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I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet

Expressions researched:
"I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, cent percent engagement in, that is hamper. There is no doubt. But to do business as a householder is not bad.

770218 - Conversation D - Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and do business, what is the harm? Where is wrong?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the trouble is that when you do book distribution, it's easier to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is for that purpose.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But when you sell jewelry, it's harder to remember Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And our... We are not so advanced yet.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the defect. Otherwise, if I am attracted, Hare Kṛṣṇa, for my livelihood I can do anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anything, yes. I've seen in India, many of our members, they are able to do their pūjā in the morning with an undisturbed mind and then do business.

Prabhupāda: Yes. All Marwaris do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Be ruthless as anything.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are ruthless as anything during the day...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they're very humble...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...in their pūjā. But our men, if they are ruthless during the day...

Prabhupāda: My father was doing business, and he was a great devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And you were also doing business during, when you were...

Prabhupāda: Yes, up to one o'clock, two o'clock, he was engaged only with his pūjā, my father. He was going late, at twelve o'clock, to bed. Then he was to... He used to rise little late, at about seven, eight. Then taking bath, sometimes purchasing. Then from ten o'clock to one o'clock he was engaged in pūjā. Then he would take his lunch and go to business. And in the business shop he was taking little rest for one hour. And he'd come from business at ten o'clock at night, and then again pūjā. Regularly. Actually his business was pūjā. For livelihood he was...

Hari-śauri: Just doing some business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: We were sleeping, father was doing ārati—"ding ding ding ding, ding."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You heard the bell.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Then he would take his night dinner and—not dinner. Some puris or paraṭā. He was also fond of this puffed rice. In later age he was simply taking puffed rice and milk. So, anyway, pūjā was his main business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet.

Prabhupāda: No, cent percent engagement in, that is hamper. There is no doubt. But to do business as a householder is not bad.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And practically, the position that our society is coming into now, I think it's actually... We should do it, because it will give our society a more balanced appearance. Otherwise they think everyone is beggar. But at least if they see that the brahmacārīs' business is begging...

Prabhupāda: Just like this Gauḍīya Maṭha has become. They have no other way of income except begging in different way. Now they have taken to this business, parikrama. They earn something, lump sum, by calling men to parikrama, and they pay, say, two hundred rupees. Out of, a hundred rupees they save, minimum, and that is their whole year's livelihood.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is not a good business.

Prabhupāda: They are... They have come because they have no books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One very good business that we are developing in New York is prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is a respectable business for the Americans.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Restaurant and prasādam carts, and we're getting good profit from it.

Prabhupāda: We can do everywhere the same.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here we're doing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, here also, in India. That is very good, honest.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And it's very spiritual. There is no contamination there.

Prabhupāda: Now in Hyderabad we have got the farm. We can produce ghee and grains and make restaurant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Hyderabad.

Prabhupāda: City.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Especially the location of our temple is so first class.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The center of the town.

Prabhupāda: You can have very nice center for restaurant. And in these cities they like nice restaurant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can compete with G. Polareddy.

Prabhupāda: No, he's a sweet man. He has no restaurant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are many hotels in Hyderabad.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Vṛndāvana hotel in our quar...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's a good... That will be very popular, restaurants, especially prasādam restaurant. If they know it is... If it is pure... Because I know. I was eating in many restaurants in different cities before you told us that we shouldn't do that, and people go there because there's nowhere else to go. But it's never that clean, nor is it very good. But the office people, they have to eat somewhere.

Prabhupāda: Formerly they used to be, because that was not restaurant. Restaurant in Indian style, they were selling paraṭā. In Delhi there are many. So those who were interested with paraṭā, they'll sit down and they will supply first-class paraṭā and vegetables.

Page Title:I found that our devotees who engage in business, they become a little spiritually weakened because we're not that advanced yet
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:18 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1