Ian Polsen: I've just been promoted to deal with Value Added Tax, and I will go up from 1,400 pounds a year to 1,700 or 1,800 pounds a year. I'm not sure of my new salary, because I'm starting on Monday.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. That means our 150 pounds per month?
Ian Polsen: Less the tax.
Prabhupāda: Less the tax.
Śyāmasundara: About 4,500 a year, dollars, I think. Thirty-six hundred? (other devotees calculate)
Ian Polsen: Do you deal in percentages?
Prabhupāda: Anything can be . . . which can be engaged in the service of the Lord should not be given up. This is our philosophy. Should not be given up. We don't say: "Oh, money is material. I do not touch. My hand becomes turned up." No. (laughs) We don't say all these nonsense philosophy.
We know the money, lakṣmī, is Kṛṣṇa's property, so it should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Why it should . . . money we should not touch? Money is Kṛṣṇa's. It must be touched and it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. We don't try to . . . forget that pseudo renouncement. What I have got I shall renounce? Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.
Our renouncement means we renounce our personal sense gratification, that's all. That is renouncement. Materialism means personal sense gratification, and spiritual life means no personal sense gratification—all Kṛṣṇa's gratification. That's all. The same teaching by Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna was thinking in terms of personal sense gratification: "I shall not fight. It is not good to kill my kinsmen, my brother." That was his personal sense gratification. From ordinary point of view people will say: "How Kṛṣṇa is . . . Arjuna is nice, that he's giving up his claim, and nonviolent."
But this philosophy Kṛṣṇa immediately kicked out. Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam (BG 2.2): "Oh, why you are talking nonsense like this?" That was His answer. (laughs) And next He said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvam prajñā-vādāṁś ca (BG 2.11), "You are talking just like a very learned man, but this kind of lamentation is not done by any learned man. That means you are fool number one." (laughter)
So after understanding Bhagavad-gītā he agreed to fight: "Yes. I shall fight." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now people will say, "Oh, fighting, killing is Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Yes, Kṛṣṇa wants it. To . . . therefore our business is not in the estimation of this material world to become a good man. Our estimation is how Kṛṣṇa will accept me as good man, that's all. We don't care for this world. Just like gopīs, they left their husband, they left their father, went to Kṛṣṇa. What is this philosophy? They wanted to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not their father, brother.