, problem. This is the result of this. Because they have created this machine, not everyone is employed, so he must become a hippie. Idle brain is a devil's workshop.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Means idle brain, devil's workshop. They are thinking, "In this way we shall be happy." Then they will plan another thing, another thing, and everything will be broken. It is same childish play like that.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: It means, this is government deceiving. The man is not there. And even if he is there, suppose the soldier after dying for his country has become a tree, is it a very good reward? (laughter) How foolishly they are thinking. We have to point out their foolishness. That is our business. They are working very hard, undoubtedly, but they are working foolishly. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). The result is simply they are becoming tired. That's all. Because they are not working intelligently, like monkey, he is busy all day. What is the value of your busy? You'll find the monkey is never sitting idle. He's always busy, "eḥ, eh, eh." (imitating monkey) So what is the result of that busyness? He's a monkey. And they claim to be coming from monkey, these rascals. So we can see that your monkey's quality is already there.

Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But then why don't you go who has seen God? Why remain foolish? That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you do not know, if you have not seen, then go to guru. Why should I sit idle, "I have not seen; I will never see"? Is that knowledge? Go there where you can see. That is intelligence. "Nobody has seen. Therefore there is no use of seeing." What is this argument? This is no argument.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: No, those who are preaching, not for them. Those who are sitting idle, or they... (laughter) (break) ...has no other regulation, simply preaching. A preacher is so exalted. He hasn't got to follow any regulation. But don't take it. (laughter) And actually if one is busy in preaching work, that is first-class.

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he is dependent on the family affection. Then economic impetus go on. And I think he has given another proposition that if man can easily live, then he will not work. That is the nature of man. Therefore a rich man's son, he does not work. Because he has father's money, he can spend. In America the boys are rich man's son, and therefore so many boys are not working. They have got easy income, and they are not working. And because there is no proper work, they are becoming hippies. They are manufacturing independence. "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." This human psychology is the same everywhere.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Let people be engaged. Machine means one man or two man working... That will mean unemployment. Machine means unemployment. The principle should be that everyone is employed. Either brāhmaṇa, either kṣatriya, either vaiśya or śūdra. Nobody should become idle and gossiping, and sleeping, then utilize... This should be principle. Everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then life is successful.

Walk Around Farm -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Hm. So already some machine idle. You had to spend so much, but they are lying idle. That is not good. That is the defect of machine. If you cannot ply it, then it is dead loss.

Morning Walk -- August 6, 1975, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: It is defective training, bad civilization. They cannot employ everyone. (break) ...religion stresses that everyone should be engaged. No one should remain idle. That is the government's duty. Bad government.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are working. We are not sitting idle. Now, for our food, if we just get some food by plowing some land for the animal, cows, and for me, and the cow is giving me milk, the tree are giving me fruit, why shall I work so hard? The business of dogs and hogs, whole day and night simply working for getting food and sense gratification? That is not civilization.

Morning Walk -- November 19, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (break) Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu for the last twelve years he was lying idle, and this time he went, and people appreciated so much he was giving delete.(?) He is advertising like that.

Morning Walk -- December 17, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Saurabha, you have brought these logs from Vṛndāvana?

Saurabha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So why they are lying idle?

Saurabha: They are not ours, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then why it was brought here?

Saurabha: They will be used for the temple. They will be used for the scaffolding. For those high things. Because otherwise we have to cut them, and it's very waste of money.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're chanting japa.

Prabhupāda: Who is japping? Please be careful that this idle class in the name of japa...

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Feudalism, yes. What is this nonsense, maintaining so many idle men without any profit? Very, very bad system. And nowadays especially, when there is atomic energy, what is the value of the soldiers?

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: No. As soon as atom bomb is..., everything is finished. There will be no opportunity. That is their thinking, "Who will drop the atom bomb first, he will be winner." That's all. In Russia they are adopting this means. They are releasing all the soldiers for other work. What is the use of keeping so many men idle without any work and maintain them, high salary, occupy big, big cantonment camps?

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Everyone should be engaged. That's all. No idle life.

Morning Walk -- April 16, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Not so in industry. People are idle. It is just like a man having one son, another man having six sons. If the man with six sons works very hard, he is more, I mean, rich than that fellow. But those six boys don't work? Then he goes to hell.

Prabhupāda: No, he works. He sees that "In the village I shall get one rupee per day, and if I go to the town I shall get twenty rupees."

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: The saintly persons, at least in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, they are not meant for idle life. They are always busy for the welfare of the whole human society. This is the sign of saintly person.

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: For some time anyway. While we are building so much we need some help. We do not have sufficient manpower. No one is idle.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, you like this?

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: God helps those who help themselves.

Prabhupāda: We are not idle preachers, we are working. All, very hard, more than the karmīs.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: It is hard to keep up with Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Hari-śauri: Very difficult.

Prabhupāda: We are not idle creatures.

Rāmeśvara: We are publishing his books and sometimes he is ahead of us by seventeen volumes.

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: This unemployment is to their discredit. In the karmis' society the unemployment is a great discredit, now people sitting idle.

