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Idle brain is a devil's workshop

Expressions researched:
"idle brain is a devil's workshop" |"idle brain is devil's workshop" |"idle brain will be devil's workshop" |"idle brain will be a devil's workshop" |"brain will not be a devil's workshop" |"idle brain, devil's workshop" |"idle brain is the devil's workshop"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

It is said that an idle brain is a devil's workshop because a person who cannot think in the right way must think of something which may bring about disaster.
SB 2.2.7, Purport: In the Vedas it is said that persons who are attached to demigods to the exclusion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are like the animals who follow the herdsman even though they are taken to the slaughterhouse. The materialists, like animals, also do not know how they are being misdirected by neglecting the transcendental thought of the Supreme person. No one can remain vacant of thought. It is said that an idle brain is a devil's workshop because a person who cannot think in the right way must think of something which may bring about disaster. The materialists are always worshiping some minor demigods, although this is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20). As long as a person is illusioned by material gains, he petitions the respective demigods to draw some particular benefit which is, after all, illusory and nonpermanent. The enlightened transcendentalist is not captivated by such illusory things; therefore he is always absorbed in the transcendental thought of the Supreme in different stages of realization, namely Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. In the previous verse it is suggested that one should think of the Supersoul, which is one step higher than the impersonal thought of Brahman, as it was suggested in the case of contemplating the virāṭ-rūpa of the Personality of Godhead.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If they are unemployed, idle brain, then idle brain will be devil's workshop.
Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973: Secular state means the state must be very vigilant whether everyone is doing his duty, everyone is employed in his duty; and if everyone is not employed, it is the duty of the government to see. He must be employed. A brāhmaṇa is employed, a kṣatriya is employed, a vaiśya is employed. Otherwise, if they are unemployed, idle brain, then idle brain will be devil's workshop. That is happening. Because everyone is not employed, they have discovered machine, and the machine is working hundred men's work. So actually, a hundred men are unemployed. So the machine has not improved the situation.
If you cease to work, then idle brain will be a devil's workshop.
Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966: Karma means work. One should not think that "Because I am not this body, so I shall cease to work." No. You cannot cease to work. If you cease to work, then idle brain will be a devil's workshop. No. We have to work. So therefore the Lord says, "The technique of acting on the spiritual platform is that you have your right to act. You have your right to act according to your position." But, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana: "But you should not desire to enjoy the fruit of your activity." That is the technique.
It is the duty of the government to see that nobody is unemployed. Then it will be devil's workshop.
Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974: First of all it is the business of brāhmaṇa to understand. So if you cannot understand, then you do the business of kṣatriya. If you cannot do that, then do the business of a vaiśya. And if you cannot do that, then remain as a worker. Assist others. Assist the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya. So everyone will be engaged. And it is the duty of the government to see that nobody is unemployed. Then it will be devil's workshop. There will be so much movement, Communist movement, this movement, that movement, because everyone is not employed. The unemployment, devil's workshop, that is breeding so many isms and that... Otherwise, if anyone is engaged into work, his brain will not be a devil's workshop. He will work something.
If the child is given some engagement, some playthings, and if his attention is diverted there, then he'll stop mischief-making in the house. Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop.
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966: Child is playing all day and doing mischief in the house, and... So he cannot be stopped mischief-doing. He must be given some engagement. If he's given some engagement, some playthings, and if his attention is diverted there, then he'll stop mischief-making in the house. Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. He will go on, go on. So therefore we must have spiritual engagement. Simple understanding that "I am spirit soul" will not help me.
Just like it is said, "An idle brain is a devil's workshop." So if we have no good engagement, then you will have to engage yourself in something nonsense.
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969: By nature we are living entities, we must act. It is not possible to stop activities. So just like it is said, "An idle brain is a devil's workshop." So if we have no good engagement, then you will have to engage yourself in something nonsense. Just like child, if he's not engaged in education, he becomes a spoiled child. Similarly, our two business: either material sense gratification or Kṛṣṇa consciousness or bhakti-yoga or yoga. So if I am not in yoga system, then I must be in sense gratification. And if I am in sense gratification, there is no question of yoga.
Kṛṣṇa says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good." "Idle brain is a devil's workshop."
Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975: Karma is better then vikarma. The... Kṛṣṇa says that "You must be engaged in some work. You cannot sit idle. That is not good." "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." Kṛṣṇa never said that "My dear Arjuna, you are My first-class devotee. Now you sit down and I'll do everything for you." No. Kṛṣṇa never said. Rather, Arjuna was not willing to fight, and Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You must fight. You must fight." Kṛṣṇa never said that "You become idle kṛṣṇa-bhakta," never said.
Everyone must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop.
Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973: Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gītā gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

You cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop. Yes. Then you will fall down.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974: We must work for Kṛṣṇa's sake. We shall go to the Kṛṣṇa's temple, or we shall go for selling Kṛṣṇa's books, or meeting some Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is nice. But you cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop. Yes. Then you will fall down, "How to go to that woman? How to go to that man?" If you stop working, then you have to work again to sense gratification.
You have to work. Therefore idle brain is devil's workshop. If you are sitting idly, then brain also will work, mind also will work.
Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975: Child is always restless. Similarly... "Child is the father of man." One who becomes father, the same restlessness because that is the nature. Na hi dehavān akarma-kṛt. So if you are not engaged in good work, then you must act badly. That is natural. You have to work. Therefore idle brain is devil's workshop. If you are sitting idly, then brain also will work, mind also will work. The bodily function will go. So if you don't engage yourself in good work, then you must be engaged in bad work. And if you are not engaged in good work and if you are engaged in... There are two things, good or bad. So in one of them we must be engaged.
Whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."
Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976: Even for shaving your cheek you require a machine. So this increasing the artificial necessities of life is possible when there is no higher thought. After all, we are thoughtful. We have got better consciousness in the human form of life than the animals. Our consciousness is developed. But because in this age, material world, we have no spiritual idea, so whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Naturally when one man becomes idle, idle brain is the devil's workshop.
Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 4.13.48 to SB 4.14.11 -- January 18, 1972, Jaipur: Prabhupāda: Practically all over the world a class of men, a priestly class of men, they have made it a means of earning livelihood, temple achar(?), taking money from people and enjoying, and then become drunkard. In your country, five thousand drunkard priests were consolidated in a hospital for treatment. They're getting money. So there is possibility, we are opening temples, public is contributing. But if we become easy-goer, "Now money is coming, let us eat sumptuously and eat, eat and sleep, and if possible drink also." But, of course, we are restricting. But naturally when one man becomes idle, idle brain is the devil's workshop. So if he can get... Just like rich man's son, they become. Everyone has got experience in every country. When he has no difficulty to get money, then what he will do? He will simply drink or invent some means of intoxication, naked dance.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Idle brain is a devil's workshop. If they're not directed, then think like devil.
Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: Yes. Idle brain is a devil's workshop. If they're not directed, then think like devil. We are thinking rightly because we are taking direction from Kṛṣṇa, the most perfect. Therefore our thinking has meaning. And what is the value of their thinking? It has no value. Now we are thinking... Just like, take the first instruction, that within this body there is the proprietor of the body. You can go on thinking: "Then am I this body?" So you can think on your finger. "I am this finger?" The answer from the within will come: "No, you are not finger. It is your finger. It is your finger. You are not finger." If I am finger, then if I cut my finger, why shall I not die? If I am finger? Therefore it is my finger. Just like I'll never think that I am this stick. It is my stick. That is thinking. That is thinking. If I wrongly think that I am this body, then your whole thinking process is wrong and they are thinking like that, that we are this body.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Idle brain is devil's workshop. And the devil is kāminī-kāñcana, woman and money. This is devil.
Morning Walk -- March 12, 1974, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Then... The first thing is that we should see that everyone is engaged. How he should be engaged, that requires leadership. But the first business is to engage everyone. Nobody should be without engagement. Then it will be idle worse, works... What do you call? Idle brain is devil's workshop. And the devil is kāminī-kāñcana, woman and money. This is devil. So if you remain idle, then you shall think of devil. So we should see that everyone is engaged properly. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. [break] ...instruction in this connection is very important. Everyone should be trained as Vaiṣṇava. At the same time, he should work in different position for management. So if our men are not prepared—Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja—for doing the plowing work, then what is the use of purchasing land?
Because they have created this machine, not everyone is employed, so he must become a hippie. Idle brain is a devil's workshop.
Morning Walk -- May 27, 1974, Rome: Prabhupāda: Yes. By spinning thread, then you make cloth. Without any price. You grow your cotton and have your cloth. So by machine, they have created so many idle brain, and therefore hippies are coming out, problem. This is the result of this. Because they have created this machine, not everyone is employed, so he must become a hippie. Idle brain is a devil's workshop.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

They are manufacturing independence. "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." This human psychology is the same everywhere.
Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach: In America the boys are rich man's son, and therefore so many boys are not working. They have got easy income, and they are not working. And because there is no proper work, they are becoming hippies. They are manufacturing independence. "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." This human psychology is the same everywhere. In India many rich men's son, until he has spoiled his father's whole money, he is restless. And when he is turned to a beggar, then he is satisfied. I have seen many, spoiling father's money like anything, and the same man, when he is beggar in the street, he feels happy.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. You should not remain idle. Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books.
Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: But I will arrange with Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja that we should have classes every morning.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, idle brain, devil's workshop. You should not remain idle. Either chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or read books. Have class. This is not good.
"Idle brain, devil's workshop."
Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura: Prabhupāda: And engagement. Yaśodāmāyi was doing that, even she is the queen of Nanda Mahārāja, what to speak of other women. Churning milk, grinding the wheat, this is their household. We have got that picture. Full engagement. Otherwise gossiping...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Trouble.

Prabhupāda: Trouble. And whisping for laugh. That's all. (laughs) Whisping or whispering?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whispering.

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) "Idle brain, devil's workshop."

Correspondence

1977 Correspondence

Householders must do something, not sit idly, for an idle brain is the devil's workshop.
Letter to Nityananda: -- Bombay 12 April, 1977: Yes, if our householders cannot distribute books, then let them live in the farm communities. They can produce thread for cloth, spinning, and other such activities. But they must do something, not sit idly, for an idle brain is the devil's workshop.
Page Title:Idle brain is a devil's workshop
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Archana
Created:30 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=7, Let=1
No. of Quotes:19