Spiritual profit

Expressions researched:
"spiritual profit"

SB Canto 2

The karmīs are more or less devoid of ātma-tattva knowledge, and as such, their life is spent without spiritual profit.

SB 2.1.3, Purport: Because human life is a combination of matter and spirit soul, the whole process of Vedic knowledge is directed at liberating the spirit soul from the contamination of matter. The knowledge concerning this is called ātma-tattva. Those men who are too materialistic are unaware of this knowledge and are more inclined to economic development for material enjoyment. Such materialistic men are called karmīs, or fruitive laborers, and they are allowed regulated economic development or association of woman for sex indulgence. Those who are above the karmīs, that is, the jñānīs, yogīs and devotees, are strictly prohibited from sex indulgence. The karmīs are more or less devoid of ātma-tattva knowledge, and as such, their life is spent without spiritual profit. The human life is not meant for hard labor for economic development, nor is it meant for sex indulgence like that of the dogs and hogs. It is specially meant for making a solution to the problems of material life and the miseries thereof. So the karmīs waste their valuable human life by sleeping and sex indulgence at night, and by laboring hard in the daytime to accumulate wealth, and after doing so, they try to improve the standard of materialistic life. The materialistic way of life is described herein in a nutshell, and how foolishly men waste the boon of human life is described as follows.

SB Canto 4

Materialistic persons are always anxious to get material profit, but they are not serious about spiritual profit.

SB 4.7.6, Purport:In this verse Lord Śiva is described as mīḍhuṣṭama, the best of the benedictors. He is also known as Āśutoṣa, which indicates that he is very quickly satisfied and very quickly angered. It is said in Bhagavad-gītā that less intelligent persons go to the demigods for material benedictions. In this connection, people generally go to Lord Śiva, and because he is always quickly satisfied and gives benedictions to his devotees without consideration, he is called mīḍhuṣṭama, or the best of the benedictors. Materialistic persons are always anxious to get material profit, but they are not serious about spiritual profit.

Everyone-whether akāma (a devotee), sarva-kāma (a karmī) or mokṣa-kāma (a jñānī or yogī)—is encouraged to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the direct method of devotional service. In this way one can get both material and spiritual profit simultaneously.

SB 4.21.34, Purport: Generally a conditioned soul has the determination for material profit, but when these desires for material profit are satisfied through performance of yajña, one gradually achieves the spiritual platform. Then his life becomes perfect. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.10) therefore recommends:

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

Everyone-whether akāma (a devotee), sarva-kāma (a karmī) or mokṣa-kāma (a jñānī or yogī)—is encouraged to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the direct method of devotional service. In this way one can get both material and spiritual profit simultaneously.

CC Antya-lila

A person without devotional service who simply wants to know things (kevala-bodha-labdhaye) gains only dry speculative knowledge but no spiritual profit.

CC Antya 8.26, Purport: The word vāsanā (“material desires”) refers to dry speculative knowledge. Such speculative knowledge is only material. As confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.4), a person without devotional service who simply wants to know things (kevala-bodha-labdhaye) gains only dry speculative knowledge but no spiritual profit.

Nectar of Devotion

If ever a devotee should desire some material profit, like promotion to the heavenly planets, or some spiritual profit—to go to the Vaikuṇṭhas—by My causeless mercy his desires are very easily fulfilled.

Nectar of Devotion 14: In the Eleventh Canto, Twentieth Chapter, verses 32 and 33, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Lord further instructs Uddhava, "My dear friend, the profits derived from fruitive activities, austerities, the culture of philosophical knowledge, renunciation, the practice of mystic yoga, charity and all similar auspicious activities are automatically achieved by My devotees—those who are simply attached to Me by loving service. These devotees have everything at their disposal, but they desire nothing outside of My devotional service. If ever a devotee should desire some material profit, like promotion to the heavenly planets, or some spiritual profit—to go to the Vaikuṇṭhas—by My causeless mercy his desires are very easily fulfilled."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Because he is giving some money, hard-earned money, for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is getting some spiritual profit.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973: There was a caricature-picture in some paper. Perhaps you remember. From Montreal or here, I don't remember. One old lady and her husband, sitting, face to face. The lady is requesting the husband: "Chant, chant, chant." And the husband is answering: "Can't, can't, can't." So this is going on. We are requesting everyone: "Please chant, chant, chant." And they are replying: "Can't, can't." This is their misfortune. This is their misfortune. So still it is our duty to make all these misfortunate, unfortunate creatures fortunate. That is our mission. We therefore go in the street and chant. Although they say: "Can't," we go on chanting. That is our business. And, somehow or other, we push on some literature in his hand. He is becoming fortunate. He would have squandered his hard-earned money in so many nasty, sinful ways, and if he purchases one book, never mind what is the price, his money is properly utilized. The beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Because he is giving some money, hard-earned money, for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is getting some spiritual profit. He's not losing. He's getting some spiritual profit. Therefore our business is, somehow or other, bring everyone in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. He will be profited.

