HARE KRISHNA SOCIETY | Sedro Woolley | Washington | USA
www.krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com
Hare Krishna To all
Obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
This email is intended specifically for those devotees who have a sacred thread draped over their shoulders.
The brahmana, by definition is supposed to be one who leads all others by instructions and practical example for material and spiritual life. All devotees of the Lord are wonderful and special , but those who have “brahmana brains” as Prabhupada puts it-should not be working 24/7 , hard like asses.
These emails I send out periodically are intended to help all of us devotees (myself included) who are struggling in this rotten material world-especially with the current economic turn of events. High unemployment, loss of income, loss of wealth, loss of homes, loss of families, loss of health, and loss of a spiritual institution that once was the glory of Srila Prabhupadas personal endeavor, is now the norm, both for the karmis and the devotees.
I know some of these emails I send out hit nerves of agitation is some devotees. Why is that? Is it because I am saying something which is offensive to them? Or is it because what they are hearing (the quotes from Srila Prabhupada) are just too hard for them to take? Or is it the because they dont like the way I present these quotes? I couldnt sugar coat the medicine enough?
Whatever the reason, please forgive me for I am just a humble mailman, walking his daily route, by reading for hours a day the books of our spiritual master Srila Prabhupada, and then sending out some of what I read thru the ether via internet. I began in this same way as a brahmacari some 35 years ago distributing the books on sankirtan, and now am doing the exact same thing, only thru the internet.
I am very sorry to see the current plight of some of my old and very dear Godbrothers and some newer ones as well who have become entangled in some web like net of working so hard , practically 24 hours a day minus a little sleep, all for just some paycheck.This very hard daily work of toiling for some material master is not the activity of one who possesses a “brahmana brain”.(see quotes below).
Rather this bitter struggle for material existence is the work of one who has been fooled by Maya. Its true we all have our own Karma to deal with-some of us are born very rich, some born not so rich, and some born with a couple screws missing upstairs. It doesnt matter. All that can be corrected simply by the application of the pure devotees instructions within our lives. When we do that , we become peaceful, satisfied and happy. And it doesnt even matter that our Ashram formerly known as Iskcon is now no longer in existence. Even that doesnt matter.
This process of chanting Hare Krishna mantra and living here is Transcendental to this rotten world and allows us to live here, if we understand it right, in a sane, peaceful, and healthy way, and at the end of it all go back to Home. We only have to hear , in a submissive way,the words of our spiritual master, thats all.
Some of us have large families to support, some of us have no families to support, but all of us have to worship the spiritual master and follow his instructions. And what are his instructions in this regard? He is not saying one should give up his job or occupation and just go live in Vrndavana (because we all know that is artificial), but what he is telling us is to NOT work like an ass in the process of maintaining ones family or personal self.
To work like an ass means to not have sufficient time to engage oneself properly and peacefully in the sadhana bhakti yoga process. To work like an ass means to not do ones duties for Krishna or His devotees properly, because he doesnt have enough- “time”. To work like an ass means to fill mostly all ones day with all kind of activites- but devotional service.To work like an ass means to not have enough time or even concern to reply to Godbrothers who care about us. Or to critize those Godbrothers who are preaching to us from our own Gurus books !!
Right now my personal material situation is very favorable for Krsna Conscious activity. Does anyone think this happend- just by accident? I have plenty of time to hear and chant and I am utilizing it, you can be sure of that.
Formerly, just a few years back, I had two of my children and wife living with me while I was in Seattle. At that time I had a full time business as a contractor/handyman. At that time, I found the “time” to go on Hari nama every saturday afternoon, (for years-even in the cold winters here) and the next day put on a full sunday feast program which hosted many local devotees and new people. Our temple room was usually always crowded. We also produced in one year, around 25 public access shows for our local cable TV station. We also observed all the major Vaisnava festivals as well as regular sunday programs. And more.
So I dont like to hear the excuse/reason from others that “I have no time”-because thats all it is. An excuse. If we are just a little serious then Krsna, the Supreme Lord Himself will help us in our material lives. I am no saint, and everyone knows it, but the above mentioned activities shows and proves these things CAN be done by an ordinary conditioned soul, such as myself. We only have to HEAR what Srila Prabhupada is telling us to do AND apply these instructions in our lives. Then we will get the good results, and that is a guarantee you can take to the bank–a good bank.
Ok now for some words…..from Srila Prabhupada…followed by some far out pictures of our kirtan parties here…..
