So we remain servant of māyā on account of my sense gratification. That's all. I remain servant of my wife because I want to satisfy my senses. I want to remain servant of my husband because I want sense gratification. Here is the disease. Everyone. Even the servant of the servant or servant of the dog (CC Madhya 13.80). Because I like it, a pet dog. So actually, instead of becoming master, we become servant. This is the fact. And servant of whom? Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. Servant of lust, servants of greediness. Kāma, krodha, moha, mātsarya. Servant of all these senses. Therefore one who is intelligent... There was a brāhmaṇa. He said like this: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am now servant. I have served so much." Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā durnideśāḥ. "I have served them so nicely that I had to execute something which is abominable." If you become servant of somebody, if he says that "You have to do it," your conscience does not allow you to do it. Still, you have to do it. Still, you have to do it. A man is stealing for family. He does not like to steal. Still, he is in need of money; he has to steal. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. This is study, study the psychological condition. When I become servant of māyā, even I do not wish to do something which is not very good, still I am obliged to do it. But the result is that nobody is satisfied.
Need of Money (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"more money than he needs"
|"need for money"
|"need money"
|"need of money"
|"need of some money"
|"needed money"
|"needing money"
|"needs money"
|"needs some money"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There is a verse, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, I am so satisfied that I have no desire to ask You." Why? Sthānābhilāṣi tapasi sthito 'ham:(?) "I came to accept this severe type of penance just to acquire the land of my father, or just desiring the possession of a few acres of land or any... But I have seen You. Who are You?" Deva-munīndra-guhyam: "Who is never seen even by the great demigods or great sages or great men by many years penances. Therefore my profit is that I came to search out some particles of glass, broken glass, and I have got the diamond. So what I have got to ask You? I am now satisfied."
So result is that even one is in need of money or he is in distress, as we'll find in the Seventh Chapter, that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, so even if you have got some desire within yourself, so the Bhagavad-gītā says, in spite of having that desire, you can worship Kṛṣṇa and ask so that in future your desires will be desireless. You will not ask anything because that is pure devotion. So we have to wait.
Saṅkīrtana means when we combine together, many persons, and chant and dance. that is called saṅkīrtana-yajña. So those who are engaged in the saṅkīrtana-yajña, they are also performing yajña. That is better than dravyamaya-yajña, dravya-yajña. Dravya-yajña, charity. Suppose one man has no money. Then his life is spoiled? No. In any condition we can execute this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. There is no need of money. Ahaituky apratihatā. This saṅkīrtana-yajña is so nice that it cannot be checked by any material condition. If one is interested, he can perform saṅkīrtana-yajña or the bhakti-yoga system, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), in any condition of life.
There are four kinds of people who approach in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So what are they? Arto arthārthī jijñāsu: those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, and those who are inquisitive, and those who are, I mean to say, searching after or advancing in knowledge, or wise men. So out of these four, the wise man is accepted very nicely by Kṛṣṇa.
So jñānī, when he makes searching after God, there is no question of being put into distressed condition or in need of money. They are searching after God for God's sake, what is the nature of God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. They are inquiring, inquisitive about Brahman, what is the nature of Brahman. They are called jñānī. And jijñāsuḥ, they are also within the category of the jñānīs. So the jñānīs and the jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, they are better than the ārta and the arthārthī. Ārta means distress, and arthārthī means those who are in need of money. So even being ārta or even being distressed and in need of money, we approach Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says mām. Not any other demigods.
Four classes of men, they become inquisitive to understand Kṛṣṇa or God. Ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. So ārto arthārthī, ordinary men, when one is in need of money, when one is in distress, they go to God for relief. But although they go to God for, with some motive, still they have been described as sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ, pious. Background is piety. Otherwise, nobody can go. And those who are duskṛtinaḥ, always engaged in sinful activities, they cannot go to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).
Everyone is busy to see God. Of course, it is not so easy to see God. But a devotee is not busy to see God, but he wants God to see him. Because just like if you are working in some establishment, if you are working very nicely, faithfully, than the proprietor will automatically see you. Don't try to see the proprietor. Work in such a way that the proprietor will be inclined, "Well, this man is working very nicely. Who is this man?" So that is our business.
That is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not that we go to God and beg our daily bread. That is also good because... That is good in the sense that the atheists, they do not even agree to accept the authority of God. Better than them, anyone who is going to the temple or the church and asking for bread or something, material benefit, that is good. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Those who are pious, whose background is piety, such persons, divided into four classes..." Ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī, four classes. Ārtaḥ means distressed, and arthārthī means in need of money. Ārto arthārthī. Or some material benefit. And jñānī, one who is searching after knowledge. And jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive.