Artha means profit. So real profit is spiritual profit. That is real profit because that will never be lost.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968: So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also stressing on that point, that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Although this human form of life is not very long, but you can get the very nice result out of it. Arthadam. Artha. Artha means profit. So real profit is spiritual profit. That is real profit because that will never be lost. And material profit, suppose you become MA, PhD, Doctor, or Rockefeller, or Ford, or something like that. You gain so many material things. But as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You are no more Rockefeller, you are no more MA. Suppose you get again a birth in a human family, so you have to again begin your education to come to the point of MA. Or you have to begin your life to become again Rockefeller. This Rockefeller estate is left here. You have to begin again. You do not know whether you are going to be Rockefeller or some feller. But at least, it is certain that whatever material gain you acquire, that will be finished with this body. That is a fact. So you have to begin again. But if you take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness even one percent, that will never be finished. It will give you... Just like seed. A seed if you sow on the earth and you put little water, it will grow. It will grow. It will never be stopped.

General Lectures

So without any investment of your money, without losing your time, if you get some spiritual profit, why don't you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972: Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "You become My devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Māṁ namaskuru: "Offer your obeisances unto Me." Now, all these items, there is no expenditure, and anyone can do. Even the child can do. What is the difficulty? Factually our children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children, do that. The father-mother offers obeisances, and the child imitates—he also offers obeisance, bows down. So this offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa will not go in vain. It will have effect. So it is inexpensive. It is very simple, without any loss. Suppose you have got a picture of Kṛṣṇa and you simply think of the picture, man-manā, and you offer a little lamp, a little incense, and if you don't offer, if you simply offer your respect, what is your loss? Is there any loss? [break] We are all businessmen. We calculate everything in terms of loss and profit. So there is no loss. That's a fact. But if there is any profit, why don't you try it? If there is any profit... There is profit. These boys, these European and American boys who are with me, there are hundreds and thousands of them... They have sacrificed their life. Unless there is some profit... They are not fools. They are not coming of foolish parents or foolish nation. Unless there is some profit, how they are doing? There must be some profit. So without any investment of your money, without losing your time, if you get some spiritual profit, why don't you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? That is our plea. We are imploring everyone. If you think that there are many objection, "If I keep one picture of Kṛṣṇa or I offer Him something, fruits and flowers," all right, don't do that. But what is the objection if you chant? You have got freedom, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all right, simply Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Artha means meaningful or some material profit or spiritual profit.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972: We shall not live forever with this body. The animals also, they'll also not live forever. The body will be finished after certain period of time. So he says, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear friend, this body, this human form of body, is very, very rarely we have obtained it. Although it is temporary, but there is a great gain." In the animal life, that is also temporary, and this human form of body is also temporary. But the animals cannot get that achievement which we can get. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Arthadam means... Artha means meaningful or some material profit or spiritual profit. So we can, by the help of this human form of body, we can achieve some very great profit. That is required. That is the human mission.

1968 Correspondence

The Gopis and Radharani served Krishna without any expectation of material or spiritual profit.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1968: It is very pleasing to me to see how your heart is working in Krishna Consciousness. I am very much hopeful of your future glories in the matter of propagating this transcendental movement. Your remark that we cannot make Krishna our order supplier is very appropriate. We should always try to supply everything to Krishna and we shall try to avoid any return by Krishna. That is Vaisnava philosophy. The Gopis and Radharani served Krishna without any expectation of material or spiritual profit. They never expected any return from Krishna and Krishna remained ever indebted to the Gopis. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu exalted the worship method of the Gopis, and Krishna when He tries to understand the heart of the Gopis, that is the transformation of Krishna into Lord Caitanya.

1975 Correspondence

Somehow or other they must be induced to take interest in spiritual life. Then it will be successful. You will get money and they will get spiritual profit.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Berkeley 18 July, 1975: For a gentleman who stays with us there is no difficulty in paying one or two thousand Rupees for this purpose. They come there to Vrindaban to spend for religious purpose their money. But, those who stay with us must be well behaved. From our side we will attend to their needs and make them comfortable, and from their side they must be clean and attend the aratis. Somehow or other they must be induced to take interest in spiritual life. Then it will be successful. You will get money and they will get spiritual profit. Both will be benefited by the grace of Krishna Balarama.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Candi-pat means you, if you properly read, you get some material profit. That's all. No spiritual profit.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Candi-pat means you, if you properly read, you get some material profit. That's all. No spiritual profit.

Indian man (1): There is no special significance in it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You get material profit. [break] Bhagavad-gītā it is said, (sic:) alpavat tu phalaṁ teṣām: "The result of material profit is for a short duration of time," tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām, "and these things are desired by less intelligent class of men." His real need is how to gain his spiritual life. That is his real need. But he does not want that. He wants some material profit for the time being. This is less intelligent. Suppose if somebody gives you some money and he says, "Tomorrow I shall take it away," will you... (laughs) So tad bhavaty alpa-medhasā. [break] ...kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatāḥ: [Bg. 7.20] "They worship demigods, bewildered by lusty desires." And so long we have got lusty desires, we have to change our body, and that we do not know, what kind of body we are going to get next birth. Therefore, without knowing this, if we become mad after material profit, then less intelligent.