Is using Hare Krishna Maha Manthra for material benefits correct?
A Student devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhuji.I am a student.I have been practicing krishna conciousness.doing 8 rounds of chanting daily.I have been preparing for National level exams.I am putting all the efforts possible from my side but still lack to get the desire result. In my previous exam I had put lots of efforts and prayed to lord Krishna but I didn’t get desired results.I was really broken that after doing so much and after praying ,lord didn’t help me.but still I gathered courage to prepare further for the exam.I told myself that whatever lord did is for the sake of my goodness. I have done everything possible by me and prayed to lord.
On the day of my I result i have chanted the holy mahamantra whole day long but still all goes in vein. I qualified the exam but with a worst rank. why these things are happening to me. I had put all efforts and prayer but no result came. Mahamantra has lots of benifits. all the sastras ,Vedas, Upanishads and History like ramayan and Mahabharata describes the benifits of holy name.
Why why the holy name is not working for me. Why those things are happening?? Sometimes I tried to console myself saying the everything will be fine but whenever i think about those days of hardwork during exam time and how I prayed to lord to give me strength and courage to pass the exam I got really upset. Sometimes my faith on god is wavering. What to do?? Holy name of lord has so much power but why a small exam is not getting cracked. I am chanting lord with lots of faith.
Sometimes I got so upset with God that I don’t fell like taking the names of lord.I know lord is the ultimate truth but sometimes I got bewildered.This mail is getting longer so I am ending here.but there are still many thing to ask.”
REPLY:
Had you read my posts under the category “ATTACHMENTS, EXPECTATIONS & GUNAS” and “KARMA”, you won’t have asked this question.
Before asking questions, I request all the devotees to first go through the Category titles of the posts, select the posts under them and read them first.
However, as a reminder, Let me answer this.
(Avoiding offenses against Chanting the Holy Name of Krishna! Tips! READ HERE!)
How can you expect that Krishna should give only the job you targeted?
If you target a job without knowing what you have been destined to be, how can you find fault in Krishna?
See, there are many graduates, post graduates and even doctorates in ISKCON who are serving the Lord as full time.
Their material qualifications didn’t attract them.
I too quit my business and took preaching as my full time activity.
I didn’t study any course on Web designing or coding or computer applications. But, I am doing that for our online service.
I did Chemistry major in my graduation. There is no connection between Chemistry and the service I am doing now.
What this means?
Our destiny may be different.
We can’t expect that we will shine in the same field in which we studied in college.
(Why Srila Prabhupada reduced the Chanting rounds from 64 to 16? READ HERE!)
Government jobs are destined only for a few people. But, lakhs of candidates write the competitive exams for the government jobs.
Medicine is destined only for a few thousands. But, lakhs of students write the exams for Medicine.
So, just because we aim for a job, it does not mean it is destined for us.
Almost most of the boys aim for a wife like Miss Universe. But, they have to settle with the girl that they get as per their destiny/ karma.
So, keep onething in mind: “Our dreams may be our choice, but they need not be our destined ones.”
The best logic one should have in this material life is: “Accept whatever you get as the destined one for you”
If your horoscope does not show any sign for your getting government jobs, you can’t get.
So, I usually advice the students: “Have two or three goals in life. Don’t have a single goal”
(Can we get Krishna’s Protection from Scary Dreams if we chant at night? READ HERE!)
You too aim for two or more goals. You will get one.
This world is very competitive.
We should have multiple options.
Even in companies, the managements expect an employee to be talented in multiple functions of that company.
And, you expect chanting Maha Manthra should give the desired job you aimed for.
Firstly, Maha Manthra should be chanted to get Krishna and get relieved from the material bondage permanently.
Though it is allowed to use Hare Krishna Maha Manthra for material benefits during the starting level – neophyte devotion, we should not expect Krishna to give whatever we want and we should keep trying to come to the stage of Nishkam Bhakti, ie, Devotion without expecting material benefits.
Krishna will keep us in good status, but in which field and how is decided by Krishna.
So, evaluate yourself honestly. Try for multiple fields. Krishna will make you shine in any one field that has been destined for you.
Or, Krishna will reduce the negatives and give you a career that ensures your peaceful life.
Hope you are now clear about using Hare Krishna Maha Manthra for material benefits.
(How Chanting protects us from material problems? READ HERE!)