Prabhupāda: There will be great catastrophe. The unemployment will increase, and people will be very dissatisfied with the.... Especially the black. They will create havoc. This is artificial.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: But they don't go too long, because in Ahmedabad they have started one Gujarat, one Bhāgavata-hṛdaya-pīṭha.(?) Just outside Ahmedabad. And he had a plan to build a whole huge temple and dharmaśālās and schools, gurukulas. That Krishna Shankara Shastri, that poor fellow, he started something, and now he has scarcity, he cannot find funds to finish his project. So the project is lying idle for almost two years. They collected sixty, seventy lakhs initially, but then...

Prabhupāda: Sixty seventy lakhs? And he squandered it?

Yaśomatīnandana: No. He has got land and he has got some buildings, but now he has no funds to go further.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have got business. Why shall I keep in the bank? This is the policy. If your money is idle, we can spend it in our books, in our purchasing land in temple, constructing temple, developing...

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: According to guṇa and karma, there are four divisions. So if you are in the first-class division as brāhmaṇa, you do the brāhmaṇa's work. If you are a kṣatriya, you do the kṣatriya's... Niyataṁ kuru karma. What is you are destined, you do that nicely. Don't be idle. That is Kṛṣṇa's in... But if you are intelligent, then Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). But you are foolish; then you be engaged in your prescribed duty. And if you are intelligent, then "You give up everything; simply surrender to Me." That depends on you.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. You should not remain idle. Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books. Have class. This is not good.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) "Idle brain, devil's workshop." Then?

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Guest (1): The quality is... But even dharma many come, the mind should not be idle. Even if you go...

Prabhupāda: Mind cannot be idle. That is also foolishness.

Conversation: Vairagya, Salaries, and Political Etiquette -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: I know. Since I've been preaching more, I've been able to see how much labor and endeavor is going in just to maintain so many idle people. I know you've been saying this for a long time, and now, you know, I feel the strength to actually change that, that only those who are really sincere workers can stay.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise no need. We need their service, but not by being salaried. That is not good.

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In India the caste system was very good. From the very beginning the children would learn the technology of their paternal. Just like potter. You'll see the children of the potter, they are also making a small bird, a small fruit, and they would be sold. A small playing utensils-small glass, small plate—they're also sold. Other children would purchase. The whole family used to earn something. Nowadays they're sent to school, wasting time, and then unemployment and idle brain. What is the use of sending a potter's son to school?

Room Conversation Varnasrama -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Timothy Leary.

Prabhupāda: Ha, ha. What is his position now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I haven't heard about him in the last few years. He's in and out of jail, I think. I saw one time he was just getting out of jail. It just shows... I think he was a big professor at Harvard. So the idle mind, devil's workshop. So he used his big brain for making this LSD. That's the value of this Ph.D. degree.

Prabhupāda: He was Ph.D.?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. Big personality.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, the manuscript you take. I want to see at least manuscript is not left idle.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: If they are idle, then you can give engagement. Otherwise don't bring engagements. If they are idle—there is no work—give them. Not that you bring engagement and then... We want to be free from engagement, but if there is idle men, doing nothing, give them engagement. Now that we have got so many work. Simply unnecessarily, paid men are there for cutting vegetables. They have got so much... Means management is a rascal. Our men are idle, and they're bringing paid men to cut vegetables and paying two hundred rupees. This is management. First of all, whatever business is already there, engage them. Then bring further engagement.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus it increases our prestige—they see so many advertisements of Bhaktivedanta Swami's Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: So follow this policy. Don't keep idle money in the bank.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

N.B. I learn that in the temple there are sometimes men with no work. This should not be allowed. Every one must be busy with some work in Krishna Consciousness. Idleness is not Krishna Consciousness. Please take care of this omission I shall be glad to hear from you about this.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 11 October, 1967:

I gave him a chance to do this in the matter of opening a Branch in London but he has failed to do it. Now let him show first of all that by seeing his newly grown beard he has been successful to have many Americans following him and our financial condition has improved, then try to follow his instruction. Otherwise reject all idle talks.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- San Francisco 17 March, 1968:

Whenever I go to the class, I remember you, how joyfully you were chanting in the Temple, and whistling the bugle so nicely. Whenever I see the cornet lying idle because nobody can play on this particular instrument, I remember Hayagriva Brahmacari immediately.

Letter to Sacisuta -- Allston, Mass 30 May, 1968:

Should not waste time in idle talks

Letter to Aniruddha -- Montreal 24 June, 1968:

You will be also glad to know that our students who have gone to India, they are also trying and nicely. Yesterday I received one letter from Harivilasa, and I was so pleased to note his activities. Similarly, Subala is also struggling alone but he is doing nicely. Krishna Consciousness is such a thing that it is so nice that it cannot keep anyone idle. Because a conscious person means a living force, and Krishna Consciousness is the topmost consciousness.

Letter to Upendra -- Montreal 4 July, 1968:

Any friend in any part of the world that you may contact, try to infuse him with this Krishna Consciousness idea. Never waste your time in any other talks. I think our students have already developed this attitude and they are not interested in idle talks.

