Occupational duties (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"occupational duties" |"occupational duty"

Notes from the compiler: link for Letter to Various does not work

1969 Correspondence

You'll find that the first class occupational duty is to develop love of God without any motive or impediment.

Letter to Vrndavanesvari -- New Vrindaban 25 May, 1969: So don't be discouraged. If you follow the principles of Krishna Consciousness, your activities may be accepted anywhere. It doesn't matter whether it is in Europe or America because it is all transcendental. You may just continue your attitude to serve Radharani and you can be on the spiritual platform, without any being deterred by material impediments. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, you'll find that the first class occupational duty is to develop love of God without any motive or impediment. When we shall be able to execute our business of Love of Godhead, unimpaired, at that time we shall be freed from all sophistication.

Krishna advised Arjuna especially to be engaged in his occupational duty, and at the same time always be thinking of Krishna. This is the secret of not being a victim of Maya.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Tittenhurst 29 October, 1969: If one is always careful about falling down and prays to Krishna that he may not fall down on account of greater strength of Maya, then Krishna will give him special protection. This was advised to Arjuna by Krishna Himself. Arjuna was a great fighter, statesman, and at the same time a great devotee. A statesman and military commander has very little time to perform the routine work of devotional service, but Krishna advised him especially to be engaged in his occupational duty, and at the same time always be thinking of Krishna. This is the secret of not being a victim of Maya. Rayarama's case is different. He definitely denied my instructions. I asked him to come to me and live with me, and he definitely denied. So this denial is cause of his temporary suspension of devotional life, but if he has executed devotional service in the past sincerely, I think he cannot go back.

Our religious principles or natural occupational duty is to learn how to love Krishna. We are practicing this and we are teaching this. So let us very steadily stick to our principles and our movement will surely come out successful.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Tittenhurst House, England 31 October, 1969: Everywhere it is stated sri bhagavan uvāca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead said. And all the acaryas have accepted these words as they are spoken by the Lord. No authorized acharya has ever commented that it was put into the mouth of Krishna by Vyasadeva or Sanjaya or any other person. I give you all these hints not for general discussion, but for your personal understanding to know the respective positions of different types of religious principles. Ours is transcendental because we are not very much concerned with the minor moral or immoral principles, although each and every devotee is a first class moralist. But our religious principles or natural occupational duty is to learn how to love Krishna. We are practicing this and we are teaching this. So let us very steadily stick to our principles and our movement will surely come out successful.

1970 Correspondence

Krishna is eternal, and we all living entities, being parts and parcels of Krishna, are also eternal. And the reciprocal exchange of love between the two eternals is called "eternal occupational duty" or Sanatana Dharma.

Letter to Sriman Bankaji -- Los Angeles 13 March, 1970: Actually there is no such word as "Hindu" in the Vedic literatures. The "Hindu" name was given by the Mohammedans with reference to the river Indus or Hindus, from Sindhu. So the Vedic culture is not for any sect of country, it is meant for the whole human society. In other words, Vedic culture is also known as Sanatana Dharma which means "eternal function of the eternal living entities." Krishna is eternal, and we all living entities, being parts and parcels of Krishna, are also eternal. And the reciprocal exchange of love between the two eternals is called "eternal occupational duty" or Sanatana Dharma. I am very glad to know that you are very much anxious to cooperate with my movement in the Western world. And if you kindly do so, it is not only welcome, but also Krishna will be very much pleased upon you and bestow His blessings. If your friends who are "educated and ambitious band of young workers" will agree to follow my direction, I think they can render a great service to the human society. We should not any more think in terms of Hindu society. If we limit ourselves to Hindus, then there will be many competitors like the Christians, Mohammedans, Buddhists, and so on. But if we preach the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness in right earnest, it will be accepted throughout the whole world.

1971 Correspondence

We learn from Srimad-Bhagavatam that a person may be situated in any occupational duty but the perfection of such activity is tested by the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna.

