Don't Concoct Your Own Self-Realization System

In the present extremely materialistic age of Kali the actual process of self-realization is practically completely forgotten being buried in an avalanche of bogus philosophies and bogus systems that do absolutely nothing to deliver their adherents from the repetition of birth and death. Everybody wants to be a teacher of their own concocted philosophy, and nobody wants to be a student. One cannot manufacture their own system of self-realization. Only God and those who purely represent God through the parampara system, the ancient system of disciplic succession, can teach the bona fide self-realization system.

Teaching the Genuine Self-Realization System
20 May 2012-Aheloy, Bulgaria

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Responsible Householders Suffer Karma?

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

We had the following Thought for the Day on May 20th, 2012:

"Karma yoga means that one does his duty and offers the fruit of his work to Krishna. One who keeps the fruits of his work for himself and his family is a karmi, not a karmi yogi. He will have to take karmic reactions for all of his activities by taking birth again here in this material world. "

In regards to this I have the following questions:

What does it exactly mean to keep the fruits of one's work for ones family? Would Krishna not want a devotee of His devotee to be responsible and put away some earnings to provide for his family on a rainy day (job loss, sickness, etc.)? If this is indeed the case, then is it not best to take the easy way out and become a sannyasi? Why take responsibility to provide for a wife and children in sunshine and rain and suffer karmic reactions?

Please guide me,

Sanjay

Answer: Devotee Householders are Liberated

If one's money is spent for engaging himself and his family in Krishna's service, that is offering the fruit of one's work to Krishna and is therefore karma yoga. But if one's money is spent for the sense gratification of himself and his family, that is karma and will keep him and his family bound up in the wheel of birth and death.

Bhaktivinode Thakur has written a very nice song in which he teaches the perfect mood for householders:

'āmāra' bolite prabhu! āre kichu nāi
tumi-i āmāra mātra pitā-bandhu-bhāi

“O Lord, nothing further remains that may be called ‘mine.’ Father, friend, brother-You alone are all these to me.”

bandhu, dārā, suta, sutā-tava dāsī dās
sei to' sambandhe sabe āmāra prayās

“My friends, wife, sons and daughters are now Your servants and maidservants. Whatever care I take for them is only as they are related to You.”

dhana, jana, gṛha, dāra 'tomāra' boliyā
rakhā kori āmi mātro sevaka hoiyā

“Declaring that my wealth, family members, home, and wife are truly Yours, I continue as a mere servant to dutifully protect them.”

tomāra kāryera tore uparjibo dhan
tomāra saṁsāre-vyaya koribo vahan

“For the purpose of Your service I will earn money and bear the expense of maintaining Your household.”

bhālo-manda nāhi jāni sevā mātro kori
tomāra saṁsāre āmi viṣaya-praharī

“I know nothing of what is good or bad; I simply render my service. I am but a watchman set to guard the properties of Your household.”

tomāra icchāya mora indriya-cālanā
śravana, darśana, ghrāna, bhojana-vāsanā

“I exercise my senses only according to Your direction, and thus I desire to hear, see, smell, and taste.”

nija-sukha lāgi' kichu nāhi kori ār
bhakativinoda bole, tava sukha-sār

“I no longer do anything for my own pleasure. Bhaktivinode says, ‘Your pleasure is the essence of everything.’"

If you will adopt this mood of householder life as so nicely explained by Bhaktivinode Thakur, you will become perfect in Krishna consciousness and become a liberated soul.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari