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A mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man

Expressions researched:
"a mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

A mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man and that man. There is no difference. They are working the same day and night for earning some money. But the devotee or the man who is established in relationship with God, his expenditure will be different. His expenditure will be not for sense gratification. For advancement of God consciousness. That is the ideal man.


Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham. Now, somebody is fighting for some personal gain. Now, at the present moment sometimes fighting takes place for some personal ambition, to fulfill some personal ambition. But that was not . . . that should not be the case. To fulfill one's personal ambition, any risky thing should not be taken.

No. Kṛṣṇa says: "Just like foolish people, they work being too much attached for their sense gratification, similarly, those who are learned, those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they also may work similarly, but not for the purpose of sense gratification."

How it is possible? Just like a merchant, a mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man and that man. There is no difference. They are working the same day and night for earning some money.

But the devotee, or the man who is established in relationship with God, his expenditure will be different. His expenditure will be not for sense gratification—for advancement of God consciousness. That is the ideal man. There is no harm. If you work, very, very much attached to your business or anyone, that doesn't matter.

The same thing just we have explained before, that the result should be given to God. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī . . . the other day I cited the example, when they retired, they brought home two boatful of gold coins, so millions of rupees. But before retirement, they spent fifty percent of the accumulation of wealth for God's cause. And twenty-five percent he distributed to the relatives. They also expect some money. And twenty-five percent they kept in the bank for personal needs in some extraordinary times. You see?

So here Kṛṣṇa also said that saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁsaḥ. Just like fool, those who are after sense gratification, as they are working with full attachment that "I must have this money. I must accumulate this bank balance and so on, so on," so similarly, yathā kurvanti bhārata, as they devote, similarly, vidvāṁs . . . vidvān means learned also may work in that way, but he would spend the money in such a way that is example. That is example. That example—"Oh, such a big man, such a rich man. He distributed his money . . ." Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. He distributed his money like this. Oh.

Therefore those who are devotees, those who are following the principles of devotion, they see the ideal. "Well, our former ācārya or former devotee, I mean to say, guru or spiritual master, he was . . . he had so much money, and he distributed in this way." The distribution, money, was accepted like that. So people would follow that. So Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna that "You also become an ideal man, that you become a fighter for the cause of God. Then you become the ideal man. Your principle will be followed by others." And that is what I want and therefore I am instructing you.

Thank you very much. Now, if you have got any questions, you can put.

(break) . . . one is checked from doing his rightful duty. That is real violence. In some years ago at Jhansi I was—not in this sannyāsa days—I went there and, by invitation of some friends, and they wanted to give me some lectures. That was Gandhi's birthday, and they asked me to speak on some nonviolence. So I spoke that violence means that to check a person from the discharge of his duties. That is violence. That was my viewpoint..

Page Title:A mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man
Compiler:Krsnadas
Created:15 of Dec, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1