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Material reputation

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught that one should not desire material opulence or material reputation, nor should one try to enjoy material beauty; one should simply aspire to be absorbed in the devotional service of the Lord.
SB 3.25.37, Purport: These are all descriptions of the external energy of the Lord, or māyā. Besides these, there are other opulences which the yogīs can achieve by their mystic power. They are also material. A devotee does not aspire for all these material pleasures, although they are available to him simply by wishing. By the grace of the Lord, a devotee can achieve wonderful success simply by willing, but a real devotee does not like that. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught that one should not desire material opulence or material reputation, nor should one try to enjoy material beauty; one should simply aspire to be absorbed in the devotional service of the Lord, even if one does not get liberation but has to continue the process of birth and death unlimitedly. Actually, however, to one who engages in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, liberation is already guaranteed. Devotees enjoy all the benefits of the higher planets and the Vaikuṇṭha planets also. It is especially mentioned here, bhāgavatīṁ bhadrām. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets everything is eternally peaceful, yet a pure devotee does not even aspire to be promoted there. But still he gets that advantage; he enjoys all the facilities of the material and spiritual worlds, even during the present life-span.

SB Canto 4

One may desire liberation as well as material reputation. The householder can appreciate the results of sacrifices, which enable him to gain promotion to superior planetary systems.
SB 4.25.39, Translation: The woman continued: In this material world, a householder's life brings all kinds of happiness in religion, economic development, sense gratification and the begetting of children, sons and grandsons. After that, one may desire liberation as well as material reputation. The householder can appreciate the results of sacrifices, which enable him to gain promotion to superior planetary systems. All this material happiness is practically unknown to the transcendentalists. They cannot even imagine such happiness.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura sings: "My dear mind, what kind of Vaiṣṇava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation you are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a solitary place." In this way people who do not preach are criticized.
SB 4.29.1b, Purport: If one realizes that he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa but does not preach it, his realization is imperfect. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura therefore sings, duṣṭa mana, tumi kisera vaiṣṇava? pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, what kind of Vaiṣṇava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation you are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a solitary place." In this way people who do not preach are criticized. There are many Vaiṣṇavas in Vṛndāvana who do not like preaching; they chiefly try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. The actual result of their so-called chanting in a secluded place, however, is that they sleep and think of women and money. Similarly, one who simply engages in temple worship but does not see to the interests of the mass of people or cannot recognize devotees is called a kaniṣṭha-adhikāri:
arcāyām eva haraye
pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
(SB 11.2.47)

SB Canto 8

Śukrācārya stressed that one's material means of livelihood and one's material reputation, sense gratification and economic development must continue properly. Śukrācārya, being a person of this material world, did not know the principles of a devotee.
SB 8.20.2, Translation and Purport: Bali Mahārāja said: As you have already stated, the principle of religion that does not hinder one's economic development, sense gratification, fame and means of livelihood is the real occupational duty of the householder. I also think that this religious principle is correct. Bali Mahārāja's grave answer to Śukrācārya is meaningful. Śukrācārya stressed that one's material means of livelihood and one's material reputation, sense gratification and economic development must continue properly. To see to this is the first duty of a man who is a householder, especially one who is interested in material affairs. If a religious principle does not affect one's material condition, it is to be accepted. At the present time, in this age of Kali, this idea is extremely prominent. No one is prepared to accept any religious principle if it hampers material prosperity. Śukrācārya, being a person of this material world, did not know the principles of a devotee. A devotee is determined to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His full satisfaction. Anything that hampers such determination should certainly be rejected. This is the principle of bhakti. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam (Cc. Madhya 22.100). To perform devotional service, one must accept only that which is favorable and reject that which is unfavorable. Bali Mahārāja had the opportunity to contribute everything he possessed to the lotus feet of Lord Vāmanadeva, but Śukrācārya was putting forward a material argument to hamper this process of devotional service. Under the circumstances, Bali Mahārāja decided that such hindrances should certainly be avoided. In other words, he decided immediately to reject the advice of Śukrācārya and go on with his duty. Thus he gave all his possessions to Lord Vāmanadeva.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

If we accept the offerings of materialistic people, place them before the Lord and invite Vaiṣṇavas to partake of the prasādam, that attempt will gain us only a material reputation, not the actual benefit of service to a pure Vaiṣṇava.
CC Antya 6.275, Translation and Purport: “‘My consciousness is impure because I accept all these goods from people who are interested only in pounds, shillings and pence. Therefore by this kind of invitation I get only some material reputation.'" Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that people who are under the bodily conception of life are called materialists. If we accept the offerings of such people, place them before the Lord and invite Vaiṣṇavas to partake of the prasādam, that attempt will gain us only a material reputation, not the actual benefit of service to a pure Vaiṣṇava. One should therefore try to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead by fully surrendering at His lotus feet. If one engages for the service of the Lord whatever money one has honestly earned, that is spiritual service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

