Both the demigods and the demons are expert in activities involving the material energy, but the demigods are devotees of the Lord, whereas the demons are just the opposite. The demigods and demons churned the ocean of milk to get nectar from it, but the demons, not being devotees of the Lord, could derive no profit. After feeding nectar to the demigods, Lord Viṣṇu returned to His abode on the back of Garuḍa, but the demons, being most aggrieved, again declared war against the demigods. Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana, became the commander in chief of the demons. In the beginning of the battle, the demigods prepared to defeat the demons. Indra, King of heaven, fought with Bali, and other demigods, like Vāyu, Agni and Varuṇa, fought against other leaders of the demons. In this fight the demons were defeated, and to save themselves from death they began to manifest many illusions through material maneuvers, killing many soldiers on the side of the demigods. The demigods, finding no other recourse, surrendered again to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who then appeared and counteracted all the illusions presented by the jugglery of the demons. Heroes among the demons such as Kālanemi, Mālī, Sumālī and Mālyavān fought the Supreme Personality of Godhead and were all killed by the Lord. The demigods were thus freed from all dangers.
No profit
Expressions researched:
"no profit"
|"non profit"
|"nonprofit"
|"not profit"
|"not profitable"
|"not profited"
|"without profit"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit. Ajāmila performed his duty in some percentage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord.
BG Chapters 13 - 18
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, "Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit," but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of a brāhmaṇa. That is not recommended. Whether one is a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, or a śūdra doesn't matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even brāhmaṇas, who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if a kṣatriya engaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The present city of Delhi was formerly known as Hastināpura because it was first established by King Hastī. Gosvāmī Śukadeva, after leaving his paternal home, was roaming like a madman, and therefore it was very difficult for the citizens to recognize him in his exalted position. A sage is not, therefore, recognized by sight, but by hearing. One should approach a sādhu or great sage not to see but to hear him. If one is not prepared to hear the words of a sādhu, there is no profit. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a sādhu who could speak on the transcendental activities of the Lord. He did not satisfy the whims of ordinary citizens. He was recognized when he spoke on the subject of Bhāgavatam, and he never attempted jugglery like a magician. Outwardly he appeared to be a retarded, dumb madman, but in fact he was the most elevated transcendental personality.
SB Canto 2
The misconception of "I am the Lord," or "I am the Supreme," is more dangerous than the misconception of "mine." Although there are sometimes directions in the Vedic literatures to think oneself one with the Lord, that does not mean that one becomes identical with the Lord in every respect. Undoubtedly there is oneness of the living entity with the Lord in many respects, but ultimately the living entity is subordinate to the Lord, and he is constitutionally meant for satisfying the senses of the Lord. The Lord therefore asks the conditioned souls to surrender unto Him. Had the living entities not been subordinate to the supreme will, why would the living entity be asked to surrender? Had the living being been equal in all respects, then why was he put under the influence of māyā? We have already discussed many times that the material energy is controlled by the Lord. The Bhagavad-gītā (9.10) confirms this controlling power of the Lord over the material nature. Can a living entity who claims to be as good as the Supreme Being control the material nature? The foolish "I" would reply that he will do so in the future. Even accepting that in the future one will be as good a controller of material nature as the Supreme Being, then why is one now under the control of material nature? The Bhagavad-gītā says that one can be freed from the control of the material nature by surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, but if there is no surrender, then the living entity will never be able to control the material nature. So one must also give up this misconception of "I" by practicing the way of devotional service or firmly being situated in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. A poor man without any employment or occupation may undergo so many troubles in life, but if by chance the same man gets a good service under the government, he at once becomes happy. There is no profit in denying the supremacy of the Lord, who is the controller of all energies, but one should be constitutionally situated in one's own glory, namely to be situated in the pure consciousness of being the eternal servitor of the Lord. In his conditional life the living entity is servant of the illusory māyā, and in his liberated state he is the pure, unqualified servant of the Lord. To become untinged by the modes of material nature is the qualification for entering into the service of the Lord. As long as one is a servant of mental concoctions, one cannot be completely free from the disease of "I" and "mine."
The troubles of penance accepted by Lord Brahmā were certainly in the line of devotional service (bhakti). Otherwise there was no chance that Vaikuṇṭha or svalokam, the Lord's personal abodes, would become visible to Brahmājī. The personal abodes of the Lord, known as Vaikuṇṭhas, are neither mythical nor material, as conceived by the impersonalists. But realization of the transcendental abodes of the Lord is possible only through devotional service, and thus the devotees enter into such abodes. There is undoubtedly trouble in executing penance. But the trouble accepted in executing bhakti-yoga is transcendental happiness from the very beginning, whereas the trouble of penance in other processes of self-realization (jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, etc.), without any Vaikuṇṭha realization, ends in trouble only and nothing more. There is no profit in beating husks without grains. Similarly, there is no profit in executing troublesome penances other than bhakti-yoga for self-realization.
The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart as the witness, and as such He is the supreme director of sanction. The director is not the enjoyer of the fruits of action, for without the Lord's sanction no one can enjoy. For example, in a prohibited area a habituated drunkard puts forward his application to the director of drinking, and the director, considering his case, sanctions only a certain amount of liquor for drinking. Similarly, the whole material world is full of many drunkards, in the sense that each and every one of the living entities has something in his mind to enjoy, and everyone desires the fulfillment of his desires very strongly. The almighty Lord, being very kind to the living entity, as the father is kind to the son, fulfills the living entity's desire for his childish satisfaction. With such desires in mind, the living entity does not actually enjoy, but he serves the bodily whims unnecessarily, without profit. The drunkard does not derive any profit out of drinking, but because he has become a servant of the drinking habit and does not wish to get out of it, the merciful Lord gives him all facilities to fulfill such desires.
SB Canto 3
The time factor is also explained by modern men in various ways. Some accept it almost as it is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For example, in Hebrew literature time is accepted, in the same spirit, as a representation of God. It is stated therein: "God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets...." Metaphysically, time is distinguished as absolute and real. Absolute time is continuous and is unaffected by the speed or slowness of material things. Time is astronomically and mathematically calculated in relation to the speed, change and life of a particular object. Factually, however, time has nothing to do with the relativities of things; rather, everything is shaped and calculated in terms of the facility offered by time. Time is the basic measurement of the activity of our senses, by which we calculate past, present and future; but in factual calculation, time has no beginning and no end. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that even a slight fraction of time cannot be purchased with millions of dollars, and therefore even a moment of time lost without profit must be calculated as the greatest loss in life. Time is not subject to any form of psychology, nor are the moments objective realities in themselves, but they are dependent on particular experiences.
