(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, Soweto South Africa, 15th April 2012) Lecture: CC Talk
Question: Are we dependent on our jobs for our maintenance? Or are we dependent on Krishna? Work is sometimes so stressful and it seems like such a difficult endeavour for maintenance.
Maharaja: I know all about it but everything is stressful. We live in the world and we have to do something to get the money. You have to do something to survive. It’s tough. Maybe one day we can just say:
‘Now I’m going full time for Krishna.’
You know I said that:
‘Okay, now it’s full time and nothing else! I will not change this dress. I will be just like this.’
Finished and that’s where it ends. From morning to night Kadamba Kanana Swami. I don’t switch names, or dress, and just stay like this. But it’s also hard work. It’s like last night I finally finished it and in the morning I came from Ladysmith and all day until 11.15 at night and this morning at 4.45 we had to leave…it’s also hard work.
So the material world is a bit of a struggle no matter what you do and no matter where you go. This is the material world, and why does Krishna wants us to struggle?
The struggle will make us stronger. Otherwise we would be lying on our bed all day, getting fat:
‘Bring more food!’
Like a mountain lying on a bed – a mountain of flesh lying on the bed.
‘Put it in my mouth! I want more grapes!’
But if we work then we also become strong. If you struggle then you become strong. Soweto is not the easiest place to live and that is obvious, because there is a lot of poverty, and a lot of other issues. Therefore the people have become strong. The people are tough and they can take it! You become tough if you struggle.
Therefore the work that we have to do in this world also helps us to become stronger. If we didn’t have to do anything and you get everything for nothing, then we become weak! If you have to work for things, and you earned it yourself, well that is better than them giving you everything:
‘Here take this, and take that.’
So work is also Krishna’s plan. Krishna wants everyone (no matter what, even if you become a sanyasi) to work. We all have to work and that is the nature. It is Krishna’s plan to make us stronger!
