Perfection Through Occupational Duty

А. Ч. Бхактиведанта Свами Прабхупада · Бомбей · 1971

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Achieving perfection through occupational duty

Prabhupāda: So, everyone has got a particular type of duty. That is called dharma. So why execute... [break] ...our occupational duty? One can become perfect.

It doesn’t matter whether he is a businessman, or whether he is a lawyer, whether he is an engineer, whether he is a priest, or anything else. By executing his occupational duty he can become the perfect. How?

How it is possible? One has to see, whether by his professional duty, he is satisfying Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam SB 1.2.13. That is the test.

It doesn't matter whether you are businessman or lawyer, but if you test your occupation by satisfying the Supreme Lord, that is your perfection. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this principle.

We do not request anyone to become a sannyāsī or give up home and go to Himalaya and practice haṭha-yoga. No. Our principle is that in whatever condition you are, you remain there.

That is the instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted one verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while talking with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya.

Conquering the Lord through humility

That verse is: jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva SB 10.14.3. One should not try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by speculative mental exercise. This process should be given up.

One should be humble and meek. That is also the demand of Bhagavad-gītā. BG 18.66सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥६६॥sarva-dharmān parityajyamām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajaahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyomokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥAbandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

So, in absolute humbleness one should try to hear from the realized soul, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām namanta eva SB 10.14.3.

In that position, although the Lord is unconquerable, He becomes conquered by the devotee. So we are recommending, we are preaching all over the world, this philosophy that you do not require to change your position.

Even if you require to remain as a Christian or as a Muhammadan or a Hindu or a Jewish or Buddhist, it doesn't matter. Please try to see whether by your activities God is satisfied.

That is the injunction in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, SB 1.2.6स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे ।अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता ययाऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति ॥ ६sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmoyato bhaktir adhokṣajeahaituky apratihatāyayātmā suprasīdatiThe supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

Defining religion and hearing process

That is first-class religion, by which one is elevated to the platform of loving transcendental service to the Transcendence, Adhokṣaja: without any cause, ahaitukī apratihatā, and without being hampered.

In that way one can be peaceful. Otherwise there is no possibility of peace. So how this is possible? That is also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

SB 1.2.17श्रुण्वतां स्वकथां कृष्ण: पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तन: ।ह्रुद्यन्त: स्थो ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति सुहृत्सताम् ॥ १७ ॥śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥpuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥhṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇividhunoti suhṛt satāmŚrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart as Paramātmā. BG 18.61ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ॥६१॥īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁhṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhatibhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāniyantrārūḍhāni māyayāThe Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.

Kṛṣṇa is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is within your heart, He is within even the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ [Bs. 5.35]. So Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.

Simply Kṛṣṇa wants to see whether you are trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. So how you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Simply by hearing about Him.

For hearing Him there is Bhagavad-gītā, which is Kṛṣṇa personally speaking, and there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is spoken about Kṛṣṇa. So even if you cannot read, you can hear from realized person.

Even if you are not educated, you do not know Sanskrit, you can hear from a person who has realized Kṛṣṇa.

In this way, if you try to hear about Kṛṣṇa, simply this hearing process is pious activities, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you simply hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa, you acquire piety.

In this way, as soon as you acquire piety, you become interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Overcoming material modes and contamination

Unless one is free from contamination of all sinful activities, one cannot be interested in kṛṣṇa-kathā. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

BG 7.28येषां त्वन्तगतं पापं जनानां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ।ते द्वन्द्वमोहनिर्मुक्ता भजन्ते मां दृढव्रताः ॥२८॥yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁjanānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇāmte dvandva-moha-nirmuktābhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥPersons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.

There are many verses in Vedic literature that kṛṣṇa-kathā, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, makes us free. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ [

So there are hundreds and thousands of evidences that simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa you become free from all contamination of this material world, because Kṛṣṇa Himself will help you to cleanse your heart, abhadrāṇi.

We are being conducted in this material world by three modes of nature: the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance.

Out of these three qualities, the modes of passion and ignorance, rajas, tamaḥ, they are calculated as abhadra, mischievous. If you have addicted to the passion and ignorance, then we cannot make any progress.

You have [to] come to the platform of goodness, the brahminical qualification, then we can understand what is spiritual life.

And that will be possible simply by hearing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or if you want to be still progressing, you can read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā.

Spreading the Krishna consciousness movement

And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has especially recommended that, "By My order," He says the..., exactly the Bengali words, CC Madhya 7.128যারে দেখ, তারে কহ ‘কৃষ্ণ’ উপদেশ ।আমার আজ্ঞায় গুরু হঞা তার’ এই দেশ ॥ ১২৮ ॥yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśaāmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

"You simply carry My order, and whomever you meet, you simply speak the philosophy of the topics about Kṛṣṇa."

So, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness Movement has taken up this injunction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu very seriously, and we are talking to the people simply about Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and it is acting very nicely.

It is acting very nicely. We have got now forty branches all over the world, and everywhere, boys and girls like these, our all disciples, are all young men and young women.

They are from twenty to thirty years of age, but they are doing very excellently.

They have no time otherwise; each of them would have talked with you how they are feeling, how they have come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and how they have become purified by this movement.

So we have brought these boys and girls in India just to show you example. If persons who had no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa five years ago, they can take to this life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously, you cannot do this?

