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Here in this material world, the more we possess material wealth, it is our bondage

Expressions researched:
"here in this material world, the more we possess material wealth, it is our bondage"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Here in this material world, the more we possess material wealth, it is our bondage. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Because our bondage is we are entrapped here by material opulences. Material opulences are not very good for spiritual advancement.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this one universe, and aṇḍa... Aṇḍa means egg. Therefore it is called jagad-aṇḍa, "egglike, round." We are within the egg. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). There are millions of eggslike clustered together. This is material world. Millions, not one. And each universe... Koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. In each universe there are millions and trillions of stars and planets. Koṭiṣu vibhūti-bhinnam. And each one of them is different from the other. Just like you are going to, trying to go to the moon planet, but you cannot stay there because the atmosphere is different. Everything is there. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu vasudhādi (Bs. 5.40). Vasudhā means planets. This is also called vasudhā, this planet. So just imagine what insignificant this vasudhā in comparison to the whole material world. There are millions of universes, and in each and every universe there are millions and trillions of the stars and planets. This is the whole creation of material world. And taking them together, this is one-fourth creation of God. The three-fourths creation is the spiritual world, and in that spiritual world, the topmost planet is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is the place of Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa comes down from there; therefore, avatāra: "comes down." Therefore He's called avatāra. Or any Viṣṇu incarnation who comes down, they come down from the higher planetary system. Therefore it is called avatāra. Incarnation means avatāra who comes down from higher position. Therefore, here it is said, kṛtāvatārasya hareḥ. Hareḥ, "of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Hari, hari means "who takes away all your miserable conditions." Hari, haran, harati. Harati means take away. He comes here just to give you benediction, to save you from all kinds of miseries. Therefore His name is Hari. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi, er, yasya aham anugṛhṇāmi, anugṛhṇāmi... I forget now. Kṛṣṇa says that "When I shows to somebody special favor, I take away all his possessions." That is special favor.

This question was asked by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, no, Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi, hariṣye dhanam. Because here in this material world, the more we possess material wealth, it is our bondage. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Because our bondage is we are entrapped here by material opulences. Material opulences are not very good for spiritual advancement. Just the Western people, they are materially advanced. They possess... They do not possess, but their energy is utilized for converting things from one shape to another, that much, the energy being wasted. It is good credit for you, materially, that you have so nice cars, nice skyscraper buildings, and so many nice things you have created. That is good credit—good credit materially. Spiritually, it is not good credit. Spiritually, it is waste of energy, waste of energy. Because however nicely you have made all these material facilities, amenities, you cannot stay here. You cannot... You have got a certain amount of energy. So that energy is meant for some other purpose. So your energy not being utilized for the real purpose of life, if you utilize it for increasing your so-called material happiness... Actually, they have not become happy. Otherwise, why so many young boys and girls, they are disappointed? Because this kind of advancement will not make us happy. That is a fact. Therefore, if you waste your energy for things which are not wanted, then you are not advancing, you are being defeated. That they do not know.

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhava. Parābhava means defeat. Tāvat, "so long." All activities of the materialistic person are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha. Abodha means fools, rascals, ignorant, born foolish rascals, ignorant. We are all born foolish. So if we are not properly educated, then we remain fools and rascals, and the activities of fools and rascals, this is simply waste of time. Because... What is called? Busy rascals, busy rascal. If a rascal is busy, that means he's simply spoiling the energy. Just like monkey. Monkey is very busy. Of course, according to Mr. Darwin, they are coming from monkey. So monkey's business is simply waste of time. He's very busy. You'll find always busy. So the busy fool is dangerous. There are four classes of men: lazy intelligent, busy intelligent, lazy fool and busy fool. (laughter) So first-class man is lazy intelligent. Just like you'll see the high-court judges. They're very lazy and most intelligent. That is first-class man. They are doing everything very soberly. And the next class: busy intelligent. Intelligence should be used very soberly. And the third class: lazy fool-lazy, at the same time, fool. And the fourth class: busy fool. Busy fool is very dangerous. So all these people, they're busy. Even in this country, everywhere, all over the world, not this country or that country. They have discovered this horseless carriage—very busy. "Ons, ons," (imitates cars' noise) this way this way, this way. But actually, they are not intelligent. Busy fool. Therefore they are creating problems after problems. That's a fact. They are so busy, but because they are fools, therefore they are creating problems. This is fact. Even the animals, lower than the human beings, they have no problem.

Page Title:Here in this material world, the more we possess material wealth, it is our bondage
Compiler:Krsnadas
Created:01 of Jan, 2014
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1