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SHOULD DEVOTEE HAVE MATERIALISTIC GOALS ?

Posted by Ashish Sharma on March 15, 2011 at 4:49pm in Krishna

HARE KRISHNA !!

JAI GURUDEV !!

JAI PRABHUPAD !!

 

EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD SHOULD PRACTICE KRISHNA CONCIOUSNESS, GRADUALLY ONE WILL THEN PROGRESS IN SPIRITUAL PATH.

 

CAN A DEVOTEE OR SHOULD A DEVOTEE HAVE MATERIALISTIC GOALS ?

 

WHERE MATERIALISTIC GOALS CAN BE CONSIDERED AS SHORT TERM GOAL & GOING BACK HOME TO KRISHNA'S ABODE BE THE LONG TERM GOAL.

 

I AM SURE I WILL GET MY ANSWER HERE FROM ALL YOU GREAT DEVOTEES.

 

HARIBOL !!

 

LEARNER & YOUR SERVANT..

 

ASHISH SHARMA

 

 

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Replies

  • lalit Singh March 21, 2011 at 12:42pm
    A devotee has just one goal- to attain the service and love of lotus fees of shree krishna. nothing else. jai shree radhe. No need to think a iota of material things, they fall in place automatically when practices Krishna consciousness so our aim should be to just satisy the supreme lord shree shree radhey shyamsundar.
    • yuga_avatar_das > lalit Singh March 22, 2011 at 12:27pm
      No a devotee should not have ''materialistic goals'',however if he has a strong enjoying nature he should learn the art of utilising everything for guru and krishnas pleasure.Since the majority of devotees will endeavour to please guru  with there wealth,words thoughts,deeds and actions we are all united in a single goal usually.Technically this is referred to as yukta-vairagya,it is  the unique difference which Srila Prabhupada exceeded in.Thus he was able to establish Krishna conciousness despite so many impediments.
      • Volunteer
        Shravn Prabhu > yuga_avatar_das March 23, 2011 at 12:28am
        Yes prabhu, we can use our ability to make money in the service of Krishna by distributing prasadam and Promoting Nagar Sankirtana.... book distribution as a natural result of Nagar Sankirtana.
  • Anirudh Shetty March 16, 2011 at 9:18am

    I am of the age 22. Been fortunate to be in this movement since childhood. All through out devotees have emphasized that I should be strong in my academics. During 10th if I even showed my face in the temple they would send me back home- "Study!"

    They did this because they love me, because it makes Krsna and the devotees Happy if we put in our best efforts in whatever we do.

    Once His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj was asked should a Krsna conscious student study? He replied that a Krsna Conscious Student should be the best student! Why? Because he is studying for Krsna. Of course I have enver stood first, but i have earned fairly above average marks.

     

    So materialistic goals are there, which is needed to maintain your family. If you are a householder- as much as your daily practice of devotion, it is equally important to maintain your family.

     

    Just see that the goals do not take you too far away from Krishna. We may get a job which takes us physically away from devotees, or takes up a lot of our time. So in such case approach a senior vaishnava.

     

    Infact no matter what ambition you have, confide to a senior vaisnava, in whom you can trust, and you will slowly learn from him how to balance out you material ambitions and spritual goals.

     

    I will give you one example -

     

    I have a friend whose family runs a chain of vegetarian restaurants. He is very good in business, and he keeps expanding. Now how can he serve krsna when he has a desire to keep opening new ventures?

     

    Simple, now he gives out franchises. He maintains the current restaurants, and uses the proceeds of his profits as well as his time to arrange festivals for the Lord and his devotees.

     

    Everyone should no imitate his example. We all have a unique life, and in our own unique way, with the guidance of a vaishnava, serve Sri Krsna and his devotees. But we can take inspiration from other devotees how they deal with their material ambitions.

     

    I hope i have answered your question.

    • Volunteer
      Shravn Prabhu > Anirudh Shetty March 16, 2011 at 10:55am

      Hare Krishna Anirudh Shetty Prabhu,

      One of us has not understood the question.

      Materialistic goals means goals to make money or time or even spirituality for personal pleasure and not for pleasing Krishna.

      If we talk about materialistic goals to make money, would mean goals of making money for one's own pleasure and materialistic wife and not making money to use it in the service of Krishna.

      A materialistic millionaire gives a few lakhs or a spirtitual sadhu who owns ittle gives 10 rupees. Who do you think has given more? clearly the Sadhu.

      It is nice that this person owning restaurant franchises makes donations to help the festivals. Let him not forget who the real owner of all the chains of restaurants.

      He can spiritualize his whole restaurant chain by making only vegetarian food, served only after offering to the Lord. Use all profits, except a little (needed for his living) for himself in the service of the Lord.

      Anyone who keeps most of it to himself instead of offering most of the profits to the Lord is clearly a thief.

      Isavasyamidam Sarvam.......

      You sound like you have a Vaishya propensity, like myself, Instead of getting a job and taking work of a Shudra, you must create a company around Krishna Consciousness, where instead of putting workers to work like donkeys for 12 hrs, you create an environment where 4 hours of that is used in devotional service including daily Sankirtana.

      Then your whole company will become spiritualized.

      Then only your materialistic and spiritual goals will be none different.

      Such materialistic goals with spiritual ends are commendable. Materialistic goals to please a less intelligent wife of a devotees must be shunned. She will never be pleased. Like watering a desert. Tulasi Devi has a nice discourse on women.

      Best to focus on serving Krishna. In the end you will only get what is based on your karma, no matter how hard you endeavor for material gains.

       

       

       

       

      • Anirudh Shetty > Shravn Prabhu March 21, 2011 at 10:26am

        The example i quoted is of a person, who has vaishnava restaurants. Food without onion garlic, offered to Krsna and served to the customers.

         

        And he also helps organize Ratha yatra festivals and many others my personally investing his time nd money.

        Well I chose to answer the question about Materialistic goals by saying that it should be used in such a way as to dovetail it in the service of Krishna. The Family can center their lives around pleasing Shri Krishna!

         

        • Volunteer
          Shravn Prabhu > Anirudh Shetty March 21, 2011 at 12:07pm

          Hare Krishna Anirudh,

          Wonderful reply and your understanding of Krishna Consciousness is commendable at such a young age.

           

      • pyari kinkari > Shravn Prabhu March 16, 2011 at 11:45am

        hare krishna to all..

        all the things are right....

        all those things are to be done which sharpens your bhakti and prem for krishna..

        and all those things not to be done which decreases your bhakti and prem ras..

        no matter what are your material goals..

        on day your all material goals are lay down automatically when you reaches ahigh level krishna prem..

        then u hate your own body that i does not meet krishna because of this...

        material goals daos not stands then..only stands love....

        shri radha madhav

    • nimmi > Anirudh Shetty March 16, 2011 at 10:08am

      hare krishna prabhu g....

      very good and clear answer...........

      hari bol

       

  • bhaktin carol March 16, 2011 at 2:14am
    I am not good to write on this, but what I have understood is we can do things thinking for the Lord's satisfaction instead of our own.
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