Letter to Atreya Rsi -- Calcutta 17 May, 1971: I am to understand that you have professional managerial experience and are presently engaging your talents to strengthen the managerial position of our N.Y. center. That is very valuable service and I thank you very much. We learn from Srimad-Bhagavatam that a person may be situated in any occupational duty but the perfection of such activity is tested by the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. And because you are engaging your talents in His service, surely Krishna will be pleased upon you and give you all facility for advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Simply if you will regularly chant Hare Krishna Mantra, 16 rounds daily and without fail and rigidly follow the regulative principles of devotional life, read all our books and engage in Krishna's business 24 hours, your rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness will be certain.

Activities in the loving service of the Lord is the occupational duty of every man. In other words we are preaching all over the world the principle of one God, one community, one scripture, and one occupation. This principle has been accepted practically all over the world.

Letter to Chairman of Municipal Committee of Vindavan -- Delhi 30 November, 1971: 1) We are establishing various centres all over the world to propagate Krishna Consciousness, which means recognizing that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead;

2) Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita is the scriptural evidence of this fact; 3) The chanting of the Holy Name (the Hare Krishna Mahamantra) is the Vedic hymn; 4) Activities in the loving service of the Lord is the occupational duty of every man; 5) In other words we are preaching all over the world the principle of one God, one community, one scripture, and one occupation. This principle has been accepted practically all over the world. We have got an international body of students trying to preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness, and we are so pleased the people of Vrindaban (Brijbasis), as well as the Fathers of Vrindaban Town—all of them have appreciated our attempt. I am so much obliged to the devotee-residents of Vrindaban for their giving me the civic reception.

We want to open a centre of magnificent proportions in Vrindaban City, as was discussed with Your Honor by my secretary, Sriman Ksirodakasayi das Adhikari. I therefore request you to give us the one-acre piece of land near the Dak Bungalow for this purpose.

1972 Correspondence

I shall not expect to find some perfect circumstances of occupational duty which will cause me to be automatically Krishna conscious. Real attitude of devotional service —that is devotee, satisfied to serve Krishna in any circumstances of life. So try to impress this fact, we should kill this restless spirit. Enthusiasm and patience, these things required.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Vrindaban 5 November, 1972: Advancement in Krishna Consciousness is not the result of material conditions. I shall not expect to find some perfect circumstances of occupational duty which will cause me to be automatically Krishna conscious, no. So why shall I think that by changing this, going here or there, doing something else—why shall I expect that I will become happy by adjusting material conditions in this way? They have not understood. Real attitude of devotional service is, whether I am here or there, whether I am doing this or that, it doesn't matter, just give me little prasada, little service, or if you make me big leader, that's all right—that is devotee, satisfied to serve Krishna in any circumstances of life. So try to impress this fact, we should kill this restless spirit. Enthusiasm and patience, these things required. If under changing conditions, I lose my enthusiasm, if I cannot endure the difficulties of my duty, therefore I go away—then how I can be leader? These things must be understood. Otherwise the whole thing will fall.

Devotee will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty—by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 22 December, 1972: Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country, so educate them gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders. So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna, never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee that he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty—by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati—our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary.

It is the eternal occupational duty of the living entity to surrender to Krishna, that's all.

Letter to Sri Govinda -- Bombay 25 December, 1972: Therefore, in fact, it is a society of weak men—everyone is weak before Durga Devi or the material energy. If you see sometimes her picture, the foolish materialist is being held by the claws of her tiger-carrier, while she pierces him to death with her trident weapon. She has got ten arms, each with weapon, she is so strong, but we are so weak that simply by piercing with her trident, the three-fold miseries, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, and adhyatmika, the foolish materialists are all defeated! And before Krishna, Durga devi is very weak—Krishna is the controller of Durga. So Krishna is the strongest: sattyam sattvavatam aham, "I am the strength of the strong." Therefore, being weak, it is the eternal occupational duty of the living entity to surrender to Krishna, that's all. In the surrendering to Krishna, if everyone does it, still, the brahmanas will be served by the lower castes, the kings will be served by vaisyas and sudras, the vaisyas will be served by the sudras, and the sudras will serve all higher castes—there is still utilizing the weak by the strong—but feeling themselves always very much weak in comparison to Krishna, the whole society services the Strongest, therefore there will be no envy of the stronger by the weaker class of men. So perfect society, or Vedic society, does not eliminate competition—competition, stronger and weaker, must be there—but it eliminates envy, because everyone is weak before Krishna.