Letter to Pope Paul VI -- Montreal 3 August, 1968:

From the very beginning, they are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: 1) Sex life outside of marriage, 2) Meat eating, or eating of any animal food, 3) All forms of intoxication, 4) Gambling and idle sports.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Archbishop of Canterbury -- Los Angeles 1969:

Our Krishna Consciousness Movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating man of character, and we are training our disciples to become lovers of God, or Krishna. From the very beginning, they are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: 1) sex life outside marriage, 2) intoxication, 3) meat eating, and 4) gambling and idle sports.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1969:

Regarding the press, it is a very good engagement provided you can work properly on it. But if you purchase such press and there is nobody to work it, it will lie down idle, and that is not good. So if you are serious about working on a press, I advise you to do it immediately. Otherwise you should not waste your time.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Hawaii 15 March, 1969:

So the press work is started and I am sure as soon as Jaya Govinda arrives in Germany the press work will go on in full swing. Jaya Govinda is very much anxious for the press work at your end because he writes like this: "I think of the printing press lying idle (as far as I know) in Germany, and as printing and the graphic arts field is what I have the greatest amount of experience and training in, that seems to be the place for me to go." This means he is very anxious to come to Germany and I am glad to learn from your letter also that you are trying to get him in Germany by the end of this week.

Letter to Selective Service System (for Tosana Krsna) -- Hawaii 20 March, 1969:

MY INITIATED STUDENTS ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO INDULGE in the following principles of degradation: (1) All forms of intoxication, including coffee, tea, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, etc. (2) The eating of animal foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. Rather, their diet consists of Prasadam, especially offered foodstuffs (vegetarian), (3) Unmarried sex indulgence, (4) Gambling, or idle sports of any sort.

Letter to Advaita -- London 19 November, 1969:

I am very sorry to learn that our press is lying idle, and your remark in this connection that we have purchased the cart before the horse is appropriate.

Letter to Advaita -- London 19 November, 1969:

So if possible, immediately purchase this composing machine and begin the composing work for Krsna. Jayadvaita is also there and Aravinda will help in layout work. So far as the press lying idle, I would advise you to immediately print the paperback edition immediately.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Los Angeles 18 April, 1970:

Always think of Krsna, always hear of Krsna and always speak of Krsna and nothing else, no idle talkings. Both your wife and yourself are Krsna Conscious so you will have good opportunity to be always engaged in Krsna Consciousness.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

A Krsna Conscious person is only interested in serving the Lord faithfully and he has got no other extraneous thought. His intelligence is always engaged in finding out the best way to execute loving transcendental service to Krsna and therefore he has no time for idleness. An idle mind is the devil's workshop—is a true remark.

Letter to Advaita -- Surat 19 December, 1970:

So I think that the recent disturbances are easily to be set aright and you should go on again fully engaged in our printing work there. We have got a great lot of work to do and you should immediately pick up the press work again so that time may not be wasted with the press idle.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Mombassa, Kenya 16 September, 1971:

The purpose is that saintly persons, Vaisnavas, if they take something from many men, everyone is benefited. We should not follow the policy that one man gives us everything and we become idle. This is a material policy.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- Hyderabad 23 March, 1973:

We can avoid idle conversation and utilize our time in the spare moments for studying slokas from the Gita and Bhagavatam.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Bombay 1 April, 1974:

The meat eater class may not be encouraged but if they are stubbornly attached they can eat hogs and dogs or goats or lambs under certain conditions only, but not by maintaining slaughterhouses. Then human society will be very peaceful and everyone engaged in employment without producing any idle brains which only are devils workshops.

Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 16 August, 1974:

Regarding Yasomatinandana's college programs, you should give him full facility for this preaching work. This should be very much encouraged. He is a good preacher in Gujarati and Hindi. Regarding engaging the men, it is required that nobody should sit idle.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to All Temple Presidents -- Honolulu 6 February, 1975:

Recently in Germany the government, police and church have started heavy persecution against our movement by arrests, investigation, and blocking our monies in the bank. By unfair and slanderous newspaper and television propaganda, they have ruined our reputation and turned the general public against our movement. We cannot sit down and be idle. Even killing of our devotees has been attempted in Berlin by shooting. Hamsaduta prabhu has formulated a plan for protesting at all German Embassies all over the world. This plan has my sanction. He will be contacting you in this connection. Please co-operate with him fully.

Letter to Paramahamsa -- Berkeley 16 July, 1975:

Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa -- Calcutta 5 February, 1977:

We have sacrificed our life for Krsna's service, where is there scope for sleeping and gossiping? You can see in my example, not a single moment is wasted. This idleness is the business of the karmis.

Letter to Nityananda -- Bombay 12 April, 1977:

Yes, if our householders cannot distribute books, then let them live in the farm communities. They can produce thread for cloth, spinning, and other such activities. But they must do something, not sit idly, for an idle brain is the devil's workshop.

Letter to Nalinikanta -- Bombay 18 April, 1977:

Unless the books are written by a PhD we do not want it. We are not going to be able to print the books you have suggested. There is no need for such books. Instead of writing simply read my books. That will be better for you. Whatever free time you have engage in reading my books. Otherwise, an idle mind is a devil's workshop.