Question: What is the difference between material and spiritual?Answer: Does material mean here and spiritual means there? Thedifference between material and spiritual is a very thin line. When wedo something for ourselves, that’s material. When we do something forKrishna that is spiritual. So knowledge also or occupational skillsthat you have, if you use them for your sense gratification for yoursake, yes, then its useless. It’s not going to benefit you. It maybring you some money but it won’t really benefit you in the ultimatesense. But if you do it for Krishna, then it is spiritualised. Andthen, yes, it has a lot of value. So whatever skill you have, whateverability you have, whatever resources you have, make it a point to useit in Krishna’s service because that will be the ultimate perfectionof your life.Please try to remember that Krishna consciousness is not a part timebusiness. It is not a part time business that throughout the week Iwill do my own things and on Saturday I will come to the temple andattend the Sunday feast; and I have done a lot! No, that is a parttime business. Okay, initially that is fine. If you are engaged inthat way, initially that is okay. But Krishna consciousness is a lifelong commitment. Krishna consciousness is a twenty four hour business.If you really want to derive the benefit out of it, you have to becomea pure devotee.A pure devotee means that he is completely committed to Krishna. It isnot difficult. It is simple. You become Krishna’s, then whatever youdo becomes Krishna conscious. That’s as simple as that. Whatever youare doing, just do it for Krishna. If you are running your business,run it for Krishna. If you are taking care of your household then doit for Krishna. Consider that your house is Krishna’s temple. Considerthat your family is Krishna’s family. Then you are taking care ofKrishna’s devotees. Then whatever you are doing is becomingspiritualised.Question: It is stated that if you take one step towards Krishna thenHe takes ten steps towards you. So if out of many thousands, one mayendeavour for perfection, does Krishna from within as the Supersoul,help the devotee to fulfil his desire to perform loving devotionalservice or does the devotee have to endeavour on his own completely?Answer: Very good question. The very simple answer to that is thatyes, when you surrender to Krishna, then Krishna takes care of you.Then you are not alone. Then Krishna is helping you, because you tookshelter of Krishna. When you surrender to Krishna, what did youactually say “Krishna I am completely incapable, Krishna, I amcompletely incompetent, I am completely useless, I do not know what todo. So You please take care of me”. Krishna will say, “Okay fine. Iwill take care of you. But you surrender unto Me”. So you surrenderand Krishna will take care. So it doesn’t matter. Then thisconsideration of manusyanam saharesu doesn’t apply. If all the peoplesurrender unto Krishna, Krishna will take care. And that is the goodfortune that Srila Prabhupada has created for us. Previously thispoint was as rare as that; manusyanam saharesu. Out of thousands andthousands and thousands of people, one would become a devotee ofKrishna. But now, although it was so rare, Caitanya Mahaprabhu cameand gave it, “Okay. Become a devotee.”; direct opportunity. ThenPrabhupada came and took that mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu anddistributed it all over the world.Bhagavad-Gita – Part Two- Chapter 7 : His Holiness Bhakti Caru SwamiSouth African Retreat Day 1: 9th January 2009
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