As for material reputation, there were many demons like Rāvaṇa who wanted to go against the laws of material nature, but they all failed.
Krsna Book 90: The master of the senses is Hṛṣīkeśa, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the senses should always be engaged in His service. As for material reputation, there were many demons like Rāvaṇa who wanted to go against the laws of material nature, but they all failed. One should therefore not take to the demoniac activity of claiming to be a Vaiṣṇava just for false prestige, without performing service to the Lord. But when one engages oneself in the devotional service of the Lord, automatically the Vaiṣṇava reputation comes to him.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

One after another, we are trying to have some material profit, some material adoration, material reputation. And therefore we are having different types of body.
Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972: Therefore we make some plan in this life, and my, this material body, this gross body is finished, that is dead, but my idea, in the subtle body, in the mind, it remains. And because it remains in my mind, therefore to fulfill my desire I have to accept another body. This is the law of transmigration of the soul. The soul is, thus, with his plan, he is transferred into another gross body. And along with the soul, there is Supersoul, Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. So the Supersoul, Supreme Personality of Godhead, gives him intelligence: "Now you wanted to execute this plan. Now you have got a suitable body and you can do it." So therefore we find that somebody is great scientist. Or a very nice mechanic. This means that in the last life he was mechanic, he was making some plan, and this life he gets chance, and he fulfills his desire. He discovers something and becomes very reputed, famous man. Because karmīs, they want three things: lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. They want some material profit and they want some material adoration, and lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā, and stability. This is material life. So one after another, we are trying to have some material profit, some material adoration, material reputation. And therefore we are having different types of body.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Yogis, they want mystic powers. Because if they can manifest some mystic power, immediately so many foolish person will be followers, and they will get some material reputation, position. So there is demand. And when there will be no demand, that is bhakta stage.
Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975: That is the bhakti stage—no more demand. The karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, they have got demand. They want something. The karmīs, they want promotion to the higher planets for sensual satisfaction, for higher standard of material living condition, karmīs. The more you are karmīs, you can live very high standard of life just like Europeans, Americans. They are big, big karmīs, big, big manufacture of machine, wonderful machine, and they get money-cost one dollar and they are charging five hundred dollars. You get money and good opportunity for sense gratification. So that is the idea of karmīs. They want higher standard of sense gratification, scientific method of sense gratification. They have got machine even for shaving, even for tooth brushing. So everything machine. The idea is sense gratification. This is karmī. And jñānīs, they have also demand: "I shall become one with God." Ekatvena. But the bhaktas, they don't want ekatvam. That is jñānī. And yogis, they want mystic powers. Because if they can manifest some mystic power, immediately so many foolish person will be followers, and they will get some material reputation, position. So there is demand. And when there will be no demand, that is bhakta stage. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "No more varam, Sir. I have taken much varam."

Festival Lectures

Vaiṣṇava means he doesn't want any material profit or material opulence or material reputation. This is not Vaiṣṇava's business.
His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977: Our Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he is Vaiṣṇava, cent percent Vaiṣṇava. And he was para-duḥkha-duḥkhi. This is Vaiṣṇava. He criticized nirjana bhajana. He has personally written one song, mana tumi kīsera vaiṣṇava. Nirjanera ghare pratiṣṭhāra tare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. Mana tumi kīsera vaiṣṇava. He has in long song... Pratiṣṭhā... Vaiṣṇava means he doesn't want any material profit or material opulence or material reputation. He doesn't want. This is... But in the material world everyone is busy for three things—material profit, material reputation, and material adoration. This is not Vaiṣṇava's business. Vaiṣṇava never cares for all these things. Vaiṣṇava is always thinking how to do good to the suffering humanity.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

As ordinary people, they are working so hard for some material gain, material reputation, these people are like that, in a different manner. This Satya Sai Baba, this Vivekananda, this, all of them, like that.
Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara: Prabhupāda: No aim how to make people understand about God. They have no such, neither they do know personally. Their only aim is that "If I become a God-man, if I can bluff, jugglery of words and this magic and..., then I'll..." The same material thing, pratiṣṭha. As ordinary people, they are working so hard for some material gain, material reputation, these people are like that, in a different manner. This Satya Sai Baba, this Vivekananda, this, all of them, like that. They want some material position, misusing their mediocre knowledge. That's all.
Page Title:Material reputation
Compiler:Laksmipriya, Labangalatika
Created:05 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=4, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:10