Worship of the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is prescribed herewith even for persons who are simply discharging their prescribed duties. There are prescribed duties for the different social classes of men—the brāhmaṇas, the vaiśyas, the kṣatriyas and the śūdras—and for the different āśramas-brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. One should worship the Deity of the Lord until one appreciates the presence of the Lord in every living entity. In other words, one should not be satisfied simply by discharging his duties properly; he must realize his relationship and the relationship of all other living entities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he does not understand this, then even though he discharges his prescribed duties properly, it is to be understood that he is simply laboring without profit.
SB Canto 4
After taking his dinner and having his thirst and hunger satisfied, King Purañjana felt some joy within his heart. Instead of being elevated to a higher consciousness, he became captivated by Cupid, and was moved by a desire to find his wife, who kept him satisfied in his household life.
This verse is very significant for those desiring to elevate themselves to a higher level of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When a person is initiated by a spiritual master, he changes his habits and does not eat undesirable eatables or engage in the eating of meat, the drinking of liquor, illicit sex or gambling. Sāttvika-āhāra, foodstuffs in the mode of goodness, are described in the śāstras as wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, and milk products. Simple food like rice, dhal, capātīs, vegetables, milk and sugar constitute a balanced diet, but sometimes it is found that an initiated person, in the name of prasāda, eats very luxurious foodstuffs. Due to his past sinful life he becomes attracted by Cupid and eats good food voraciously. It is clearly visible that when a neophyte in Kṛṣṇa consciousness eats too much, he falls down. Instead of being elevated to pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes attracted by Cupid. The so-called brahmacārī becomes agitated by women, and the vānaprastha may again become captivated into having sex with his wife. Or he may begin to search out another wife. Due to some sentiment, he may give up his own wife and come into the association of devotees and a spiritual master, but due to his past sinful life he cannot stay. Instead of being elevated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he falls down, being attracted by Cupid, and takes to another wife for sex enjoyment. The fall of the neophyte devotee from the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness down to material life is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) by Nārada Muni.
- tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
- bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
- yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
- ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
This indicates that although a neophyte devotee may fall down from the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness due to his immaturity, his service to Kṛṣṇa never goes in vain. However, a person who remains steadfast in his family duty or so-called social or family obligation but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness receives no profit. One who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be very cautious and refrain from prohibited activities, as defined by Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Upadeśāmṛta:
- atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
- prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
- jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
- ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
- (NOI 2)
A neophyte devotee should neither eat too much nor collect more money than necessary. Eating too much or collecting too much is called atyāhāra. For such atyāhāra one must endeavor very much. This is called prayāsa. Superficially one may show himself to be very much faithful to the rules and regulations, but at the same time not be fixed in the regulative principles. This is called niyamāgraha. By mixing with undesirable persons, or jana-saṅga, one becomes tainted with lust and greed and falls down from the path of devotional service.
Queen Purañjanī embraced the King, and the King also responded by embracing her shoulders. In this way, in a solitary place, they enjoyed joking words. Thus King Purañjana became very much captivated by his beautiful wife and deviated from his good sense. He forgot that the passing of days and nights meant that his span of life was being reduced without profit.
As long as one is influenced by the modes of material nature, he cannot return to Godhead. It is clearly explained that all planets in the material world—beginning from Brahmaloka down to the hellish planets—are unfit places for a devotee. padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). A place where there is danger at every step is certainly not a comfortable place. The Lord therefore says in Bhagavad-gītā (8.16):
- ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
- punar āvartino 'rjuna
- mām upetya tu kaunteya
- punar janma na vidyate
"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again."
Thus there is no profit, even if one is promoted to the highest planet in the material universe, Brahmaloka. However, if one is somehow or other promoted to the abode of the Lord, he never returns to the material world.
SB Canto 6
Even if one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offensively, one can avoid offenses by continuously chanting without deviation. One who becomes accustomed to this practice will always remain in a pure transcendental position, untouchable by sinful reactions. Śukadeva Gosvāmī especially requested King Parīkṣit to note this fact very carefully. There is no profit, however, in executing the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. By performing such activities one may go to the higher planetary systems, but as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.21), kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti: when the period of one's enjoyment in the heavenly planets is terminated because of the limited extent of the results of one's pious activities, one must return to earth. Thus there is no use in endeavoring to travel up and down in the universe. It is better to chant the holy name of the Lord so that one may become fully purified and eligible to return home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life, and that is the perfection of life.
The puruṣa, the original person—Bhagavān, Viṣṇu—can be understood only by devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: (BG 18.55) only by devotional service can one understand the Supreme Person, who is behind everything. One must try to understand that the material elements are the separated, inferior energy of the Lord and that the living entity is the Lord's spiritual energy. Whatever we experience, including matter and the spirit soul, the living force, is but a combination of two energies of Lord Viṣṇu—the inferior energy and the superior energy. One should seriously study the facts concerning creation, maintenance and devastation, as well as the permanent place from which one never need return (yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6)). Human society should study this, but instead of culturing such knowledge, people are attracted to temporary happiness and sense gratification, culminating in bottomless, topless passion. There is no profit in such activities; one must engage himself in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
SB Canto 8
"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me." Āsuraṁ bhāvam refers to not accepting the existence of God or the transcendental instructions of the Personality of Godhead. Bhagavad-gītā clearly consists of transcendental instructions imparted directly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But asuras, instead of accepting these instructions directly, make commentaries according to their own whimsical ways and mislead everyone, without profit even for themselves. One should therefore be very careful of demoniac, godless persons. According to the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa, even if a godless demon is very well educated, he must be considered a mūḍha, narādhama and māyayāpahṛta jñāna.
The materialistic way of life is nothing but the repeated chewing of that which has already been chewed. Although there is no profit in such a life, people are enamored of it because of uncontrolled senses. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Because of uncontrolled senses, people fully engage in sinful activities by which they get a body full of suffering. Bali Mahārāja appreciated how the Lord had saved him from such a bewildered life of ignorance. He therefore said that his intelligence had been stunned. Stabdha-matir na budhyate. He could not understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead favors His devotees by forcibly stopping their materialistic activities.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
"The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime." (SB 3.25.21) A sādhu is suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām, the friend of everyone. Why then should the rich, instead of associating with sādhus, waste their valuable time in association with other rich men who are averse to spiritual life? Both the poor man and the rich man can take advantage of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and here it is advised that everyone do so. There is no profit in avoiding the association of the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said:
- sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa
- te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa
If we give up the association of sādhus, saintly persons engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and associate with persons seeking sense gratification and accumulating wealth for this purpose, our life is spoiled.
By engagement in the service of Vāsudeva, one very quickly renounces material life. The members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, for example, being engaged in vāsudeva-bhakti, very quickly come to the stage of being nice Vaiṣṇavas, so much so that people are surprised that mlecchas and yavanas are able to come to this stage. This is possible by vāsudeva-bhakti. But if we do not come to the stage of sattva-guṇa in this human life, then, as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari viphale janama goṅāinu—there is no profit in gaining this human form of life.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Keśava Chatrī said, "Out of jealousy your Muslim servant plots against Him. I think that you should not be very interested in Him, for there is no profit in it. Rather, there is simply loss."
