View source for Is this understanding of verse 18, chap. 4, correct; that the sage sees material activities as zero (inaction in action) and sees the devotee seated chanting as eternally active (action in inaction)?

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{{terms|"Is this understanding of verse 18, chap. 4, correct; that the sage sees material activities as zero"|"action in inaction"|"and sees the devotee seated chanting as eternally active"|"inaction in action"}}
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{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas}}
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{{first|12Sep11}}
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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1969]]
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1969_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Correspondence" text="1969 Correspondence"><h3>1969 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoRupanugaHawaii14March1969_0" class="quote" parent="1969_Correspondence" book="Let" index="173" link="Letter to Rupanuga -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969" link_text="Letter to Rupanuga -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969">
<div class="heading">Yes, action in inaction—action means to do something of which the result is enjoyed by the doer; that is action. But when things are done for Krishna, the result is enjoyed by Krishna. When we put ourselves in the position of enjoying good or bad reaction, then we suffer or enjoy. But action in Krishna Consciousness has nothing to do with such material suffering or enjoying. Therefore action in Krishna Consciousness is inaction, whereas a person doing nothing materially may appear to be inaction to others, but actually he is doing something for Krishna.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Rupanuga -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969|Letter to Rupanuga -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Your fifth question, "Is this understanding of verse 18, chap. 4, correct; that the sage sees material activities as zero (inaction in action) and sees the devotee seated chanting as eternally active (action in inaction)?" Yes, action in inaction—action means to do something of which the result is enjoyed by the doer; that is action. But when things are done for Krishna, the result is enjoyed by Krishna. When we put ourselves in the position of enjoying good or bad reaction, then we suffer or enjoy. But action in Krishna Consciousness has nothing to do with such material suffering or enjoying. Therefore action in Krishna Consciousness is inaction, whereas a person doing nothing materially may appear to be inaction to others, but actually he is doing something for Krishna. In other words, the materialist thinks of the devotees as inactive. Similarly, the devotees think of the karmis as inactive—simply spoiling time, building sandcastles.</p>
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