Hare Krishna everyone.The reason I am asking this question is because I have noticed many rich or wealthy people suffering from depression problems and use intoxications such as alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana as stress relievers.Is it a fact that people who work hard for material gain will have to mandatorily sacrifice their spiritual happiness?Also, should human beings work within their potential/limits and not go beyond it for spiritual happiness?Your servant.

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  • Thank you for your input and please accept my humbled presence and thoughts on this topic 

    I'm concerned about the quality of your faith /understanding around God's dominion over all things at all times. Krishna is the super soul of all souls it's higher authority, hence to think that these people are acting independently of His authority is in my Monotheistic perspective Ludacris. God Krishna is known as "The supreme enunciate I.e. His talent for discrimination is most articulate So Mr. Stark for you to vent so despairingly is upsetting on so many levels. You see in fact, Krishna is the source of all karma so suffice it to say trust Krishna's judgment. And work on yourself, be pashunt pleasant and honest. And think of the GodHeads as the supreme puppeteers. See God everywhere controlling everything and if it happens that things don't work/move smoothly for you sometimes or with some people Sorry prabhu but "Look within" because God is the most perfect witness of our just disserts. thank you for your association & P.s.

     don't send that letter.

              

  • greetings Siddhant & all glory to your service, please forgive any offences and such a narrow and limited response.

    All work is the same" If it can be done in God conciseness and the results can be used in God's service.

    said Srila Prabhupada." So I think, it's the conciseness and not the work that lends to, or detracts from      ones ability to work hard and also be happy/stay fixed up in your confidence in God's awareness of            and good intentions for your life.  

    Thank you for sharing your question offering the opportunity to others to respond.  

  • To say material is separate from spiritual is certainly a misunderstanding. In essence nothing is separate. Nothing is not spiritual and all is Conciousness. Why do we impose austerities and deny ourselves certain portions of life.iit is to reach the end goal. Divine union. I see the material and for me it is but spiritual. Resisting desires will bring about be ventral detachment from them. Be in this world but not part of it. Assuming one is strong in his spiritual practice...intoxicants don't have to come with attachment and heedlessness. Money doesn't have to be bad. Simply use your money for good purposes. It's fine to have a goal to make a lot of money...but do some good with it too. It's the attachment and chasing after impermenant things that is the problem, not the item at hand. And anyone that speaks of spiritual bliss and they are always in some high ecstatic state is trying to sell you something. Peace or neutrality can be maintained. Which is different then pleasure. All pleasure and pain is temporary. material and spiritual are no different. It's just a matter of the degree in which you can see that. And it all comes from within. For the entirety of manifestation is in you. It is fine to work hard for your money. But in reality you are not doing anything. And it is not yours.
  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    Material happiness and spiritual happiness are two absolutely different things. Why is it that wealthy people have problems like depression (effectively problems which are made in their own minds)? They work very hard to earn the money and after earning all the money, they realise taht they are still unhappy. That is when they get into depression - not knowing what will give them happiness. A poor person is suppossed to be happier than a rich person, because the poor person lives in the hope that money will make him happy, rich person knows that money does not make anyone happy. It can provide comforts, that too to a certain extent. If the mind is not happy, the comforts also appear meaningless. That is why this world is defined as dukhalayam ashaswatam, nothing can give happiness in this world.

    Is it a fact that people who work hard for material gain will have to mandatorily sacrifice their spiritual happiness?


    Where is the question of sacrifice when they have not worked for it at all? They have worked only for material gain, after getting that gain, they are still unhappy. That is time for them to realise that this world is full of unhappiness and endeavour to look for real happiness, for the purpose of life.  

     

    For spiritual happiness, one has to stop hankering and lamenting. We are forever hankering after what we dont have and lamenting over the past or that someone has more than us. To stop hankering and lamenting, one has to be on the spiritual path. When we do devotional service, we go beyond our potential also at times, knowing fully well it is for Krsna.

     

    Haribol,

    Your servant

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