How to be successful in devotion and material business simultaneously?
“A Male devotee” asked like this:
“hare krishna. apke chrno me prnaam. how a person can have n do love with krishna while doing material job for earning the money.. pls advise..”
REPLY:
We can not quit doing material business just because we are doing devotional service. Because, even for Lord’s service, we have to use material things. But, when we apply all the materials in the service of Lord, they become favourable for our devotional growth.
This is not a tough task. The message of Bhagavad Gita is that only. Krishna never tells us to skip our material duties. He beautifully and uniquely gives us the process of making all our material duties as HIS SERVICE.
(How can a student excel in devotion and studies simultaneously? READ HERE!)
That is why, Bhagavad Gita is a text book for all those who like to succeed in both material and spiritual lives. It is not just a spiritual guide for a certain religion only. It is applicable for the whole mankind even to run their day to day lives and also their professional lives also.
I have a library in which I have almost all topics of Spiritual books as they will help in preaching comparatively and to face typical questions from other religions/ classes also. I have read almost all those books atleast once though I might not have not mastered in them. But, in my experience, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY ONE COMPARABLE TO BHAGAVAD GITA. It is Unique of its kind.
Bhagavad Gita has NO MATCHES. Tips for a whole life within just 700 slokas. It is like an ALL-IN-ONE Capsule. Each and every sloka is LIFE CHANGING ONE. It is the formula for Perfect Life.
So, Please read ‘Bhagavd Gita’ translated and purported by Srila Prabhupada. Start from the beginning. In the chapter KARMA YOGA, Lord Krishna BEAUTIFULLY explains how to make our material duties (svadharma) as His Devotional Service.
Bhagavad Gita is a Guide to make us WORK, not to quit our works. For example, Arjuna feared for the loss of his kiths and kins and teachers in the battle field. He thought that BY QUITTING THAT WAR, he can avoid sins. We too will think like that only, if we are in his position. But, Krishna DID NOT ENCOURAGE him to quit the war.
He advised him to perform his SVADHARMA, because, FIGHTING THE WAR is the svadharma for KSHATRIYAS. By doing his svadharma, he will not incur sins. And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, Krishna advised Arjuna to FIGHT THE WAR as KRISHNA WANTED HIM TO FIGHT. Since Arjuna fought war as said by Krishna, he in fact served Krishna by fighting.
Apply the same in your life. Choose only the jobs that are not prohibited by the scriptures. Then perform your duties, by dedicating their fruits to Krishna.
(Is working hard and earning more to serve Krishna a fruitive activity? READ HERE!)
If you are working, spend a part of your earning for Poor temples, Poor devotees, for preaching Krishna Consciousness, or, helping those who are already preaching, temple projects, etc. By doing so, you can purify your earning. Make your working spot as the serving spot of Krishna by chanting the Lord’s Names whenever you get a break in your job. Talk to your friends in the work spot about Krishna. Distribute the books on Krishna to them and make them to do the same. Thus, you have made your JOB as the Service for Krishna.
Let me give my example as a ‘case study’ for being successful in devotion and material business so that this technique can be easily understood (I have already explained this). After the Covid Lockdowns, I am working from home. I am keeping copies of Bhagavad Gita at the corner of my table. I have kept a large Krishna (Mukund, that is our profile picture) photo in two places around my table. A big Mukund Picture (2.5 feet high) is there even at the entrance of my house. Whenever a person comes, he will be forced to see Krishna’s photo and Bhagavad Gita. Many of them will start their discussion about Krishna. I too will speak to them about Krishna Consciousness and distribute some books of Srila Prabhupada on the spot with special discount that is borne by me from my earning.
Thus, every month, atleast a few new persons get the exposure to the books of Srila Prabhupada. To do this service, I do not go to the forest and I do not quit my working. I have also made preaching and horoscope services itself as my work for living. I am also making some contribution to the temples and distressed people every month.
(How to serve Krishna through our job or business of earning money? READ HERE!)
This way, I am making my job as Service to Krishna. I am trying to serve the Lord in my own set up. So, what is the problem in doing our duties?
This is what Krishna advised. By following His advices, we can make our home and work spot as temple and be successful in devotion and material business simultaneously.
So, you too follow this method in your job. In addition to this, do chanting sincerely every day, follow a disciplined life and start to take Prasadam only. If you take these combined efforts, performing Krishna Consciousness process is very enjoyable and blissful. Nothing can match it in this material world.
So, work and earn in an ethical way. Spend a part of your earning and time for Krishna’s service. Try to become pure by following 4 regulative principles and Chanting.
That’s all. If you follow this, you will be on the right track. You will feel the satisfaction.
Hope you are now clear about how to be successful in devotion and material business simultaneously.
(Loss of interest in job after following devotional practices! Solutions! READ HERE!)