Paid men

Expressions researched:
" paid men" |"paid man"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The brāhmaṇa should give advice to the ministers or the legislators. They should be all qualified brāhmaṇas, not paid man. Paid man has nothing to do.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

That is kṣatriya's duty. Kṣatriya's duty is to give protection from injury for the safety of the citizen. The citizen must feel safety, that "We have got such a nice king. There is no fear of anything." It is said in the Bhāgavatam there was no anxiety. The citizens should feel so much safe, that "We have such a nice king that we have no danger at all. Not being injured, not our property being stolen or injustice given." That is the real government—when the citizens will feel completely safe. That requires kṣatriya. Not these cāmāra, bhangis, and śūdras voted and become the president and minister. That will not be successful. That is not possible. There must be trained-up kṣatriyas, then there will be good government. Trained.

They should be trained means they should be advised by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore four divisions required. The brāhmaṇas have no interest or they have no time. Even a brāhmaṇa is made king... It is not his business. He may do it for some time, temporarily. Just like Viśvāmitra also did. But it is not his business. The brāhmaṇa should give advice to the ministers or the legislators. They should be all qualified brāhmaṇas, not paid man. Paid man has nothing to do... Even during the time of Mahārāja Candragupta, emperor, he had a brāhmaṇa minister, prime minister, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He was not taking a single farthing as salary. When once explanation was called for from Cāṇakya Paṇḍita by Candragupta, immediately he resigned. "You cannot call any explanation. Then I resign." And he was living in a cottage, not that palatial building. He was living in a cottage. That was the system. Brāhmaṇa lived very humbly. He was not poor. Not that they are poor men. They were so rich that when Viśvāmitra approached Mahārāja Daśaratha, immediately he vacated his seat and welcomed, "Sir, sit down here." So respectful. This is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas would not accept any comfort, but the kṣatriyas would be very, very glad to give all comforts to the brāhmaṇas. In our śāstra, brāhmaṇa-bhojana, it is recommended that brāhmaṇas should be invited to take prasāda. Now they have manufactured daridra-bhojana or daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. They have made daridra-nārāyaṇa. But that is not Vedic culture. Vedic culture is to find out qualified brāhmaṇa, sages, sannyāsīs. They would refuse, but still they'll fall down, "Please come, take some prasāda." This is Vedic culture. Brāhmaṇa's position is very, very exalted. Now, since after the battle of Kurukṣetra, they have become brahma-bandhus. The example is here, brahma-bandhu.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, we cannot appoint. That is not. That is not possible. We cannot appoint. That is useless. Paid men is useless.

Room Conversation -- March 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I am conducting all these temples with the help of these foreigners. There, there is no Indian.

Guest: That's what will come in the way.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: That I've been telling Tamāla Kṛṣṇa also, that you should have some Indians.

Prabhupāda: No, should have, but no Indians are coming.

Guest: No, but then you should appoint somebody, you know.

Prabhupāda: No, we cannot appoint. That is not. That is not possible. We cannot appoint. That is useless. Paid men is useless.

Guest: Paid... Appointed does not mean that you pay them. Appointing can be honorary also. I don't say that you pay them.

Prabhupāda: So who is honorary coming. They are also honorary, but who is dedicating...

Guest: So you should have in India those people...

Prabhupāda: "I should have" means you, if you become "should have." Otherwise...

Guest: I don't mind becoming, or you can have somebody...

Prabhupāda: Nobody is taking seriously, Indian. So many years we are here. How many Indian-educated youths are coming? They are not interested.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

It is not possible to manage all these things by paid men. It is not possible.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. So as soon as... They wanted to start an ISKCON branch, and he was a...

Prabhupāda: I think it will not be difficult. Manipur is...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It will be very easy, because...

Prabhupāda: ...Vaiṣṇava. So if they understand, that will be very nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: All the, even the government participates so they wrote me a letter saying that they can give us nice land, plot,

and...

Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Now that Govindajī's temple?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Govindajī's temple is taken over by the government, so I talked to, I wrote a letter...