1973 Correspondence

Occupational duty means to stick with one type of occupation which is just suitable for me, considering that it is my duty, therefore I am throughout my life obligated to perform it to the best of my ability.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 2 January, 1973: Now work very vigorously to develop these places, that is your great task at hand. You needn't look further to find some big challenge. The challenge is very near at hand. That means developing and expanding along the lines as you have begun. Of course we are not ever very much anxious to repeat the same activity many times, that is the nature of the living entity, that he seeks to enjoy varieties of flavors. But mature understanding of activity means to take it as our occupational duty. That is to say, suppose I am established as good carpenter, then it will be foolish if after some time I am thinking, "Oh, I have done this cutting of woods so many times, now it is becoming boring and uninteresting, therefore let me become a doctor," no. That is not recommended by Krsna, neither is it common sense. Occupational duty means to stick with one type of occupation which is just suitable for me, considering that it is my duty, therefore I am throughout my life obligated to perform it to the best of my ability. This is mature understanding of occupation. That means I must not leave it even for so-called good cause, just like Arjuna wanted to stop his fighting activity just to avoid killing so many of his kinsmen, cousin brothers, and other friends. So we are preachers on behalf of Lord Krsna, that is our occupational duty, we haven't got to search any further some new challenge or change our engagement. No, that has been already settled up. Now best thing will be to develop more and more what we have begun.

Once it is adopted, the grhastha life, even it may be troublesome at times, it must be fulfilled as my occupational duty.

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: Simply get married without considering what is the serious nature of married life, then if there is little disturbance, or if I do not like my wife or my husband, let me go away, everyone else is doing like that. So in this way the whole thing is becoming a farce. You say that your "association together was hindering your advancement." But Krsna consciousness marriage system should not be taken in that way, that if there is any botheration that means something is hindering my spiritual progress, no. Once it is adopted, the grhastha life, even it may be troublesome at times, it must be fulfilled as my occupational duty. Of course, it is better to remain unmarried, celibate. But so many women are coming, we cannot reject them. If someone comes to Krsna it is our duty to give them protection. Krsna has informed us in Bhagavad-gita that even women and sudras and others inferior class of men can take refuge in Him. So the problem is there, the women must have a husband to give protection. Of course, if the women can remain unmarried, and if there is suitable arrangement for the temple to protect them, just like in the Christian Church there is nunnery for systematic program of engaging the ladies and protecting them, that is also nice.

Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another.

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: Because the real fact is that if there is any difficulty with others, that is my lack of Krsna consciousness, not theirs. Is this clear? Krsna says that His dearest devotee is one who does not put others into difficulty, in fact, who puts no one other into difficulty. So try to judge the matter on these points, whether or not you are putting either your wife or yourself into some difficulty. The right understanding of Bhagavad-gita is Arjuna's understanding. In other words, Arjuna came to the conclusion that he must perform his occupational duty, not as a material obligation, for reasons of wife, family, friends, reputation, professional integrity, like that—no. Rather he must conduct the functions of his station of life only as a devotional service performed for Krsna. That means that devotional service is what is important, not my occupational duty. But it does not mean that because occupation duty is not the real consideration, that I should give it up and do something else, thinking that devotional service may be carried on under whatever circumstances which I may whimsically decide. Krsna recommended Arjuna to remain as he was, not to disrupt the order of society and go against his own nature just for convenience sake. Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another. Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna? Just like Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has no work, neither He has anything to do, still He comes here to teach us this lesson. He accepts not only His occupational duty as cowherd boy, royal prince, but also He accepts married life, He enters politics, He is philosopher, He is even chariot driver during a great battle, He does not give example of Himself avoiding His occupational duty. So if Krsna Himself is exhibiting by His own conduct what is the perfection of existence, then we should heed such example if we are intelligent. Even supposing there is wife at home, with children, that does not matter, that is no hindrance to our spiritual life. And once we have accepted these things, occupational duties, we should not lightly give them up. That is the point. Of course, our occupational duty is as preachers of Krsna consciousness. So we must stick to that business under all circumstances, that is the main thing. Therefore married, unmarried, divorced, whatever condition of life, my preaching mission does not depend on these things.

