Material opulence means

Expressions researched:
"material opulence means" |"materialistic opulence means" |"materially opulent means"

SB Canto 5

Material opulence means riches, a nice family, a good wife and many followers, but an intelligent devotee doesn't ask the Supreme Lord for anything material. His only prayer is wanting to be engaged perpetually in the loving service of the Lord.

SB 5.3.13, Purport:

The priests were a little ashamed that King Nābhi was performing a great sacrifice just to ask the Lord's benediction for a son. The Lord could offer him promotion to the heavenly planets or the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us how to approach the Supreme Lord and ask Him for the ultimate benediction. He said: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He did not want to ask the Supreme Lord for anything material. Material opulence means riches, a nice family, a good wife and many followers, but an intelligent devotee doesn't ask the Supreme Lord for anything material. His only prayer is: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. He wants to be engaged perpetually in the loving service of the Lord. He does not want promotion to the heavenly planets or mukti, liberation from material bondage. If this were the case, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would not have said, mama janmani janmani. It doesn't matter to a devotee whether or not he takes birth life after life, as long as he remains a devotee. Actually eternal liberty means returning home, back to Godhead. A devotee is never concerned about anything material. Although Nābhi Mahārāja wanted a son like Viṣṇu, wanting a son like God is also a form of sense gratification. A pure devotee wants only to engage in the Lord's loving service.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

To be nirguṇa means to be bereft of material opulences because material opulence means an increase of the actions and reactions of the three material qualities.

Krsna Book 88:

if one directly follows the instructions of the Supreme Lord, as inculcated in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then one gradually becomes nirguṇa, or above the interactions of the material qualities. To be nirguṇa means to be bereft of material opulences because, as we have explained, material opulence means an increase of the actions and reactions of the three material qualities. By worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, instead of being puffed up with material opulences one becomes enriched with spiritual advancement of knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To become nirguṇa means to achieve eternal peace, fearlessness, religiousness, knowledge and renunciation. All these are symptoms of becoming free from the contamination of the material qualities.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Material opulence (in Vedic or Indian conception) means jewels, gold, silk, butter. Not plastic pots or plastic bucket, plastic cloth. It has no value.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

In India, of course, materially, five hundred, five thousand years ago, materially also, India was very opulent. Why five thousand years? Even five hundred years or four hundred years, India was so opulent that Europeans were attracted to go to India. Even during the time of Mogul Empire. It was so opulent. Those who have gone to India, you'll find if you visit in Delhi, the Red Fort. Red Fort you'll find there are pictures of birds and trees on the wall and the eyes of the bird is now hole or some parts. Means it was bedecked with jewel. On the wall there was decoration of birds. Just like we paint now. There is also paint. But that is not painting. Set up with stones, and the eyes and other parts of the bird, or trees, flowers, they are bedecked with different types of jewels. Now all these jewels have been taken away when British government was there, and they are now protected in the British museum. So far I have heard. But the jewels were taken away. That's a fact. Anyone can see that. So material opulence and... Of course, in India, it was not considered to have a big tin car or plastic plates. Material opulence means jewels, gold, silk, butter, that is material opulence. Not plastic pots or plastic bucket, plastic cloth. It has no value. So anyway, India was concerned material opulence, whatever is gotten from the nature, not by industry, not engaging oneself in industry. Therefore, India, the leaders of India now, they are finding that on account of our negligence to the material side of life, we have become poor.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

To become too much materially opulent means that is another danger.

Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:

This human form of life is the only opportunity to understand God. Cats, dogs, even demigods, they also, because their opulence, sense gratification, is so great that they have no time. Just like here in this world also, those who are too rich, they are simply after sense gratification. They have no time to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So to become too much materially opulent means that is another danger. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said therefore, jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. The expansion of material advancement... Material advancement means expanding the sense gratificatory process. That is material. The more you expand how to satisfy your senses, that is material. And the more we expand how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. That is the difference between material and spiritual. It does not mean that material stone, material, and spiritual means it becomes zero.

Material opulence means riches and good wife. For this purpose, śāstra recommends that you can worship Durgā. But, spiritual desire means to desire the favor of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

Now the Durgā Pūjā is going on. This is also recommended in the Vedic śāstra, that those who want material opulence... Material opulence means riches and good wife. For this purpose, śāstra recommends that you can worship Durgā. There are different purposes, and different demigod worships are recommended. But at the conclusion it is said that,

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(SB 2.3.10)

There are three kinds of men: akāma... Akāma means one who has no desire. Desire there is—not material desire. Desire you cannot kill. Desire must be there. We have to simply transfer the quality of the desire. Instead of desiring material opulence, we have to desire the favor of Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual.

General Lectures

Material opulence means to take birth in high family, possess great riches, great learning and great beauty. God realization does not depend on such material opulence.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968:

So God realization does not depend on material opulence. Material opulence means to take birth in high family, janma. Janma means high parentage. Then... Janmaiśvarya, and wealthy, great riches. These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences.

Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, aiśvarya means wealth, and śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

This materialistic opulence means fallen condition.

Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, but you are fallen. Who take birth in high family or in opulent, that is the fallen condition. That is not successful con... But they are taking, "This is success. I have got so much money. I have got so much prestige. This is success."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a fallen condition.

Prabhupāda: That is fallen condition.

Devotee: They think that is the success of life.

Prabhupāda: They think. They are foolish. They can think like that. Generally, that is... Not that devotees are not opulent. No, that is not. But this materialistic opulence means fallen condition.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The demigods are in a very opulent position also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But they are devotees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But they are devotees, not fallen.

Prabhupāda: They can fall. Everyone can fall. (break)