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Without devotional service no one can attain liberation from the material clutches. Especially in this age, one can achieve the highest liberation simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.4) it is stated that when a person abandons the path of devotional service and simply labors for knowledge, he has no profit other than the trouble he takes to understand the difference between matter and spirit. It is useless labor to try to get grains from empty husks. Thus it is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32) that a person who gives up the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord and superficially considers himself liberated, never attains to liberation. With great labor, austerity and penance, he may be elevated to the liberated platform, but for want of shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, he falls down again into material contamination.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Pradyumna : Translation: "Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, 'Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent."
Prabhupāda: In the previous verse, Arjuna said that "There is no profit in this fighting because the other side, they are all my relatives, kinsmen, and by killing them, even if I become victorious, so what is the value?" That we have explained, that such kind of renouncement sometimes takes place in ignorance. Actually, it is not very much intelligently placed. So in this way, evam uktvā, "saying that, 'So there is no profit in fighting,' " evam uktvā, "saying this," hṛṣīkeśam, he is speaking to the master of the senses. And in previous verse he has said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am Your surrendered disciple." So Kṛṣṇa becomes guru, and Arjuna becomes the disciple. Formerly they were talking as friends. But friendly talking cannot decide any serious question. When there is some serious matter, it must be spoken between authorities.
You take any religious system, but you must know what is the aim of religion, not that simply profess, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." But what is the purpose of becoming religious? That you must know. That is intelligence. Simply don't be proud by saying that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." That's all right. You have got some type of designation. But Bhāgavata says that system of religion is perfect. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That religion, that system of religion, is perfect." Sa vai puṁsāṁ paraḥ. Paraḥ means perfect, without any defect. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: "By which, by becoming follower of such religious system, if you become a devotee of God, that is perfect." He does not say that you become a Hindu or you become a Muslim or you become a Christian or Buddhist or any other thing. It is very liberal, that whatever system of religion you accept, there is no harm. That's all right. But see the result. What is the result? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Whether you have understood God and whether you have become a lover of God. Then your religion is perfect. Simply for stamping that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," there is no profit.
Now, if we miss this opportunity, this human form of life... It is the developed, conscious life, and if we miss the opportunity, then we shall be again thrown into the cycle of birth of death in that eight million four-hundred-thousand's of species of life. So there is comparative(?). Vinaśyati. Vinaśyati means where you shall be put up, oh, there is no certainty. So you must make proper utilization.
So one who hasn't got faith, for him it is stated, nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ: "Anyone who has not faith, for him there is no profit even during this life and what to speak of the next life?"
Japanese man: I always want to ask whether if you met demigods or Indra or Brahmā or...
Paramahaṁsa: He wants to know if you met any of the demigods, Brahmā, Indra...
Prabhupāda: Then what benefit will be for you? Suppose if I met, now what benefit you will derive out of it? If I say, "Yes, I have met," that what benefit you will get? Why you are asking this question? That you do not know. Then why you are asking?
Japanese man: Maybe sense gratification. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: What is that, maybe...?
Trivikrama: Maybe sense gratification.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is sense gratification.
Japanese man: But actually, other devotees sometimes tell me that you met Indra or...
Prabhupāda: Yes, I have met Indra or I have not met Indra. So if I met Indra, what benefit you get? And if I did not meet Indra, what is your loss? That is my question. Then why do you ask this question? You have no profit, no loss. Any other question? Put some intelligent questions. Then we can understand that you are studying really. (break)
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So the responsibility was that time to the administrator. They would see that everyone, every brāhmaṇa, is following the rules and regulation of a brāhmaṇa; every kṣatriya is following the rules and regulation of kṣatriya. Vaiśya, śūdra... And nobody can interfere the other's business. Everyone is employed in his own business. And tax. Tax. The brāhmaṇa had to pay no tax. Only kṣatriyas, they were tax collector. And śūdra also, they had no property; therefore there was no tax. Only the vaiśya class, the productive class, they had to pay tax. And that tax also was very simple. There was no encroachment. You simply give one fourth of your profit to the government. That's all. No more tax. Sales tax, this tax, income tax, excise tax, this tax—simply tax, tax, tax. No. Not like that. Whatever he has got profit. "Got" means whatever profit he has made... If he has no profit, there is no tax. That was the government system. So how he will pay if he has not made any profit this year? Just like we are hearing there is no good monsoon in India this year. So there will be no very much good production. But if there is no good production, the government should not levy any tax. But now, at the present moment, "You go to hell, but you must pay the tax. And we divide the tax amongst ourself." That's all. Finished. Or we employ the taxes for fighting, for declaring war. That's all.
Śoka-moha-bhaya, these things are our constant companions. Śoka. Śoka means lamenting, and moha means illusion. And bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. So we are embarrassed with these things always: śoka, moha and bhaya. Śoka: we are always lamenting, "This thing I have lost. I have lost this business. I have lost my son. I have lost...," so many. Because it is, after all, a losing business. To exist in this material world means it is a losing business. There will be no profit. Therefore whatever we are working for, searching after, real happiness, if it is not devotional service, then the Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) "Simply working for nothing, and the gain is labor."
So if you go on the ordinary way, from the karma platform to jñāna platform, from jñāna platform to yoga platform, but ultimately you have to come to the bhakti platform. If you do not come to the bhakti platform, then there is no question of liberation. That is not possible. You can get better position by karma, jñāna, yoga. Suppose a yogi, he can achieve many wonderful things. Suppose we can fly in the sky by airplane. Many hundreds of miles we can. But a yogi, within a second he can reach even the sun planet. That yogic perfection is there. Prāpti-siddhi. It is called prāpti-siddhi. A perfect yogi, simply by catching the beam of sunlight, he can go to the sun planet. He can go to the moon planet. Within a second. That is called yoga-siddhi. But even if you go to the sun planet or moon planet by yoga-siddhi or material science, what is the profit? There is no profit. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "Even if you approach the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, you have to come back again." Again come back, again become grass and again be eaten by cows, and again somebody drinks milk, and he gets the semina, again gives you birth in the womb of woman. These subtle laws they do not know, how things are happening in the subtle ways.
So cleanliness is next to godliness. So the... Actually, our material conditioned life means the mind is covered with dirt, all unclean, dirty things. That is the disease. When we are in the lower stage of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, these dirty things are very much prominent. Therefore one has to raise himself from the position of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa to sattva-guṇa. The process is recommended, how to cleanse the mind: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). One has to hear the kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart, and when He sees that a conditioned soul... Because the individual soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa wants that "This individual soul, rascal, he is so much attached for material enjoyment, which is the cause of his bondage, birth and death, old age and disease, and he's so fool that he does not take into consideration that 'Why I should be subjected to repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?' "He has become so fool. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been described: mūḍha, ass. Ass... Just like ass does not know why he is loading so much, so many cloths of the washerman. What for? He has no profit. None of the cloth belongs to him. The washerman gives a little morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. If the... But the ass thinks that "This morsel of grass is given by the washerman. Therefore I must carry the heavy load, although not a single cloth belongs to me."
