Is the devotees doing business for profit good?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna sir, hope you are doing well. I am currently working on a food product business idea and I am about to launch it very soon. However, I am now in a state of confusion because I am wondering if the act of me running a business is as per what Krishna has in His mind or if I am right now a victim of Maya and am being pushed around by material desires.
At least on the surface, I don’t think I am doing it for greed because I am aiming to do it as a way to come up with food items that are safe and healthy for people. Likewise, I am doing it to use my Krishna given scientific understanding talent that I have and to honor and serve Him. However, I am not quite sure anymore because on the side, I am also having some intentions of making a decent profit so that I can take care of my parents in their old age.
Am I doing something wrong prabhu ji? Do kindly let me know. Thanks and Hare Krishna!”
REPLY:
The devotees can do business and earn decent profits.
No doubt in it. No need for guilt also.
(Remembering Krishna in a sensitive job. Alternative way! Tips! READ HERE!)
See, there are different ways of serving the Lord as devotees:
(i) If a devotee seriously wishes to fully dedicate himself to serve the Lord in the temples as a Pujari, preacher, book distributor, cook, etc, he can dedicate himself as a full time devotee. However, before doing so, you should evaluate yourself well, ie, whether you can dedicate full time till your lifetime. After evaluating yourself well, you can become a full time devotee.
(ii) You can also serve by working outside and supporting the temples or devotional services using part of your earnings.
(iii) You can also do business planning for genuine profits and spare a part of your profits to support the temples or devotional services.
Yes, doing own business may give you less time for devotional practices. So, you should take care of the following aspects while planning to do own business:
(i) Ensure that you need not work throughout the day. Doing business for a particular fixed time every day without affecting the devotional services is good.
(ii) Don’t work more than 10 hours a day. It will affect your health and quality of life severely. I got heart weakness simply because I worked till 1am or 2am everyday for this service and astro service. Daily 2 hours Sadhanas and 6 hours sleep and atleast 2 hours of free time with the family members are very important. Without them, the health will be affected. So, ensure them if you do any business.
(Managing devotion with the difficult jobs that occupy more time! READ HERE!)
(iii) Choose a business that does not involve meat, gambling, etc. The food business is good, but avoid non vegetarian foods. Hotel business, food products business like spicy powders, are ok. If possible, avoid onion and garlic in your business.
(iv) Keep your mind balanced during both the profitable days and loss making days. If you don’t have this balance, it will affect your devotional performance and even personal life. Bhagavad Gita can help you to keep your mind balanced.
(v) Devotees should avoid borrowing for any reasons. It will spoil everything in life. Instead of giving loans, they should give monetary support for genuine needs as small gift and then forget it. So, be careful in investments, money handling, loans, etc while doing business.
In general, working somewhere is good for following devotion. Because you can forget the job when you leave for home everyday.
In business, you should forget the business when you leave for home everyday. If you carry the thoughts of business even at home, it will affect the quality of your life, health and relationships.
So, the devotees doing business for profit is not wrong. Just proceed with your idea of doing business. You are not going to do any crime. But, do business carefully by following above suggestions and ensure that your devotional sadhanas and consciousness are not affected. Earn decent gains and support the devotional services using your gains/ earnings.
Hope you are clear whether the devotees doing business for profit good.
(What are the jobs suitable to follow devotion also? READ HERE!)