Why a devotee needs a job or business though Krishna protects all?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhu ji. Why should a devotee aim for a job or business since Krishna has said that He will not let his devotees down? Why did Krishna let you down in your business?”
REPLY:
Krishna did not let me down, but He has taken me to a respectable position in His own service. It is His causeless mercy. Krishna even takes one’s money if He expects him to work for Him. Krishna did it even for the great acharya Srila Prabhupada. He does so for a section of devotees if they have deep desire to serve Him. But, Krishna wants all of us to work, earn and serve Him.
I have to advise something to you based on this question. You are speaking based on the preaching of some devotees who would have spoken only about Bhakti Yoga. The ONLY ACTIVITY for resident brahmacharis and full time devotees is serving Krishna all the time. The managements get donations and manage their temples. Some part of earning comes from book sales. They need not do any business or material job. But, to pay the donation, we, the congregation devotees should work and earn. Isn’t it?
So, the congregation devotees should WORK EFFECTIVELY and earn. We have been advised as “BE SURRENDERED TO KRISHNA, HE WILL NOT LET U DOWN”. This is to be properly understood as far as non-resident devotees are concerned. The real message from that statement is: “WORK EFFECTIVELY THINKING OF KRISHNA WITHOUT ATTACHMENT TO THE RESULTS, ACCEPT WHAT YOU GET, MANAGE YOUR LIFE AND SUPPORT THE TEMPLES AND SERVICES BY BEING SURRENDERED TO KRISHNA”
MY CAPSULE FORM OF SUGGESTION FOR THE WAY OF LIFE FOR CONGREGATION DEVOTEES IS:
FOLLOW BAKTHI YOGA TO GET KRISHNA + FOLLOW KARMA YOGA TO MANAGE YOUR LIFE
Unless you follow karma yoga said by Krishna Himself, you can’t manage your life as a grahastha or congregation devotee. You will have to starve and suffer. Give me a single example where Krishna said “Quit all your works and just serve me all the time”. Krishna REPEATEDLY INSISTS US TO PERFORM OUR ASSIGNED DUTIES EFFICIENTLY AS A SERVICE TO HIM.
(Is working hard and earning more to serve Krishna a fruitive activity? READ HERE!)
Our Beloved Krishna did not advise Arjuna to quit fighting and do only serving Krishna. He CLEARLY and REPEATEDLY said : “FIGHT THE WAR AS SAID BY ME”.
What this means?
Work your naturally assigned duties AS SAID BY ME.
Isn’t it?
In Entire Bhagavad Gita, Krishna wants us to work.
Is making profits in our works wrong?
No. Profit is also called earning.
You must earn. Only the way how you use those profits matters. Read further:
Without a target, one can’t work. So, we need a target. Arjuna too had the target –defeating the Kauravas.
(HOW TO AVOID KARMA WHILE WORKING! 10 PRACTICAL EXAMPLES! READ HERE!)
All Krishna said was, not to have attachment to results. If I have a target and if I don’t achieve it, I should not lament. I should try again more efficiently analyzing all the factors. That’s all.
If I do something, I should do effectively. Krishna uses the word EFFECTIVELY. That includes everything. A milk vendor can’t sell below the cost of maintaining the cows and his life. Krishna did not say so. So, profit is MUST in any business. What many devotees forget to say is that our original scriptures permit a businessman to make profits and he should use those profits for his family and also for the devotional services and society. This is the clear verdict of the scriptures.
However, the problem is, if we follow only Bhakti Yoga, we lose our interest in business. Here, we have to balance the both. This is where we go wrong. Many do not preach giving importance to karma yoga, but they preach about only Bhakti yoga.
Bhakti will give Krishna. No doubt. But, to lead our life of 50-60 years, we need to follow karma yoga also along with Bhakti Yoga. This is my conclusion.
If I insist only on Bhakti yoga, I will be making many devotees to keep on praying and losing interest in managing his own life of food and shelter. Krishna won’t like such a partial preaching.
I too did not follow His instructions of working effectively, earning and managing myself. I dedicated fully for preaching. This is possible only for resident and full time devotees. Not for ‘day scholars’ like me who work, manage his life and also serve the Lord.
(Why it is said that working hard is not good for devotees? READ HERE!)
THUS, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY OF DEVOTION TO BE FOLLOWED BY FULL TIME RESIDENT DEVOTEES AND CONGREGATIONAL DEVOTEES.
If you do not understand this MAJOR DIFFERENCE, you will find it difficult to manage your day to day life. Krishna too never said so. He is so merciful. He also allows us to glorify Him through our assigned duties.
Temples are running only because of the monetary support of WORKING devotees. So, to keep the temples serve without difficulty, the congregational devotees should work.
So, do not mean the preaching you hear as it is. Work, earn and manage yourself. This is Krishna’s advice. He warns us: “If you do not work, you can not even manage yourself”
Follow Krishna’s advice in Bhagavad Gita. Krishna’s direct words are more important. Follow the chairman of FORD who works and also support the services and temples of Krishna. He beautifully follows karma yoga fused with bhakti yoga.
(Are our earnings decided by the karma network of God? READ HERE!)
Since many devotees are reading the posts, I am continuing this service to motivate why a devotee needs a job or business to manage himself and to support devotional services. Nothing else. Motivating is the part of service that is also required. I too should not become a beggar with no money to serve all that will stop this service. So, I should motivate others, make this website financially stable and serve longer for Krishna. This is what I am doing. Money is very important to serve Krishna through online or offline. Even in direct service, the temples need more money for flowers, prasadam distribution, Pujaris and other salaries, etc. Money need not be hated. It should be earned and used for the service of Krishna and also to manage yourself.
So, my observation is: It is not wrong earning more. How you use it for Krishna and also for your life management is important.
So, I repeat 1000s of times:
WORK….WORK….WORK….AS A SERVICE TO KRISHNA. NEVER STOP WORKING AND EARNING TILL KRISHNA ALLOWS IT. EARN AND SUPPORT YOUR PARENTS, SUFFERING PEOPLE AND THE SERVICES FOR KRISHNA.
(Is it good idea to stop working to avoid new karma? READ HERE!)
If you do not like to do jobs or business, no other way, you should start full time service to Krishna in temple. They will take care of your needs. But, they too can’t take care of 1000s of youth. They too will retain only the required number of devotees. That is why a devotee needs a job or business if he is a congregation devotee.
Keep this in mind.
Work and help in the service of Krishna. This is the best formula for working devotees.
MY FORMULA IS GIVEN AGAIN BELOW:
FOLLOW BAKTHI YOGA TO GET KRISHNA + FOLLOW KARMA YOGA TO MANAGE YOUR LIFE
If both exists, your devotional life will be really nice and successful. These are my suggestions based on my own experience.
This is my conclusion. Krishna’s advice too.
Hope u are clear now about why a devotee needs a job or business though Krishna protects all.
(DAILY SCHEDULE OF A STUDYING OR WORKING KRISHNA DEVOTEE! READ HERE!)