These four classes of men, if their background is life of piety, they go to God to pray, "My Lord, my Lord, give me some money. I am very poor. I am very distressed. Kindly mitigate my distress." Or jñānī, they are searching after actually what is God. Or inquisitive, simply inquiring what is God. So there are four classes. Whose background is life of pious activities, they go to God.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
A man has got love for the beautiful girl. How long? So long (he) she is beautiful. That's all. And a girl loves a boy—for how long? Oh, so long his pocket is all right. So this is not love. This is not love. This is lust. I love your skin, I love your money, or I love you for some reason. Oh, that is not love. Here it is stated, "What kind of love of God?" Ahaitukī: "Without any cause." Not that, "My dear God, I love You because You supply me my daily bread." "Oh God, give me my daily bread." This is our prayer. Either in church or in temple, the same thing. In a temple also, generally people go, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am in difficulty. Please get me out of it," or "I am in need of some money. Kindly give me a million dollars." Like that. So this is not love of God. This is also very good, that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, er, Bhagavad-gītā: catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. If anyone goes to God for asking some benefit, he's also pious man. But he's not a devotee. He may be counted in the list of pious men because he recognizes God, the Supreme; therefore he is pious. But he has not developed the highest principle of religion, love of God.
People are generally, human society, there must be religious system. And they take to religious..., generally, people take to religious system for some material gain. Generally. Ārto arthārthī jijñāsur jñānī. Those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, they go to temple, worship the Lord. They're also pious. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ. They're pious.
Generally we go to temple, to church, or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive. Similarly, others also, they go to the temple, "O God, I am in need of money, I am distressed, kindly mitigate my distress, give me some money." There is motive.
Four classes of men who are distressed... One class, distressed, and one class who is in need of money, arthārthī, wants some material enjoyment, and another, jñānī, and jijñāsuḥ-four classes of men are interested in the subject matter of understanding God. But the condition is sukṛtina. If he is pious, if he is sinless... Unless one is sinless, one cannot be interested in God. The more we are sinful, we are disinterested in God. Why at the present moment people are disinterested in the subject matter of understanding God? Because they are all sinful.
Four classes of men. Those who are distressed, ārta, suffering... Everyone is suffering, but those who are acute with suffering... Ārtaḥ arthārthī. Those who are in need of some money. Artha, jijñāsuḥ. And inquisitive what is God. And jñānī, means actually those who are in knowledge. They are searching after. Four classes of men begin bhajana. Not the others. Opposite numbers are na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are duskṛtina, background is simply sinful activities, they cannot take.
Although in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ārtaḥ arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Four kinds of men, those who are ārta, distressed, arthārthī, in need of money, they come to Me." That is also good. But that is not the meaning of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. You have to execute religious system only to get out of the entanglement of this pavarga. That is the purpose.
We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month. In New York, we spend ten thousand per..., dollars per month. Or more than that. Similarly, on the average, we spend not less than ten thousand dollars per each branch. But we have got calculation. We, we are spending seventy thousand dollar, dollars per month. So Indian exchange means seven lakhs of rupees. So we need money. And we are getting money also. In Europe, in America, the process of getting money is not the, like here, that I go to any gentleman, "Give us some donation." That is not possible. You cannot enter even one's house without introduction. Then you are trespasser. If you enter anyone's house without permission, he can kill you. This is the law. And every door, there is signboard: "Beware of the dogs." So it is not possible to go and beg, "Sir, give us something." But fortunately, we have published books, about twenty books, four hundred pages each. And we are going on publishing. By Kṛṣṇa's grace, we are selling books, daily, twenty five thousand rupees. Therefore we are able to spend seven lakhs of rupees per month. So Kṛṣṇa gives. My Guru Mahārāja always used to speak that "Why should you go and flatter? You should speak plain truth, without any flattering. Money will come." That was his conviction.
Those who are miscreants, mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; and māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, and knowledge is taken away by māyā—such person never submit to Kṛṣṇa. But who submits? Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna Those who are pious, out of them, four classes of men, ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. Ārta means distressed, and arthārthī means need of money, jñānī means man of knowledge, wise man, and jijñāsu, inquisitive.