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced Kṛṣṇa name, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's identification is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇam varṇa iti, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇam (?). He is always chanting "Kṛṣṇa." He's Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ (SB 11.5.32). The incarnation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described in the Eleventh Canto, Fifth Chapter. He's described. He has recommended in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation, this form of God, should be worshiped. What is that? That is here: kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ. He is always chanting "Kṛṣṇa,"and He's Kṛṣṇa. He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ. But in this age His bodily complexion is not blackish, (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ saṇgopaṅgāstra-pārṣadam: (SB 11.5.32) accompanied by His associates. Just like there is Nityānanda, there is Advaita, there is Gadādhara. So saṅga upaṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra, astra means weapon. So saṅga... Because when God incarnates, He has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So one business is to give protection to the devotees and to annihilate the duṣkṛta, those who are sinful. So first annihilating, it requires weapon, śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, (indistinct). Lord Rāmacandra has got bows and arrows, and Kṛṣṇa has got Sudarśana-cakra. But here it is said, saṅga-upaṅga-astra. What is that astra, weapon? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has no astra. Seemingly there's a... But this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. This is astra. In the Kali-yuga there is no profit by killing them. They're already killed. So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or... Because they're already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business. It is very difficult to convince them about the existence of... They're seeing every moment there is existence of God, but they're so stubborn, so much bewildered by māyā, they'll not. So, under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's therefore called namo mahā-vadānyāya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they become ecstatic for love of Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he'll be ecstatic. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.
So the question is, they are challenged, "What is dharma and what is adharma? If you are servant of Dharmarāja, you must distinguish what is dharma." So even though the Yamadūtas, they are not very good-looking as the Viṣṇudūtas, still, this question was put to them to explain. They are not very much civilized, you may say. Still, they are expected to know this distinction. Just see. Even the Yamadūtas were how much advanced, and how we are advanced? We do not know what is dharma, what is adharma. We don't make any distinction. Dharma is... We have repeatedly said: dharma means to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, simple. And adharma means everything except this. If you don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then whatever you are doing, that is adharma, means nonreligious. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Kaitava means cheating, false, pretentious. So all kinds of cheating religion is kicked out. Cheating religions, they are teaching that "We can create God. As we can create television, similarly, we can create God." They are teaching, "This is dharma." Just see how degraded they have... And these things are going on as dharma. Brūta dharmasya nas tattvam. Tattvam. Tattvam means truth. "Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time." Tattvam: "In truth, what is dharma?" Brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam: "And how you distinguish from adharma, nonreligious thing?" Knowledge means you should know both things, not one side. You must know what is religious system and what is not religious system. Simply one side is not full knowledge. Upayaṁ ca cintayet prajñā, apayaṁ ca cintayet(?). Just like if you want to do some business, you have calculated that "I shall invest so much money, and I shall get so much profit. So let us do this business. It is very nice." But śāstra says, "No, you have simply calculated the profit, and you also calculate no profit, not one-sided." Similarly, to know dharma, you must know adharma also, the opposite side. If you know white, you should know what is black. Otherwise the knowledge is not... Relative. This world is... If you know the father, then you must know the son. Or if you know the son, then you must know the father. So in the religious system, if one knows the son, the further improvement is to know the father. That is required. Otherwise incomplete. If you simply know the son of God, then it is incomplete. If you know the father of the son of God, then it is complete.
Yes. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. When you are anxious for Kṛṣṇa, or God, then Kṛṣṇa will give you direction that "You please go to that person who is My representative." So Kṛṣṇa will help you from within and without. Therefore spiritual master is supposed to be Kṛṣṇa's representative from without, and Kṛṣṇa is speaking within yourself. So Kṛṣṇa is ready to help you from within and without provided you are anxious to get that help. Yes?
Devotee: (indistinct) ...anxious to learn from the spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: Certainly. Unless he is anxious to learn, what is the use of going to spiritual master? There is no need. That I already said. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One must be very inquisitive. But inquisitive about what? For the supreme benefit. He should be inquisitive to learn the supreme. Then he has the necessity of searching out or approaching a spiritual master. If there is no such demand, then there is no necessity of going to a spiritual master or accepting a spiritual master. A spiritual master should not be accepted as a matter of phobia(?). Just like you keep some pet dog or cat, similarly if you want to keep one spiritual master, there is no profit. You see? You must be qualified to in..., inquisitive to understand the spiritual science, and the spiritual master should be also qualified to answer your inquisitiveness. Then the relationship is nice, not one-sided.
One who has control over the senses, one who has control over eating, you'll find this instruction in the Nectar of Instruction: jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam manaso vegam etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (NOI 1). Guru should be... Guru means one who has control over the six engagements. Manaḥ, to control the urge of the mind. The mind wants to do this. "No, if it is not profitable, don't do this." Then control over the mind. Control over the senses, control the words. I am angry, I want to abuse somebody with some ill names. "No, why shall I..." Control of the... Talking unnecessary useless talk, that is control over the tongue. Vāco vegam. Krodha-vegam: "I am just going to be very angry upon you." No, we have to control. In this way when one is able to control over these things, especially jihvā-vegam udaro-vegam upastha-vegam, straight line—the urge of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the urge of the genital—then we become svāmīs, gosvāmīs. Artificially, it is not to be suppressed. Nidrāhāra-vegam, these are material things.
