View source for Religion does not mean to improve your material condition. That is not religion

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[[Category:religion]]
[[Category:Does Not Mean]]
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[[Category:That is not Religion]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB621214AllahabadJanuary171971atKumbhamela_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="713" link="Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela">
<div class="heading">Religion does not mean to improve your material condition. That is not religion. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata therefore says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That type of religion is first class which elevates one to the platform of pure devotional service to the Absolute Truth." That is religion.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela|Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">There are so many persons following their own principles of religious, ritualistic performances, but... (break) ...by remaining in the same standard. They are not improving. The spiritual life or religious life means that one should make advance towards back to home, back to Godhead, not that religious life should be followed to make some material improvement. That is not religious life. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). These are the principles for elevating a living entity to the highest platform. But they have taken it, generally... They perform religious ritualistic performances for getting some more money, artha. Of course, we require some money for our maintenance. That is necessary. But if we simply perform religious performances to acquire money only, that is misguided. Generally people do so. They give in charity so that they may get more money. They open dharmaśālā so that they can get more houses. That is their purpose. Or they may be elevated to the heavenly kingdom. Because they do not know what is his actual interest. The actual interest is to go back to home, go back to Godhead. This idea, perhaps not even one percent men know that the ultimate end of, ultimate goal of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]])—Viṣṇu, God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not know that the real interest is to go back home, go back to Godhead. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They have accepted that "We shall be happy by adjusting this material world." Therefore they cannot make any progress.</p>
<p>Actually, religion does not mean to improve your material condition. That is not religion. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata therefore says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]) "That type of religion is first class which elevates one to the platform of pure devotional service to the Absolute Truth." That is religion. People are not attracted to the bhāgavata-dharma, or the religion. Bhāgavata-dharma is actually sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma does not mean that one must have a certain type of religious life. Sanātana-dharma means the eternal religion. Sanātana-dharma is applicable for all living entities. A living entity is eternal, God is eternal, and there is an eternal abode also. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 8.20|BG 8.20]]). So the religious principles which promote a follower to the highest platform of serving the eternal, supreme God, that is called sanātana-dharma. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is first-class religion.</p>
<p>Therefore here it is said, naikāntikam. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte ([[Vanisource:SB 6.2.12|SB 6.2.12]]). Even one becomes free from all contamination of sinful life by prosecuting the particular type of religious principles, that is not sufficient, because ultimately it cannot give any good result. Naikāntikaṁ tad dhi kṛte 'pi niṣkṛte manaḥ punar dhāvati ced asat-pathe. Because the mind is so disturbing that even after being free from all contamination of sinful life, the mind again goes to that sinful activity. It is very difficult to control the mind. Arjuna, when he was advised to perform the haṭha-yoga system to control the mind, he flatly refused, that "I am unable to control my mind in this way." He stated that cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa: ([[Vanisource:BG 6.34|BG 6.34]]) "Kṛṣṇa, the mind is so agitating and moving," cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, "it is just like a madman." Just like you cannot control a madman. Sometimes you have to chain a madman for doing mischievous activities. Sometimes you have to send to some hospital for special care. So Arjuna said, cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi, balavat. And not only balavat, "is very strong," and dṛḍham, "and very strong and determined" Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye: "If you ask me to control my mind, it is very difficult for me." Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor api suduṣkaram: "If there is some wind, strong wind, and if one thinks that 'I shall control this wind, stop this strong blowing of wind,' as it is impossible, similarly, the movement of my mind is so strong that I cannot promise that I can control this mind." And after the statement of Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said... Kṛṣṇa saw that His friend was becoming disappointed. Because he cannot prosecute the yoga system, so he's becoming disappointed. But He knew that Arjuna was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was certain. Although his mind was very agitated because he was politician, he was warrior, still, his mind was fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That He knew. Therefore He said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā ([[Vanisource:BG 6.47|BG 6.47]]).</p>
<p>The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the technique, is that you may be engaged in various types of work, but the mind must be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That art you have to learn. How it is possible? It is possible. Perhaps you have not seen—in India the women, they go to draw water from the well and they keep on the head. They are going, but the head is so balanced that the waterpot will never fall down. There are many instances that if you learn how to keep the balance, in spite of your movement the waterpot on the head will not fall. Similarly, if you mold your life in such a way that Kṛṣṇa should always be remembered, then, in spite of your mind being very agitated, your mind will be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. That is required. Therefore in the devotional service we have got so many engagements.</p>
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