If you have got metal utensils, if you are in need of money, you can get immediately in exchange some money. There are pawn shops. So they will keep anything, a gold Banarsi sari, or metal utensils or ornaments, if you are need of... Village bankers. Immediately. Poor man... Suppose if you require five rupees, ten rupees. You haven't got, but what..., how to get the money? You take something from your household paraphernalia and go to the pawn-maker. You get money. You are now relieved from the present anxiety. Then again you get back. But what is this china, clay, the china pots and this plastic pot will bring? No, nothing. From economic point of view, this is also very good. So depend on nature.
There are so many siddhis. So we are not very much interested with these siddhis. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Because... Just like a rich man's son, He does not bother about earning money because he knows that "My father is very rich. So if I need money, my father will supply." Similarly, we take shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power. So if you want to see some aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and He'll show. Why shall I take so much trouble? Why? So people say that in the Western world, I have played wonderful things. But I did not know any siddhi. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He has shown. Kṛṣṇa is pleased that "For Me, this person has come to serve Me. Now see how wonderful it is."
As nowadays it is our system that the plate on which you eat, that should be thrown away... Formerly, people used to eat on golden plate, at least, the royal family, and after eating they used to throw away. Not for the second use. Just like India still, it is observed, earthen plate used, as here in your country, paper plate, in India, earthen plate-once used, then it is thrown away. It cannot be used second time. Therefore in rigid Hindu family, they don't use these china clay plates. They don't use. Because it is made of earth. So when it is earthen pot, as soon as you eat, it becomes contaminated. It must be thrown away. You cannot use for the second time. That was...
So this system was formerly even for golden plates. Once used, then it cannot be used second time. It is thrown away. And "thrown away" means some poor man will collect. So there was no question of poverty. The rich men, they eat once and throw away. Their servants or other poor man... Just like these brāhmaṇas, they threw away all these golden plates. Brāhmaṇas were not required golden plate, but they were given in charity: "Brāhmaṇas, you take." They accepted, but they thought it that "It is a load. Why should I carry? Throw it." So there were heaps of golden plate lying near Himalayan mountain. So Kṛṣṇa was given information, er, Arjuna was given information by Kṛṣṇa that "You go there and collect those golden plates. Then your purpose will be served." So Arjuna went there and collected and brought it to his brother, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, for converting them into money for spending in the sacrifice. So this was the system. Therefore Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means "one who can conquer over riches." His brother was in need of money, and he brought money. Therefore, from that day, his name was Dhanañjaya, "one can conquer over riches."
So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā, and there is no better method of worship than the system invented by the gopīs. So gopīs invention of worshiping Kṛṣṇa was to remain always Kṛṣṇa conscious without any material profit. That is the super excellence of (the) gopīs. They never expected any return from Kṛṣṇa. That was not their business. "Kṛṣṇa, we have done so much for You, You cannot give me this benediction?" No, they never asked like that. That is the first-class worship. "Kṛṣṇa, You take whatever you like from us, but we do not ask anything, neither we have any need." This is gopīs' worship. We have got everything to give You and we have no need to ask You. This is gopīs' worship.
Generally, they worship God, needy ārtaḥ arthārthī. Ārtaḥ means diseased, arthārthī means in need of money. People generally go to church (or) temple when they are suffering from some ailments or need of money, these two classes.
So when Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was in need of money for performing this aśvamedha sacrifice, so he asked his brothers, assistants, "Now we have spent all our money in this Battle of Kurukṣetra. You know the expenditure of battle. So I require money. So where is the money?" So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is is very much perplexed to secure money, so he asked his friend Arjuna, "You can go there, near Himalaya. There is huge stock of gold utensils, and formerly they threw it away. You can go and collect. Bring it." So immediately he went, and he collected all the thrown utensils of gold, and enough money was collected. Therefore Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means "who has conquered, securing wealth." Dhana means wealth. Dhanañjaya.
Generally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, people go to the temple and the churches or any religious..., synagogue, with a material motive. Ārto arthārthī. Generally they are in need of money or they are unhappy somehow or other, and they go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or according to their religious principle, and pray for material benefit. But that is also accepted as good, because they are approaching Kṛṣṇa, or God. But that is not pure devotion. If such material motive continues, then he will fall down from that devotional service. Because as soon as his distress is mitigated, he will think that there is no more need of worshiping. Naturally he forgets. Just like rich man. A rich man becomes rich not very easily, with great austerity either in this life or in the past. But when he gets money, he becomes extravagant and again falls down. Similarly, we may go to Kṛṣṇa in times of distress, but as soon as the distress is gone, we forget Kṛṣṇa.