So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he understands that "I have become servant of my senses. Unfortunately, these senses are not satisfied. I am still servant. So there is no profit. So why not become Kṛṣṇa's servant." This is good intelligence. Simply change the position. Instead of becoming servant of the senses, agree to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Therefore it is not at all difficult. Nācyutaṁ prīṇayato. You have to simply approach Kṛṣṇa, "My Lord, I am servant, but I could not please anyone. Neither anyone is pleased upon me." This is material service. You serve the whole life your so-called friends, family, countrymen... We have got the experience that Mahatma Gandhi, he served whole life. Still, he was killed by his countrymen. So you may go on giving service in the material world, but nobody will be satisfied. Nobody will be satisfied. So this service is useless. Turn to the service of Kṛṣṇa immediately. It is not very difficult. Servant, we are practiced to serve. We are not master. We have been practiced. By nature, we are servant. So turn this service to Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult. If I am trained up to become a faithful servant, just become a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa, then your business is complete. Na hi acyutaṁ prīṇayato bahu-āyāsaḥ. Much endeavor. There is no question of learning, much endeavor. We are already accustomed to give service. Simply turn it towards Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very magnanimous. He is, without asking, He is offering the best benefit, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So best objective... Our objective, of life should be to understand God. If we, in this life, if we simply understand what is God and what is my relationship with, and begin to act like that, then also our life is successful. Even if we cannot finish the whole job or we fall down from the platform of devotional service, still, we are not loser. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvaḥ atha (SB 1.5.17). This devotional service is the process. Requires some time to fulfill the whole job and become perfect. But even becoming..., before becoming perfect, one falls down, he is not loser. The service is so transcendental that whatever you have done, that is your asset. And if you stop, so that is not good, but even if you stop, whatever you have done already, that is your permanent asset. This is the benefit of devotional service. Material thing, if you cannot do it perfectly well, whatever you have done, that is all lost. But in spiritual, whatever you have done, one percent, two percent, three percent, as you have done, that is not lost. Therefore the śāstra says that those who are not devotees, what is their profit? Even they are doing their duties very nicely, what is the profit? Because he remains under the stringent laws of nature. Suppose this life I have done my duty as a politician very nicely, but the next life I become a dog. Then what is the benefit? What is the benefit? To become next life as a dog or god, that will not depend on you; that will depend on the nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). It is being automatically done. Two plus two equal to four. Similarly, whatever we are doing, we are preparing for the next life. Karmaṇa. Simply material nature has to give you a post: "Now you have done like this. Take this post." You cannot deny. You cannot say, "No, no, I don't like this post." No, you have to take it. So for the karmīs, even they have done their so-called duties very perfectly well, what is the profit? There is no profit, because we are under the control of material nature. But the devotees, whatever little service they have done, that is permanent asset. That is not controlled by nature. That is controlled by God.
So if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, it is not difficult, because you are a small particle of spiritual identity. If you don't want your individuality, you can stay in the Brahman effulgence. That is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa, if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence. But what is the profit? There is no profit. Suppose if you are placed in the sky, in the sunshine, and if somebody asks, "Now, you remain in the sky," would you agree? Huh? Will anyone agree that "Let me remain in the sky as a small particle of the sunshine"? No. You can agree out of some sentiment, but you cannot stay there. That is not possible. Therefore, those who merge into the existence of Brahman, impersonal Brahman, they again fall down. Just like they are going moon excursion, Mars excursion. "Stay there." They cannot stay. Because, actually, whether they are going or not—that's another thing—but there is no staying place. Simply rotating in the sky is not very pleasant thing. We have got experience in the airplane. If we go five or six hours in the planes, we become suffocated. So it is not possible. Therefore those who merge into the Brahman effulgence, they again fall down, because they have no engagement in Kṛṣṇa's business.
Bhakti has no other definition, simple, pure. "Simply I shall carry out the order of Kṛṣṇa," as Arjuna did, that is pure devotee. He is not under the resultant action. Anāśrtaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ. One who does not expect the resultant action... Karmīs, they are very much careful about getting the resultant action. "I am working so hard. I must have some material profit." That is karmī. Everyone in this material world, they are working so hard. Why? For some material profit. Therefore they are aśānta. Bhukti. Bhukti means sense enjoyment. So bhukti, mukti and siddhi. This is karmī, jñānī, yogi. The karmīs, they are expecting some good result, material result, sense enjoyment. That is karmī. And jñānī, he is thinking that "Material result has no profit. I have tried for it, but I could not get any profit out of."
Now, what is the subject matter of these Vedic scriptures? That is summarily summarized, summarized by Lord Caitanya. Veda-śāstra kahe-'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana'. There are three things in the Vedic scriptures. What is that? The first thing is: "What is my relationship with God?" Or: "What is my relationship with this world?" Or: "What is my relationship with this nature?" These three is described. Then, as soon as you understand your relationship, then your action begins according to... Just like two businessmen, two. They want to do some business. They wanted to do... Mutually, they want to do some business. And what is the aim of business? To make some profit. Both of them are interested in making some profit. Without profit, there is no question of business. So first, if the profit is aim, then the two business first come to a contract, or agreement. This is called sambandha, relationship. "Yes, you are supplier; I am purchaser. And you shall supply in this way, and I shall purchase in this way." Agreement. This is called relationship. And after the sign of the agreement, when actually the activities begin, supply and purchase, that is called abhidheya. And abhidheya means why they are doing this business? Now, some profit. So the profit there must be. Otherwise nobody's interested. Same thing is there also in the Vedas. First of all you have to understand, "What is my relationship with God, or with this world, or the nature?" We must understand first this. And when we understand this, "This is my relationship," then my actual work will begin. That is abhidheya. And after executing that prescribed duty, the result is that I'll get my relationship with the Supreme Lord revived. These three things are described in the Vedas. There is no other thing.
So this is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Bodha-labdhaye. They stress on knowledge. What is this knowledge? You can talk on any insignificant thing for many years. That is not knowledge. Just like in the present modern civlization, so many nonsense articles without any utility, or volumes of volumes of books are sold in the market. There is nothing, no substance. Take for this..., newspaper. Especially in your country, volumes of papers in the news. Just after glancing over, it is thrown away. That's all. No more use. Just as The newspaper is published early in the morning, and just in the afternoon it is useless, it is heap of paper only, because there is no substance. Nobody can take any interest. But see Bhagavad-gītā, it is, five thousand years before it was published, and a few pages only, and how much care is being taken after Bhagavad-gītā. Because there is substance. Similarly, if you don't accept the substance, simply if you are busy with the skin... In Bengali it is called cavara nie tanake (?). Cavara means skin. You have seen coconut. The coconut is covered by heavy, what is called, fibers. So if you give up the coconut and simply quarrel with the fibers, what profit is there? There is no profit. Similarly, if you give up God, or Kṛṣṇa, who is the essence of everything, and you make your advancement in scientific knowledge, in physics and chemistry and so many departments of knowledge, so according to Bhāgavata this is simply waste of time. Simply waste of time.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you European boys and girls, you have taken very seriously, and Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased upon you. Unfortunately, Bhāratavarṣī is not interested. Here we see side by side the two wings of this house. The one room is interested in making money, and one room is interested in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is the position. We are... Indians, we are neglecting this movement. That is not very good. Recently I had the chance to travel in the villages of Bengal. Oh, it is so pitiable, full of... They have given up this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have not profited. They have not profited. But unfortunately the leaders, they think that by development of industries they'll be able... No. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). If you become godless, then you have no good qualification. Everything is finished. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. These rascals, godless people, they will simply manufacture plan. Manorathena: by mental concoction. "Now this, we have made this plan. It will be very nice." But no. That is not possible.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: Well, still, his basic idea is that all theories, all natural laws are proven in practice, social practice, that... For instance, Marx's idea that capital is not necessary for production, that profit is not necessary for production. It's proven by the communist state where there is no profit-taking, there is no capital making, and still the wheels(?) of production go on.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So that sense is by nature's law. But artificially we have adopted so many things. That means, nature's law means God's law. So God's law is that you have got land. You till and you get production. But if you cannot till personally, then you have to employ somebody else. So you have to pay him. Therefore you must require profit.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
So first beginning of love is dadāti, pratigṛhṇāti. If I love you, I must give you. And if you offer me, I will take it, I will take something. Pratigṛhṇāti. Exchange, giving and taking. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti, bhuṅkte bhojayate. If you love somebody, give him to eat, and whatever he gives you, you also eat. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. And if you love somebody then you disclose your mind to him and try to understand him also. By these six processes the symptoms of love is there. But if you say that "I love you," but there is no action...