Prabhupāda: Government, they cannot manage.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are not managing properly.

Prabhupāda: They cannot. As soon as anything goes to state especially in India, goes to the government track(?), it is spoiled.

Government means all thieves and rogues. How they'll manage? They'll simply swallow whatever they get. Government means... They cannot manage, they are not devotees. It should be in the hands of the devotees. So (indistinct), the paid man, they want some money, that's all. How they can manage temple? It is impossible.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It becomes a political problem.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It becomes involved in politics. So that... Nothing to do with the worship.

Prabhupāda: The government should give to the hands of the devotee, we are recognized devotees, ISKCON. If they want, really

management. We are managing, so many centers, on account of devotees. It is not possible to manage all these things by paid men. It is not possible.

Devotee (2): No.

Prabhupāda: They'll never... They'll not... This movement can be pushed on vigorously so long we are devotees, otherwise it will be finished. It cannot be conducted by any outsiders. No. Only the devotees. That is the secret.

Devotee (2): You cannot pay a devotee.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee (2): You cannot buy a devotee.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible.

Devotee (2): You can buy someone to sweep the floor, but you cannot buy a preacher.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. So so long we remain devotees, our movement will go, without any check.

Devotee (2): Devotees should take over the world.

Prabhupāda: Yeah, that is... That is good for the world.

Well, we had sufficient but they are unreliable, paid men, so we're getting new men. But I don't think that's the difficulty with the management.

Room Conversation -- November 24, 1976, Vrndavana:

Indian devotee: These bedding materials and these mans for managing these..., sweepers and all. We are running short of mans. Of course we are trying to get short of man...

Akṣayānanda: Short of men. Cleaners.

Indian devotee: Cleaners and these mans...

Prabhupāda: You have got cleaners.

Akṣayānanda: Coming.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Akṣayānanda: Well, we had sufficient but they are unreliable, paid men, so we're getting new men. But I don't think that's the

difficulty with the management.

Prabhupāda: So you solve this difficulty. You answer. He has got difficulty. You answer him. So he has got difficulty.

Akṣayānanda: Difficulty is because we lost the caukidāra. The cleaner had to become a caukidāra, the man here had a new caukidāra,

so your cleaner is there?

Indian devotee: Yes, today he is working.

Akṣayānanda: And other men are coming, is it not?

Indian devotee: Ah, yes, coming.

Prabhupāda: So is there difficulty now?

Indian devotee: No, it is coming now. There are no difficulties.

Prabhupāda: So what is the difficulty, I do not find out. You told him and that is already done. And you also said there is no

difficulty, so why the other day you all came and there was difficulty?

Devotee (3): Well, it was not my, directly my difficulty, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (3): They have been small situations where other Indian devotees, closer to him, came to me with their problems.

Prabhupāda: So all Indians are here. Now say what is the difficulty.

Devotee (3): Well, some things like changing of our duties, changing of our services.

Prabhupāda: So why you change? Consult.

Devotee (3): Well, they're wanting change, Prabhupāda. And they were not satisfied with that change, so, and they wanted to remain in that particular service.

Prabhupāda: Change is no rectification. If somebody is not working he should be trained up. Changing is another... If he is a fool,

another fool will come. What will be the difficulty? You see? Change, of course, sometimes required but if you constantly change, the man is not trained up. That practice is not good. If somebody is not doing satisfactorily, then he should be trained up that "You should like this." And if you immediately change another that, that is not actually solution because all our workers, they are not accustomed to certain type of duty. They are devotee, after all. So still, we have to do something, so one man requires little training. But whatever capacity he has got, he is posted, so immediate change, that is not very good management. Let him be reformed and whatever inability he has got, he should be instructed and he should be... And this, all of a sudden change, simply go on changing, nobody... "Rolling stone never gathers moss." A "rolling stone" policy is not good. So what is the difficulty? Keep the stone in a place and it will gather moss. And if you simply roll, it will never gather moss. If the man who has committed mistake, he should be reformed. He should be instructed. Sometimes I show your cleaners by myself, "Do like this." Change them, immediate change, that is not good management, and to make him competent in that way, that is management. So this policy should be followed, not that because he has done something not correctly he should be changed immediately. That will not help. Now discuss this point.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually we can solve it ourselves. I don't know why they came to you in the first place because our whole business is to relieve you of all problems.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We should not think that if we are Indians we can have a special access to you.