Married life being an impediment to my own spiritual progress, that will not be very good at all. That is misunderstanding of what is advancement in spiritual life. Occupational duty must be there, either this one or that one, but once I am engaged in something occupational duty, then I should not change that or give it up, that is the worst mistake.

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973: I want to avoid setting any bad example for future generations, therefore I am so much cautiously considering your request. But if it becomes so easy for me to get married and then leave my wife, under excuse of married life being an impediment to my own spiritual progress, that will not be very good at all. That is misunderstanding of what is advancement in spiritual life. Occupational duty must be there, either this one or that one, but once I am engaged in something occupational duty, then I should not change that or give it up, that is the worst mistake. Devotional service is not bound up by such designations. Therefore once I have chosen, it is better to stick in that way and develop my devotional attitude into full-blown love of Godhead. That is Arjuna's understanding.

1975 Correspondence

Even though one is qualified brahmana, he does not get sufficient opportunity to act as brahmana, and therefore he is obliged to accept the occupational duty of someone who is outside the brahminical post.

Letter to Prabhakar -- Honolulu 31 May, 1975: In the days past, when Prthu Maharaja was the emperor, his government was inspecting to see whether a brahmana is acting actually as a brahmana, whether a ksatriya is acting as a ksatriya, and all the different castes were engaged in all their respective duties. At the present moment, even though one is qualified brahmana, he does not get sufficient opportunity to act as brahmana, and therefore he is obliged to accept the occupational duty of someone who is outside the brahminical post. But if we accept the principle of varna and asrama as they are recommended in the sastra, and if we push on the Krishna Consciousness movement, surely everyone will be engaged in his occupation and the question of unemployment will be finished. Therefore, I think if we propagate this movement on the principles of Bhagavad-gita, all the problems of the human society will be solved. I can do all this business if some leading man of India co-operate with me. When I was in Delhi, Nandaji met me and I spoke to him exactly as I am writing now, but he said that immediately, these things cannot be introduced. But, I think it can be introduced immediately without any loss of time, provided you are serious about it.

1976 Correspondence

Even if a brahmana is very learned in Vedic literatures and knows the six occupational duties of a brahmana, he cannot become a guru or spiritual master unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Letter to Pranada -- Delhi 27 March, 1976: "Even if a brahmana is very learned in Vedic literatures and knows the six occupational duties of a brahmana, he cannot become a guru or spiritual master unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, if one is born in a family of dog-eaters but is a pure devotee of the Lord, he can become a spiritual master." The point is that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is always purusa (male) not female (prakrti). "purusam sasvatam divyam, adi devam ajam vibhum." Worship of the mother aspect is prakrti, not recommended by Krishna for the intelligent class of men.

You are helping us to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement all over the world. That is the perfection of spiritual life, when one may utilize his occupational duty to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In return he shall be rewarded with something more satisfying than simple monetary considerations.

Letter to VARIOUS -- Unknown Place: I am in due receipt of your kind card wishing me the best for the new year coming of 1973, and I thank you very much for thinking of me in this way. As you are thinking of me, so also I am sometimes thinking of you with fond appreciation how much you are helping us to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement all over the world. That is the perfection of spiritual life, when one may utilize his occupational duty to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, although he is engaged in normal business pursuits, because he is contributing something of his energy for satisfying the Supreme, in return he shall be rewarded with something more satisfying than simple monetary considerations. Without such making sacrifice for God or Krsna, our life is only full of anxieties, worries, insecurities, and false ideas. Trying to be happy under these conditions is impossible. Still the materialistic men struggle to live long under great difficulty to tryto make a permanent settlement in the material environment, and everything is defeated at the moment of their death. So what is the use of such wasted labor? So we are most pleased that you and other good members and employees of Dai Nippon Company are giving such nice service to Krsna. That means you are getting benefit also.