Four kinds of men goes to worship Viṣṇu: ārta, those who are distressed; arthārthī, those who are in need of money or material benefit; jijñāsu, those who are inquisitive; and jñānī—these four kinds. Out of these, jijñāsu and jñānī are better than the ārta and arthārthī, the distressed and need of money. So even the jñānī and jijñāsu, they are not on the pure devotional service because pure devotional service is beyond jñāna also.
If one is in need of some money or need of some material necessities, and if he begs or if he prays to God, "Please give me," he's also considered as pious. But real religious system is to understand that God is great, I am His servant, I am supported by Him, it is my duty to serve Him. This is religion. This is called bhāgavata-dharma, to understand this philosophy, that God is the supreme master and I am His eternal servant. My duty is to serve God. That's all. This is religion.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
To attain Kṛṣṇa's service, that is not so easy. You can get liberation—if you want from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can give very easily—or any material opulence. But to give engagement in devotional service, that requires very sincerity. As it is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11). People, generally, go to temple and churches for mitigating some material wants. Ārto arthārthī. Jijñāsī jñānī ārto arthārthī. Generally, people go to Kṛṣṇa to mitigate some material distresses, ārto, or one who is in need of money.
"Further classification of the neophyte devotee is made in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is stated there that four classes of men, namely those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are inquisitive and those who are wise, begin devotional service and come to the Lord for relief in the matter of their respectful self-satisfaction. They go into some place of worship and pray to God for mitigation of material distress or for some economic development, or to satisfy their inquisitiveness. And a wise man who simply realizes the greatness of God is also counted amongst the neophytes. Such beginners can be elevated to the second-class platform if they associate with pure devotees.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Generally, in the material world everyone has necessity of gratifying his senses. So sometimes, under the cover of religiosity, they want to satisfy senses. The same thing... Just like one goes to church or temple to mitigate some material necessities. Just like the Christians go to the church for meeting the problems of bread; similarly, the Hindus or the Muslim, everyone goes to church, temple or mosque to pray something material: "God, I am very distressed. Kindly get me relief from this distressed condition." Or "God, I am in need of money, I am very poor. Kindly give me some money." Or any other, "I am now implicated in war." Just like Churchill, he introduced that everyone should go and pray for victory. So England was also praying for victory, and Germany was also praying for victory. So (chuckles) God is perplexed. (laughter)
So jñānī, there are two kinds of jñānīs. One jñānī is trying to understand what is the Absolute Truth, and one jñānī is trying not only to understand the Absolute Truth, but merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, they are also sukṛtinaḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. The beginning of bhajana, bhagavad-bhajana... If they are, if persons are pious, they can begin bhagavad-bhajana in four ways. Sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ means "whose background is pious activities." They can take to bhagavad-bhajana in four stages in life. Ārtaḥ... Ārtaḥ means those who are distressed; arthārthī, those who are poor, need of money; jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive; and jñānī. So the ārtaḥ and arthārthī, they are lower than the jñānī and the jijñāsuḥ. Because sometimes we go to worship Bhagavān in the temple in distressed condition, but as soon as my distress is over, I forget. Or if I get some money, I forget. There is chance. Not that always we forget. But because māyā is very powerful, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14), sometimes we forget. Very rich men, opulent, they don't care for what is God. Generally, we see at, in Europe and America, they don't talk of anything about God. They are busy only how to acquire money and enjoy sense gratification.
General Lectures
The primary principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have been briefly described by my disciple Śrīman Brahmānanda Brahmacārī. It is a very important science of God, understanding what is God. Of course, in every religion this conception of God is there. Simply by understanding "God is great" is not sufficient. We must have knowledge about our relationship with God. Generally, we take it for granted that God is our order-supplier. We take it that God is great because He... That is also not the conception of the atheist class of men. Those who believe in God, generally they approach God in distress, when they're in need of money, and somebody wants to study what is God out of inquisitiveness, and somebody wants to understand the science of God. There are four classes of men. They are called persons with pious activities on the background. Without pious activities on the background, nobody is interested in the science of God.
Guest (5): Yeah. What do these people do for a living? Only grow food?
Prabhupāda: No. Grow food for eating, and then they read all these books. They become spiritually advanced. That's all. Deity worship.
Guest (5): And did you need money?
Prabhupāda: Well, we get money. We sell these books also. If they require money, there is money also. But we live very simple life. Whatever little necessity of money is there, that we can gather by selling these books. Even in Indian parliament, the question was raised, "Wherefrom this ISKCON movement gets their money?" Some Communist member raised this question. And the home member replied, "They get money by selling literature." That's a fact.
| Page Title: | Need of Money (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas |
| Created: | 27 of Nov, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=29, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 29 |