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â–º750304mw.dal Conversations
The three divisions of God’s energies. One energy is His spiritual
energy; another energy–these living entities, they are also
spiritual; another energy–material energy, where there is ignorance
and work. That is material energy. In the material energy everyone is
ignorant and they have to work. Karma. Karma means working.
Avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya. So here you have to work. Without
working, you cannot get your… The things are ready, but you will
have to work. So they have increased the working capability. That is
civilization. Just like in the prisonhouse you have to work. Eh? So
they think this working is civilization. This is avidya. So therefore
they have created more work. From early morning, five o’clock, till
ten o’clock, simply working. They do not know that “This working is
our punishment.” But because ignorant, they think that “Working is
life.” This is called ignorance. He does not know, “This working is my
punishment. How to get out of this work?” No. To increase the work
more, complicate, that is civilization. This is called avidya.
Avidya-karma-samjnanya. Our tendency is not to work but get things.
Therefore he has asked that question. Because he has to get cloth by
working, therefore he asking, “Why God has not created?” That means
tendency is not to work. That is spiritual tendency. Everything,
necessities, automatically available. That is our… Therefore as soon
as one man becomes rich, he does not work. He gets his thing by
working others. The tendency is there, to retire from work. They go to
a solitary place. They retire. They do not go out. Weekly, at least,
they want to stop worker, working. So why this tendency? He does not
want to die. He does not want to work. This is spiritual. Why man
should work like… Therefore real civilization is that minimize work.
Minimize work, save time, and go back to your spiritual life. That is
civilization. And this is not civilization, to get the necessities of
life, sense gratification, and work like hog and dog. That is
condemned. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate
vid-bhujam ye. This human life is not meant for working so hard for
sense gratification which are done by the dogs and hogs. Human life is
meant: tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyed. Human life is for
tapasya. Why tapasya? Yena sattvam suddhyed: their existence will be
purified. Then you will get unlimited pleasure. Yato brahma-saukhyam
anantam. We are seeking after unlimited pleasure. So that is not
possible in this material life. And we are thinking, “By working very
hard, like hogs and dogs, we will get happiness.” This is… The dogs
and hogs, they work day and night for searching out where is stool,
and as soon as he gets stool, he becomes very strong and stout. Then
sex. Never mind, the mother, sister, daughter. This is hog life.
Therefore this particular animal has been… Kastan kaman arhate
vid-bhujam ye. Vid-bhujam means this hog, stool-eater. So this human
life is not meant for imitating the stool-eater hogs.
Ramesvara: Many people already have their jobs and their families.
Prabhupada: All right, let them not come, but those who are unemployed, let them come.
Ramesvara: But what…? For those people who already have their jobs, instead of…
Prabhupada: THAT JOB……THEY WILL BE VERY SOON JOBLESS. DON’T WORRY. (LAUGHS) THEY WILL COME. THEY WILL BE OBLIGED TO COME. NOW THEY HAVE GOT JOB,BUT AS THE DAYS ARE ADVANCING IN KALI-YUGA,THEY’LL BE JOBLESS.
Hari-sauri: So we can expect that material conditions are going to become very much worse than this.
Prabhupada: They may come or not. We don’t care for it. Let us establish an ideal society.
HERE BELOW, IS ONE VERY GOOD SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM
â–º751019mw.joh Conversations
… not that a brahmana should become very busy whole day and night
for getting food. So sastra says, “There is no use of becoming busy
for your food. Food is there already.” Food is already there. He’ll
get his food. That is arrangement by God. But they are busy fool. They
do not understand the God’s arrangement. Only for food they are busy
whole day and night like cats and dogs. Now this land is there. You
can… Everyone can grow food if he works for two months. Everyone can
grow his whole year’s foodstuff. There is so much land. But no,
they’ll not grow food. They will grow hammer, manufacturing it. You
see? Tire tube, then atom bomb, then this …
740606BG.GEN Lectures 206444/530501
So anyway, the whole world situation is degrading, that people are
not producing their own food. This is the problem, real problem.
Ksetra-ksetra-jna. This example is given. As every man must possess a
piece of land… Therefore this… Because it is very common thing,
this example has been given. Ksetra-ksetra-jna.
So as we till our land and gets foodstuff according to my labor,
according to my intelligence… Food grains I can produce once twice,
thrice, if I work hard. Generally, they work two times: three months,
three months. And those who are very lazy, they work three months. But
even working for three months, they can acquire foodstuffs for the
whole year. That I have seen.
Hare Krsna–anybody hearing what Prabhupada says??
some of us are….. chant and be happy—-and grow lots of spuds…..and dont be envious of those who do..
Damaghosa das
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