Guru, sadhu, sastra. These can always be compared, and they should never contradict. The sadhus are the servants of the Lord. And the scriptures are the words of the Lord. They do not contradict because Krsna is the center of all of them.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => The Guru: Via Media to God
Abstaining from auspicious work is called akarma. Both vikarma and akarma are bad.
Those who are addicted to akarma and vikarma are outcastes, ostracized from the four varnas and asramas of the varnasrama system.
Jaiva Dharma 3:
Surrender to Krsna means to become spiritually active. Sometimes the Mayavadi philosophers, they think that when we become Brahman realized, we become one with the Supreme; then all our activities stop. No, that is (not) the fact. The fact is we are now materially active, and when we finish our material activities, then our spiritual activity begins. You cannot make the living entity as inactive. That is not possible, because we are living; we are not stone. How I can be inactive? That is not possible. Inactivity is for the stones and irons. But we are not stones and irons. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. These Mayavadi philosophers, they think to stop activity is the highest perfection. No. Our philosophy is stop foolish activities and begin real activities. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not stopping activity. Therefore we are engaging our devotees in so many activities. They are all spiritual activities. Spiritual activity is known as bhakti.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976
Of course, you cannot stop karma. That is not possible. Not that everyone will become Krsna conscious and your field of activities will be stopped. No. And Krsna consciousness does not mean to stop the activities -- some group of lazy people. No. We are the most active people, touring all over the world. Who can become a karmi like us? In this old age I am traveling all over the world. Can any karmi do that? So if you become Krsna conscious, then karma, jnana, yoga, everything becomes perfect. That is Krsna consciousness. Just like if you get one lakh of rupees, ten rupees is there. You haven't got to separately to acquire ten rupees. Similarly, karma, jnana, yoga, they are ten rupees, twenty rupees, fifty rupees, like that. And Krsna consciousness is one lakh of rupees. As soon as you get Krsna consciousness, you'll get everything. Therefore Krsna says sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66], you'll get everything there.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975
Generally, the practitioner of bhakti naturally has no desire to perpetrate vikarma, immoral sinful activities, or akarma, the disregard of his material duties.
Jaiva Dharma 19
By executing one's occupational duties, acting with detachment and without a sense of proprietorship or false egoism, one is posted in one's constitutional position by dint of complete purification of consciousness, and by thus executing so-called material duties he can easily enter into the kingdom of God.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.32.6
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, one of the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya, was the son of a very rich man. Although he had no interest in enjoying material happiness, when he was entrusted with doing something in managing the state, he did it perfectly. Srila Gaurasundara advised him, "From within, keep yourself and your mind completely aloof, but externally execute the material duties just as they need to be done." This transcendental position can be achieved by devotees only, as described in the Bhagavad-gita: while others, such as yogis, try to control their senses by force, devotees, even though possessing full sensory powers, do not use them because they engage in higher, transcendental activities.
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 4.12.14
People are actually confused as to what is work (karma) and what is not work (akarma). Krsna here indicates that even great scholars (kavayah) are bewildered about the nature of work. It is necessary to know which activities are genuine and which are not, which are bona fide and which are not, which are prohibited and which are not. If we understand the principle of work, we can become free from material bondage. It is therefore necessary to know how to conduct work so that when we leave the material body we will no longer be forced to take another but will be free to enter into the spiritual sky. The principle of proper work is clearly stated by Sri Krsna in the last verse of the
Eleventh Chapter:
mat-karma-krn mat-paramo
mad-bhaktah sanga-varjitah
nirvairah sarva-bhutesu
yah sa mam eti pandava
"My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contamination of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me." (Bg. 11.55)
This one verse is sufficient for understanding the essence of Bhagavad-gita. One must be engaged in "My work." And what is this work? It is indicated in the last instruction in Bhagavad-gita in which Krsna tells Arjuna to surrender unto Him
>>> Ref. VedaBase => RV 8: Action in Knowledge of Krsna
Note:
We can clearly understand that Bhakti Vinod Thakura spoke of Akarma pertaining to the Mayavadis understanding of work that is cessation of all activities and being situated in Bhraman. Akarma spoken by Srilaprabhupada was complete surrender of all pious and impious furtive activity that produces results to Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada does explicitly explain the difference of Akarma in terms of impersonalism and Akarma in terms of Bhakti. Srila Prabhupad cleary rejects akarma in terms of impersonalism as rejected by Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura and accepts akarma in terms of complete surrender of all pious and impious activity that produces furtive results to Krsna.
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