5 SIMPLE TIPS TO AVOID GAMBLING AS A REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE FOR KRISHNA DEVOTEES!
The four regulative principles recommended for the devotees of Krishna are:
Please Remember! The following four regulative Principles are the primary requirement for every devotee and failing to follow them will definitely delay the advancement in devotion:
(1) No meat eating : You can read the post about this HERE.
(2) No intoxication : You can read the post about this HERE
(3) No gambling : You can read the post about this here: HERE
(4) No illicit Affairs : You can read the post about this HERE
Out of them, we are going to read about avoiding Gambling as a regulative principle:
(1) WHAT IS GAMBLING?
A simplified definition for gambling, in my view is: “Whichever game/contest/profession that takes the money of others as a whole and gives them to a single person without the mental/ physical hard work of that person”.
I think, no one can refute this definition!
(2) WHY GAMBLING IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DEVOTEES?
Krishna expects us to work! Not to sit idle and earn without hard work!
Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita (3-30): “Perform your assigned duties (i) Surrendering all yr works unto Me, (ii)with full knowledge of Me, (iii)without desires of profit, (iv)with no claims of proprietorship, and (v) free from lethargy!”
What this means? We should do the duties assigned to us! THAT MEANS, WE SHOULD NOT DO OTHER PROHIBITED DUTIES TO EARN!
(3) WHAT IS MEANT BY ASSIGNED DUTIES?
Let us see a simple definition:
“Any work/ job/ business that is legal (Not this materialistic Governments’ rules! Rules of Dharma!) and that do not make others affected, is a permitted one! You must earn by serving others! Not by spoiling others!”
Teachers teach others & earn;
General stores/ Vegetables traders supply essentials & earn!
Doctors save lives & earn!
Security men secure the country/ & earn!
Weavers supply clothes/dress that saves our dignity & earn!
Druggists supply drugs & earn!
Farmers supply food for us & earn!
Milkmen supplies milk & earn!
Many people are serving the government to maintain the country & earn!
Thus, any job/business that is helpful others & you are naturally inherited or interested (Not by the compulsion) is considered as Assigned duty! Krishna supports such people who are doing assigned duties! These people have no barrier in Krishna Consciousness!
(4) EXAMPLES OF GAMBLING TYPE OF BUSINESSES?
But, the jobs that involves Speculation is prohibited by Scriptures! What are they?
(i) Gambling like Cards, Dice, Match fixing or speculation in Sports/ Politics about who will win this match/ election, etc;
(ii) Lending money for others for higher interest than that permitted by the government;
(iii) Lotteries (money of lakhs of people goes to a single person without works)
(iv)Share trading in unusual means (because it artificially increases the market rates).
(v) Real Estate becomes a gambling if you sell the price of the land beyond the guideline value of the govt. However, Exploiting in the Share Market & Real Estate businesses have become popular now, as this is kali Yuga! People create layouts on the land owned by Krishna, and claim that they are the owners! They fix rates whatever they want! They manipulate Krishna’s Property uncontrollably and hence most of the poor remain on platforms!
Gambling puts one into anxiety & fuels greed, envy & anger! Devotees should avoid T.V, Films, Sports, Useless Songs, etc
(vi) Betting the money on horses, games, news, etc.
Therefore, when there are hundreds of options for earning in permissible professions, why should we go to gambling/ Speculations that disappoint others?
(5) HOW TO MAKE SHARE TRADING AS AN ASSIGNED DUTY?
If you just invest in a share and sell it after a few months/ years without the intention of artificially increasing that share value, it can be compared to the bank deposits and hence can be added in the permissible trade, because you are considered as a partner/ shareholder, not a share player to exploit the market.
As an alternative, you can invest in the share market indirectly through Mutual funds or other funds. Since the player is the company, you are not the exploiter.
CONCLUSION:
Thus, you can earn from an activity that is legal and not misusing or spoiling anyone’s peace, happiness and money.
DO ANY PROFESSION THAT MAKES OTHERS TO LIVE & HAPPY, NOT THAT SPOILS OTHERS!
When you perform these duties as a service to Krishna and use a part of the earning for the service of Krishna it will definitely invite the blessings of Krishna.
Remember , one should avoid to use the money earned illegally or through gambling in the service of Krishna.
One can not purify the illegal money by spending a part for Krishna’s service.
Understood?