Guest (2): That giving should be without any intention of taking.
Prabhupāda: No, no profit making, no business that "I give you something. I must have something from you." No, no. Love means without any desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any motive. That is pure love. If I give you something without any motive, that is pure love.
The free will is there. The Māyāvādī philosopher says, the Buddha philosopher says, that "Stop this free will, and then you become happy." But our proposition is not to stop free will but purify free will. Purify. Not stop these eyes. Just if it is suffering from cataract, cure that cataract. Keep the eyes. And their proposition, "Get out these eyes and throw it. Then there will be no more seeing what is right and wrong." That is their proposition. Nirviśeṣa-vādī. Nirviśeṣa means no speciality, no varieties. That is nirviśeṣa. And śūnya, zero. When it is zero, then there is no question of right and wrong. So our philosophy is not that. There is no zero, and there is no varieties. We don't say. There is, but it's purified varieties. Tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. So our process is to purify everything. We don't want to stop. That is not our proposition. They cannot find out any solution. Therefore they want to make stop: "Stop this business." Suppose a business is not going very nicely. It is going at loss. Somebody says, "Close it." But one experienced man comes: "Why should you close? All right, I shall do it properly. You'll get profit." So who is better? One, by disappointment, he says, "Close this business. There is no profit." And another man says, "No, don't close it. We shall make you profit. We shall show you profit. Just manage it properly." This is our proposition. We don't say that "Stop all these material activities." No. Just do it properly so that you get real profit and real benefit. That is our program. We don't want to make it zero, no. Why shall I make it zero? (break) ...can be taken just like there is business, but the workers, the assistants, they have no idea who is the proprietor. So everyone is doing something, taking pocket, something this, take pocket, his pocket, so how the business will go on nicely? That is being done. Everyone, these rascals, they have no idea who is the proprietor of this world. So they are doing in their nonsensical way. Therefore there is confusion. The business is not profitable. But if they accept, "No, the real proprietor is such and such gentleman, so he wants to do us like this," then the business will be profitable. Everyone is thinking that he is proprietor, so how this business will profit? This is the position. Everyone is thinking that he is the proprietor. He forgets that he is worker. He is not proprietor. That is the mistake. Therefore the business is mismanaged, and there is no profit, simply chaos. That is the position. (break)
Prabhupāda: So our process is to purify everything. We don't want to stop. That is not our proposition. They cannot find out any solution. Therefore they want to make stop: "Stop this business." Suppose a business is not going very nicely. It is going at loss. Somebody says, "Close it." But one experienced man comes: "Why should you close? All right, I shall do it properly. You'll get profit." So who is better? One, by disappointment, he says, "Close this business. There is no profit." And another man says, "No, don't close it. We shall make you profit. We shall show you profit. Just manage it properly." This is our proposition. We don't say that "Stop all these material activities." No. Just do it properly so that you get real profit and real benefit. That is our program. We don't want to make it zero, no. Why shall I make it zero? (break) ...can be taken just like there is business, but the workers, the assistants, they have no idea who is the proprietor. So everyone is doing something, taking pocket, something this, take pocket, his pocket, so how the business will go on nicely? That is being done. Everyone, these rascals, they have no idea who is the proprietor of this world. So they are doing in their nonsensical way. Therefore there is confusion. The business is not profitable. But if they accept, "No, the real proprietor is such and such gentleman, so he wants to do us like this," then the business will be profitable. Everyone is thinking that he is proprietor, so how this business will profit? This is the position. Everyone is thinking that he is the proprietor. He forgets that he is worker. He is not proprietor. That is the mistake. Therefore the business is mismanaged, and there is no profit, simply chaos. That is the position.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
A fourteen years old cannot be induced to marry a twenty-six years girl. That is unnatural. And by medical examination, it is found that he's at least thirty-two years. It is declared in the medical, and still, the rascals following him. That he's cheating by talking false things. So in one sense, the Western boys and young generation, they are actually hankering after some spiritual life. So any Indian, so-called sādhu and guru comes, they go there. But they are cheated unfortunately. So you make your society so strong that you be not cheated, and others may not cheat. Then it will be first-class. And if you make another society of cheaters and cheated, there is no profit. Therefore you have to follow the rules and regulations very strictly and become serious. Then you'll be ideal. People are in need of some spiritual energy. Therefore, as soon as some swamis or guru comes, they flock together to get some food. But these rascals are cheating. So you don't do that.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Harikeśa: So, in other words, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is always bringing Mahārāja Parīkṣit to the platform of "Why bother with all of this? Simply perform devotional service"?
Prabhupāda: Huh? No, no. He's giving full knowledge of the universal affairs. He also says at the end that "I have described whatever I have heard." That's all.
Harikeśa: So we should simply describe it without being concerned that the scientific mind may make sense out of it or not?
Prabhupāda: What is this nonsense scientific? That is... We reject immediately. What is scientific? A tiny brain, what is their science? Phene bare dhake nate ute. A snake catcher... There is a kind of snake which has no poison. So he cannot catch even that non-poisonous snake, and he's trying to catch one cobra. So these scientists, what is their value? What they have done anything contribution to the world for the benefit of the human society? They could not give any relief from the disease, relief from old age, relief from death or birth. These are the real problems. So what is their contribution? They have given some horseless carriage. Again there is problem of power. What is actually benefit they have done, that this is the benefit from the scientists? Anything they have done, there is counter disadvantage. This is simply waste of time. Our... We consider our human life is very valuable, and before the next death we should prepare ourself go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our philosophy. We cannot waste a minute time before the next death comes. That is our philosophy. So why should we waste our time, "Where is the moon? Where is sun?" Just have it gist idea, that's all. (break) ...no profit. Suppose the position of the moon is correct according to Bhāgavata or according to the scientist, what benefit we shall get out of it? Whichever may be correct or wrong.
Siddha-svarūpa: Yes, right.
Prabhupāda: We are not getting any profit out of it. So why should we bother about it?
Prabhupāda: No. Materialists cannot understand spiritual subject matter. It is not for them.
Harikeśa: So there is a project in Los Angeles where some psychologists are examining all the devotees.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Harikeśa: Some psychologists are there. They are doing a laboratory test on all the devotees.