You also can do, but you are neglecting. Don’t neglect. Don’t spoil your life simply by imitating the animals. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very hard task.

Anyone can chant anywhere. There is no hard-and-fast rules and regulation for chanting. You can chant on the street, you can chant on your bus, you can chant in your office—anywhere. Nobody will object.

Please try these transcendental activities and see how you are happy. That is our Movement. We don’t impose any artificial gymnastic process, that place your nose in this way and to keep your head like this way. No.

In whatever position you are, simply utilize your tongue by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and tasting bhagavat-prasād. That is the way of realizing Kṛṣṇa.

Purifying senses through devotional service

It is stated in the Bhāgavata, CC Madhya 17.136অতঃ শ্রীকৃষ্ণনামাদি ন ভবেদ্‌গ্রাহ্যমিন্দ্রিয়ৈঃ ।সেবোন্মুখে হি জিহ্বাদৌ স্বয়মেব স্ফুরত্যদঃ ॥ ১৩৬ ॥ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādina bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥsevonmukhe hi jihvādausvayam eva sphuraty adaḥ“ ‘Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.’You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by your present blunt material senses. You have to purify.

That is bhakti process. Bhakti process means purifying the senses. Suppose you have got some disease in the eyes. It is not that you pluck out your eyes from the socket. You cure it.

We don’t follow the Māyāvādī process or the Buddhist process to commit spiritual suicide. No. We are after cure, curing the material diseases, and that is bhakti process.

CC Madhya 19.170সর্বোপাধিবিনির্মুক্তং তৎপরত্বেন নির্মলম্ ।হৃষীকেণ হৃষীকেশ-সেবনং ভক্তিরুচ্যতে ॥ ১৭০ ॥sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁtat-paratvena nirmalamhṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate“ ‘Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’

You have to free..., you have to become free from the designated condition. You have to forget yourself, that you are Indian, you are American, you are German, you are brāhmaṇa, you are kṣatriya, you are śūdra. No.

Your real identity is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Our real identity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

You stick to that, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," and act accordingly. Then you will be happy. That is bhakti. CC Madhya 19.170সর্বোপাধিবিনির্মুক্তং তৎপরত্বেন নির্মলম্ ।হৃষীকেণ হৃষীকেশ-সেবনং ভক্তিরুচ্যতে ॥ ১৭০ ॥sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁtat-paratvena nirmalamhṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate“ ‘Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’

Bhakti means to serve the master of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the master of the senses. His name is therefore Hṛṣīkeśa. You have heard this name Hṛṣīkeśa in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Arjuna requests Kṛṣṇa, senayor ubhayor madhye hṛṣīkeśa sthāpaya [Bg. 1.21], "Just place my chariot between the two armies my dear Hṛṣīkeśa." So Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses.

So our senses we claim..., we are claiming that this hand is mine, this leg is mine. Actually they belong to Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore with your, with your hands, with your legs, with your eyes, with your ears, with all your senses you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And if you try to do that, that will make your life successful.

So the process is very simple. Simply try to hear kṛṣṇa-kathā. SB 1.2.17श्रुण्वतां स्वकथां कृष्ण: पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तन: ।ह्रुद्यन्त: स्थो ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति सुहृत्सताम् ॥ १७ ॥śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥpuṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥhṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇividhunoti suhṛt satāmŚrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.He is very friendly to everyone, every living entity.

He is trying to rectify, and especially He is friendly to His devotees. So in this way,

Attaining joy in the age of Kali

SB 1.2.18नष्टप्रायेष्वभद्रेषु नित्यं भागवतसेवया ।भगवत्युत्तमश्लोके भक्तिर्भवति नैष्ठिकी ॥ १८ ॥naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣunityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayābhagavaty uttama-ślokebhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikīBy regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

If you daily, as a routine work, you serve this bhāgavata process, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and reading a portion of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or serving His..., a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is also bhāgavata.

By this process you will become a firm devotee of the Supreme Lord. This means situation on the platform of goodness. In this way gradually you have to develop your devotional service. Then you will be jolly.

SB 1.2.20एवं प्रसन्नमनसो भगवद्भक्तियोगत: ।भगवत्तत्त्वविज्ञानं मुक्तसङ्गस्य जायते ॥ २० ॥evaṁ prasanna-manasobhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥbhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁmukta-saṅgasya jāyateThus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.

As soon as you become free from the contamination of the ignoble qualities of this material world—ignorance and passion—you immediately become joyful. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

BG 18.54ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥५४॥brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmāna śocati na kāṅkṣatisamaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣumad-bhaktiṁ labhate parāmOne who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.

So I don’t wish to take much of your valuable time. Please try to follow this simple process.

Wherever you remain, whatever you may do, try to chant this mahā-mantra, [joined by devotees] Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

This is confirmed also by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that in this age of Kali there is a great opportunity. What is that? SB 12.3.51कलेर्दोषनिधे राजन्नस्ति ह्येको महान् गुण: ।कीर्तनादेव कृष्णस्य मुक्तसङ्ग: परं व्रजेत् ॥ ५१ ॥kaler doṣa-nidhe rājannasti hy eko mahān guṇaḥkīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasyamukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajetMy dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become free from all the contamination of this material world, and he is promoted to the spiritual world.

So this simple process I think every one of you can accept it, and you do not require to change anything of your activities.

Simply begin from this day chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [applause] [end]