Prabhupāda: So do, do. What is that? Ta...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we can do it outside instead of troubling you. We can sit down... Actually, I've already told them since I've been here yesterday that whatever problems they have, we can solve it ourselves.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Devotees, they have dedicated life to this. Where you can get such worshiper by paid man? They are after money. They are not after God.

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Devotees, they have dedicated life to this. (break) Where you can get such worshiper by paid man? They are after money. They are not after God. So it will be nice if they hand it over to us. We can take charge. (break) ...eternal propaganda.

Simply unnecessarily, paid men are there for cutting vegetables. They have got so much... Means management is a rascal. Our men are idle, and they're bringing paid men to cut vegetables and paying two hundred rupees.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dhanañjaya: And so these handlooms are available, but along with the looms you must have expert weavers, handloomers.

Prabhupāda: So why you are bothering if you have no expert? You have to find out expert weaver. Why? We are not for industry. Why should we divert our attention unnecessarily?

Dhanañjaya: But you did mention previously that our ISKCON ladies, if they so desire, they can learn.

Prabhupāda: If they are idle, then you can give engagement. Otherwise don't bring engagements. If they are idle—there is no work—give them. Not that you bring engagement and then... We want to be free from engagement, but if there is idle men, doing nothing, give them engagement. Now that we have got so many work. Simply unnecessarily, paid men are there for cutting vegetables. They have got so much... Means management is a rascal. Our men are idle, and they're bringing paid men to cut vegetables and paying two hundred rupees. This is management. First of all, whatever business is already there, engage them. Then bring further engagement. Now he has understood the situation. Do it very carefully. Don't make plan for squandering money. There are so many engagements. They're not doing anything. They're bringing one paid man to do the work. and you are finding out another engagement. Apply some brain.

1967 Correspondence

For typing, Satsvarupa is always ready and therefore there is no need of employing a paid man.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 11 October, 1967:

As advised by you I am writing separately to Hayagriva about the manuscript of Gitopanisad. For typing, Satsvarupa is always ready and therefore there is no need of employing a paid man

1974 Correspondence

I have heard from the authorities of the Rama Krishna Mission that their charitable dispensaries of hospitals are mostly run by paid men, as formally no intelligent medical practitioner was joining them to run it on.

Letter to Dr. Ghosh -- Bombay 17 November, 1974:

Regarding the charitable dispensary, I am not very much enthusiastic for this enterprise because nowadays to keep a proper dispensary pushing on requires much attention and money also. I have heard from the authorities of the Rama Krishna Mission that their charitable dispensaries of hospitals are mostly run by paid men, as formally no intelligent medical practitioner was joining them to run it on.

Therefore I may suggest that if you are really inclined to retire, you are welcome to live with us. We have got three very nice places in India in Bombay, Vrindaban, and Mayapur. We have spent many lakhs of rupees for constructing these centers, and if you live with us in any one of them, you are welcome. You can live with your good wife as vanaprastha, and when you decide to do so, we may maintain a small dispensary for taking care of our own men. But for the general public opening a charitable dispensary is not in our program at least for the time being.

1976 Correspondence

Yes, the management must be very first class. If required we can keep some paid men. Amateur management is not always efficient. I approve of your ideas for management. We shall get it passed by resolution meeting. I like the ideas.

Letter to Saurabha -- Bombay 23 December, 1976:

Yes, the management must be very first class. If required we can keep some paid men. Amateur management is not always efficient. I approve of your ideas for management. We shall get it passed by resolution meeting. I like the ideas.