Prabhupāda: Yes, he may study in his own way, but he will not profit.
Harikeśa: He will not profit. So this, the findings, even if they are published will not profit?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Harikeśa: The findings? They are going to...
Prabhupāda: So what is their findings? The devotees are working on the soul platform but he does not know what is soul.
Siddha-svarūpa: What are these experiments?
Harikeśa: They're really far out. Actually, they're crazy...
Prabhupāda: The psychology is on the mental platform.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What we can also do is... I think we should have some publication for one rupee twenty-five paisa. We can just print a small ten-page or ten or fifteen-page.
Prabhupāda: What you'll explain in ten or fifteen page?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Otherwise all these books, they cost us about 1.40 for printing.
Brahmānanda: That Hanuman Prasad Poddar, he was producing big books at cheap rates.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They were all subsidized by Rama..., all his books. And he had no profit.
Harikeśa: Also the paper is given free by Samani.
Prabhupāda: No... Yes. They were receiving contribution. Besides that, he possessed agency of Titagara paper mill. So mill rate—immediately 33% less.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And I heard all his books were heavily subsidized by Dalmia.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Dalmia and many big, big Marwaris.
Dr. Patel: As a matter of, sir, the whole cosmos is full of, I mean, intelligence. That is God. But then that intelligence is struck in different way to the, what you call the mind, which is embedded in the matter. So, I mean, each one explains it in his own way, as he understands...
Prabhupāda: No, no. You cannot explain truth in your own way.
Dr. Patel: The whole truth nobody knows and sees. Even our śāstra says.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Things which one does not know, he should not try to cheat others by placing some untruth.
Dr. Patel: It is like five blind men seeing an elephant.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So you should not give the conclusion that "Elephant is like..."
Dr. Patel: Then we don't accept... It is very difficult to know the whole truth by any one of us.
Prabhupāda: No. Therefore our process is upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One has seen the truth. Not these rascals. Tattva-darśinaḥ. Darśinaḥ means who has actually seen. There is no change. The advice is tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevaya (BG 4.34). These are the quotes. Upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. Not that theoretical. Tattva-darśinaḥ. You have to go there. Then you will get knowledge. A blind man goes to another blind man. What is the profit? No profit.
Dr. Patel: Andhena andha-niyataḥ.(?)
Prabhupāda: Ah. Andha yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). A blind man must go to a man who has got eyes, who has seen. Then that is right knowledge. Now we are presenting this book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Let anyone come and challenge. Let anyone come. We have got many scientists. They will talk. What is the value of speculation?
Dr. Patel: I think some scientists have talked nonsense before you, so you are... (laughs) All scientists are not like that, sir. (end)
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jagadīśa: A lawyer, he's come to see your darśana in the garden for the last two nights. He's been giving us a lot of assistance in our legal needs. He seems to be very inquisitive about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's downstairs now. I wonder if he could come up.
Prabhupāda: He has some inquiries?
Jagadīśa: Well, he seems to be eating up the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's very eager to hear.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Jagadīśa: He's downstairs right now.
Rāmeśvara: He's charging us lower rates, doing, working as hard as he can for us at practically no profit to himself.
Prabhupāda: Yes, something must be given.
Jagadīśa: Can I ask him to come up?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hṛdayānanda: This is the greatest gift, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām.
Hari-śauri: It's from the Bhāgavatam?
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Any process you accept, rejecting devotional service, the result will be that there is no profit. You simply labor for nothing, as much as to beat the husk, you'll never get the rice, you will simply be tiresome, that's all. Just like so-called religion. There is no faith in God. There is no need of God, and "religion." This is nonsense. Religion means without God? This is going on. God, you can accept anyone, Ramakrishna Mission. Any rascal...He was a fool, illiterate rascal, Ramakrishna. He became God. No standard, and they are propagating Ramakrishna Mission. As we are preaching Kṛṣṇa is God, they are preaching Ramakrishna. And who's accepting them? For the last hundred years, they are preaching. So who has become a devotee of Ramakrishna?
Prabhupāda: If one goes in the village without any dress, without any, if he plays the part of Kṛṣṇa's and somebody plays the part of Rādhārāṇī, thousands of people will come. There is no need of film. Yatra-party.
Guest (4): Yatra-party, sir, in the films we do those...
Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, that mass of people will come. As soon as they hear that here is some play going on, Kṛṣṇa pastimes, still in India...
Guest (4): It is there, sir, so what my submission was that what we do as film producers and in this line of business, that we do it more on commercial basis. Gimmicks are there, castings are there, but then it is not so much educative. What your Prabhupāda wants to convey. If, as a member of...
Prabhupāda: Education you cannot give. Education means it is practical practice. But to show something, that you can attract even without film. The yatra-party can.
Guest (5): Yatra-party, sir, here again the problem is India's a vast country and for that purpose if you take the whole world as a place, how many yatra-parties can you...
Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say, that even if you attract better crowd, what will be the benefits? Unless, because unless you come to the point of practicing, there is no profit. Who will be attracted to practice Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Nobody is... We are getting practical experience.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: And our Ādi-keśava, he has also grown out his hair for the court case and all the people. He's meeting the politicians.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. But we are famous as shaven-headed. That is already advertised. Shaven-headed means Kṛṣṇas. So why should we relinquish this...
Haṁsadūta: Trademark.
Rāmeśvara: It has made us famous. That's a fact.
Trivikrama: Yes, it means a monk. In the Far East at least, shaven head means monk.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Shaven-headed. These Buddhist monks, they are shaven-headed.
Hari-śauri: Even in the West they shave their heads. And they look something like that.
Prabhupāda: Well, there was some income tax office pleader. So I have given the idea that "The fifty percent, that is promotion expenditure." So he accept..., "Yes, it can be done." Where is the profit? Whatever is profit is promotion expenditure. We give to ISKCON commission, or some way or other, it is spent. So he admitted, "Yes, it can be done." And last night I was suggesting, "For promotion spend." Even if we open a temple, that is promotion.
Jagadīśa: Profit means that people are putting money in their pocket and enjoying. And we don't.
Prabhupāda: But we're not. No. If we open a center, that is propaganda center. Why do you say "temple"? But this is the way of propaganda.
Jagadīśa: Opening a new branch.
Prabhupāda: Do you follow?
Rāmeśvara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So it is promotion for the books. Whatever we do, it is promotion. That's all. And the main point is that it is not profitable, er profit concern, because you are not giving any royalty to the author. So where is his profit-making? Nobody's making profit—the author, the worker, everyone.
Trivikrama: That's a fact.
Prabhupāda: That's a fact. So all expenditure—promotion, that's all. The cost of paper, cost of printing, cost of promotion—finished everything. Make account like that. The income tax father will not touch it.
Hari-śauri: Everything we're doing is propaganda work, everything.
Prabhupāda: That's all. If still there is excess, give some bonus to the gṛhasthas bhaktas. They're family men. Let them have some expenditure.
Jagadīśa: Some wage.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Finished all... No account. So they admitted, both of them, "Yes, sir, that is... That can be done."
Trivikrama: You're a genius.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) And our Gopāla, he is going three times and to—"How to do it?" Do it like that. Everything spend for promotion. Bas. No money. And actually, that is the fact. Where is the profit, and who is going to take the profit? Nobody is there.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Those who don't have children, their expenses are low so they should get less.
Prabhupāda: They have no expenditure. What expenditure? They are getting free boarding and lodging. Maybe little. But that our ISKCON can supply. Of course, one who has got children, they require little. So manage like that, that there is no profit. That's all. Keep account in that way. So this one lakh of rupees, if you take, when you'll return?
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, could I ask one more question about the records?
Prabhupāda: Mm.
Rāmeśvara: Suppose we make a profit. Someone may enquire, "Isn't it better to use the money to distribute more books rather than giving it to the food program."
Prabhupāda: No, no, books department, that is already sufficient income.
Rāmeśvara: I would personally like to use it for the food program.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Book we are getting.
Rāmeśvara: So that's the answer then.
Prabhupāda: And we are not taking any profit. Neither the seller, neither the author is taking any profit. So there is enough money. You haven't got to pay either to the seller or to the writer, then why not spend the whole income? No profit. So we save income tax. And whatever little excess is there, (indistinct), advertise or pay some gṛhasthas some pocket expenses. In this way make it meet. No profit. By our arrangement there is no question of profit but even there is profit, we should pay the gṛhasthas some expenditure. He has... Family man there is... In this way, make always no profit. I was doing from the very beginning (indistinct), then I began to sell books. I was working, I was selling, I was collecting, I was spending, going to the printer, everything. Forcing (indistinct) I was publishing. Work nicely. If I don't force (indistinct), they'll not give me the concession rate, still I am doing. So I think this book department (indistinct) all right, you don't require to invest. But whatever income you'll get from this record business, spend it for giving prasādam. So we have got so many centers, they will feed.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "He gladly bought the Śrīmad..." (break)
Prabhupāda: ...supposed to be intelligent or scholar and does not read my books, his knowledge has no profit. That's a fact. Asampūrṇa. He remains still in darkness. That is a fact.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His learning is imperfect.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If such a person doesn't read your books, his learning is not complete-imperfect. Asampūrṇam?
Prabhupāda: Sampūrṇam is perfect, when he completes reading my books.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Asampūrṇam means incomplete.
Prabhupāda: Imperfect.
Prabhupāda: We don't want any profit. We don't want any profit. You produce. You eat. You chant. Organize. Don't go outside.
Yaśomatīnandana: Don't go to the cities.
Prabhupāda: No. Be man of character. No illicit sex, no intoxication. Vaiṣṇava. Eat sufficiently, dress sufficiently. Live very comfortably. Whatever profit is there, it should be invested again for books. That's... Because we are investing money, our land... Therefore we are not profited. Beneficiary, you. It is a cooperative society. You produce your needs, live comfortably, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Our only interest is that you are taking interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, working. Otherwise we don't want to exploit you. That is not... If there is no sufficient, you can... We help you manage it. You manage your own affair. We give you direction. Live happily, chant. This should be... Will not they agree?
Yaśomatīnandana: Yes, they will very much agree.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Yaśomatīnandana: They already like our program of chanting and dancing.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Regarding your present difficulty with the police, things are going by Krishna's desire, and it will be all right. Try to get recognition from the police that we are a non-profit religious organization. In Los Angeles they have got a permit for begging, so you inquire from Tamala Krishna, and get a copy from him of this permit. We are non-profit religious organization and we have so much expenditure, so try to get this permit. Please keep me posted as to how this is progressing.
1971 Correspondence
So far the posters for temple altars, if you have got extra money you can print the posters. But I am against the policy of our ISKCON Press charging exorbitant prices for books and other things which they sell to the temples. Our policy should be cost price, or if a little more (10% above cost) is required for other expenses, that may be added. But it is not that we are in business to make profit from each other. With the public, that is a different thing. But our real business is to spread Krishna Consciousness, and for that our centers require so many things like books, tapes, photos, like that—and these should be freely exchanged between the temples to be utilized nicely in preaching work, without profit-making.
1972 Correspondence
For this first issue, because it cost you a rupee to produce, and because the temples are selling at one rupee, therefore you can only charge them one rupee and we shall take no profit this time. From now on, if you are printing 10,000 copies at 80 paise each, then you may bill 85 paise and they can sell at one rupee. Each center should send their magazine money directly to my BKF Account in Bombay Central Bank of India. I shall advise each center that as soon as they get the magazines they should advance the money via inter-bank mail transfer to my BKF Account.
One thing is, I left on February 11th from Bombay and still there was neither intimation nor waybill for the 2000 BTG's, and you say "receipt no." and then there is blank, so I am curious how you are doing things, when you say everything was dispatched on the 5th. In 6 days mail cannot travel between Delhi and Bombay? Also, I understand that you were requested to send the magazines immediately upon returning to Delhi from Jaipur, which ended on the 23rd. Why you delayed so long? Now we have no Hindi magazines to distribute, either in Madras or Visakhapatnam, so I think things are not being managed very well, because, even there may be now 2000 magazines in Bombay, also there is no one there now to distribute them, nor will anyone be there until March, so you must take all these things into account, because unless the magazines are distributed nicely, what is the use of printing them? Also, I note that only Rs. 850/- was collected from Jaipur, but I was told by you and by others that more than 1000 magazines were sold. Kindly clear up this matter. And why no magazines (by 10th February) have been sent to Calcutta. There are many Hindi-speaking people there, practically the business community is all Hindi-speaking, so why they have not received any BTG's?
Another thing is, it was stipulated that you would print ten thousand copies each issue, and, as per your letter of 30th December, 1971, you have given me quote from Radha Press at Rs. 7984/- for 10,000 copies, why this is broken? If it is better to order less, still, we are not able to enhance the price so much under the circumstances. For 5,000 copies you have paid nearly Rs. 1/- each copy, so why such huge discrepancy between 80 paise per copy and 1 rupee per copy?
For this first issue, because it cost you a rupee to produce, and because the temples are selling at one rupee, therefore you can only charge them one rupee and we shall take no profit this time. From now on, if you are printing 10,000 copies at 80 paise each, then you may bill 85 paise and they can sell at one rupee. Each center should send their magazine money directly to my BKF Account in Bombay Central Bank of India. I shall advise each center that as soon as they get the magazines they should advance the money via inter-bank mail transfer to my BKF Account.
| Page Title: | No profit |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas, Caitanya |
| Created: | 20 of May, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=2, SB=16, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=20, Con=16, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 60 |