KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.7.14 – Part 5 TODAY (09/19/21):
- SB 7.15.19 – Because of greed for the sake of the senses, the spiritual strength, education, austerity and reputation of a devotee or brāhmaṇa who is not self-satisfied dwindle, and his knowledge gradually vanishes.
- SB 7.15.16 – One who is content and satisfied and who links his activities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing in everyone’s heart enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring for his livelihood. Where is such happiness for a materialistic man who is impelled by lust and greed and who therefore wanders in all directions with a desire to accumulate wealth?
- SB 7.15.17 – For a person who has suitable shoes on his feet, there is no danger even when he walks on pebbles and thorns. For him, everything is auspicious. Similarly, for one who is always self-satisfied there is no distress; indeed, he feels happiness everywhere.
- SB 7.15.18 – My dear King, a self-satisfied person can be happy even with only drinking water. However, one who is driven by the senses, especially by the tongue and genitals, must accept the position of a household dog to satisfy his senses.
- SB 7.15.20 – The strong bodily desires and needs of a person disturbed by hunger and thirst are certainly satisfied when he eats. Similarly, if one becomes very angry, that anger is satisfied by chastisement and its reaction. But as for greed, even if a greedy person has conquered all the directions of the world or has enjoyed everything in the world, still he will not be satisfied.
- When there is an increase in lobha, or greed, which is the greatest enemy caused by rajo-guṇa, the mode of passion, how can one advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
- If one is very greedy to enhance his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is a great boon. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlam. This is the best path available.
- For spiritual advancement, one should be materially satisfied, for if one is not materially satisfied, his greed for material development will result in the frustration of his spiritual advancement.
- There are two things that nullify all good qualities. One is poverty. Daridra-doṣo guṇa-rāśi-nāśī. If one is poverty-stricken, all his good qualities become null and void.
- Similarly, if one becomes too greedy, his good qualifications are lost. Therefore the adjustment is that one should not be poverty-stricken, but one must try to be fully satisfied with the bare necessities of life and not be greedy.
- For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement.
- SB 7.15.22 – By making plans with determination, one should give up lusty desires for sense gratification. Similarly, by giving up envy one should conquer anger, by discussing the disadvantages of accumulating wealth one should give up greed, and by discussing the truth one should give up fear.
- If one is determined not to live with a woman, even while seeing a woman he will not become lusty. If one is determined not to have sex, he can automatically conquer lusty desires.
- Even if one is hungry, if on a particular day he is determined to observe fasting, he can naturally conquer the disturbances of hunger and thirst.
- If one is determined not to be envious of anyone, he can naturally conquer anger.
- Similarly, one can give up the desire to accumulate wealth simply by considering how difficult it is to protect the money in one’s possession.
- If one keeps a large amount of cash with him, he is always anxious about keeping it properly.
- Thus if one discusses the disadvantages of accumulating wealth, he can naturally give up business without difficulty.
- By discussing spiritual knowledge one can conquer lamentation and illusion, by serving a great devotee one can become prideless, by keeping silent one can avoid obstacles on the path of mystic yoga, and simply by stopping sense gratification one can conquer envy.
SB 2.7.14 – Part 5
We are going to hear the real problem of human life, the one that most people cannot control. Very precious information, gives deep understanding of why people have difficulty controlling lust, greed and anger. How it contaminates everything they do and it is impossible for them to be KC.
Unless they meet and serve a pure devotee, if they have the ability to be humble and allow them to be instructed.. It is very impossible and they are overwhelmed by the lust, greed and anger all the time.
SB 7.15.19
Because of greed for the sake of the senses, the spiritual strength, education, austerity and reputation of a devotee or brāhmaṇa who is not self-satisfied dwindle, and his knowledge gradually vanishes.
One is greedy for sense gratification. This happens during puberty.. All their desires from previous lives are awakened. They are overwhelmed. They become attracted to illicit activities in the form of music sense gratification and excitement and titillation of the senses and all these things… The key word here is SELF SATISFIED. It is discussed in the previous verses…
SB 7.15.16
One who is content and satisfied and who links his activities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing in everyone’s heart enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring for his livelihood. Where is such happiness for a materialistic man who is impelled by lust and greed and who therefore wanders in all directions with a desire to accumulate wealth?
SB 7.15.17
For a person who has suitable shoes on his feet, there is no danger even when he walks on pebbles and thorns. For him, everything is auspicious. Similarly, for one who is always self-satisfied there is no distress; indeed, he feels happiness everywhere.
SB 7.15.18
My dear King, a self-satisfied person can be happy even with only drinking water. However, one who is driven by the senses, especially by the tongue and genitals, must accept the position of a household dog to satisfy his senses.
Household dog refers to a person who is married very attached to family, attached to making money, maintain prestige, gadgets, vacations.. Unending greed for material sense gratification…
SB 7.15.20
The strong bodily desires and needs of a person disturbed by hunger and thirst are certainly satisfied when he eats. Similarly, if one becomes very angry, that anger is satisfied by chastisement and its reaction. But as for greed, even if a greedy person has conquered all the directions of the world or has enjoyed everything in the world, still he will not be satisfied.
In Bhagavad-gītā (3.37) it is stated that lust, anger and greed are the causes of the conditioned soul’s bondage in this material world. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. When strong lusty desires for sense gratification are unfulfilled, one becomes angry. This anger can be satisfied when one chastises his enemy, but when there is an increase in lobha, or greed, which is the greatest enemy caused by rajo-guṇa, the mode of passion, how can one advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
If one is very greedy to enhance his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is a great boon. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlam. This is the best path available.
Greed can never be satisfied.. Anger can be satisfied… Story of 4 boys who are climbing the mountain.. Saw copper utensils.. at an elevation and one of the boy said I will collect copper things, go home and sell and make money,,.. Rest of the 3 kept going and to find more.. Next elevation has gold vessels.. One of them wants to take them home and make money.. Other one wants to see even better.. He kept going up and up to find even valuable things.. He sees a man with something on his head.. And the bird picked it and it dropped on his head… it was heavy.. The man said thank you for coming and taking my curse as I was too greedy. I got this greed wheel curse.. This final boy got stuck.
Instead of becoming greedy for money, prestige.. We should become greedy for Krsna Consciousness..
SB 7.15.21
O King Yudhiṣṭhira, many persons with varied experience, many legal advisers, many learned scholars and many persons eligible to become presidents of learned assemblies fall down into hellish life because of not being satisfied with their positions.
For spiritual advancement, one should be materially satisfied, for if one is not materially satisfied, his greed for material development will result in the frustration of his spiritual advancement.
There are two things that nullify all good qualities.
One is poverty. Daridra-doṣo guṇa-rāśi-nāśī. If one is poverty-stricken, all his good qualities become null and void.
Similarly, if one becomes too greedy, his good qualifications are lost. Therefore the adjustment is that one should not be poverty-stricken, but one must try to be fully satisfied with the bare necessities of life and not be greedy. For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement. Learned authorities in devotional life consequently advise that one not endeavor to increase the number of temples and maṭhas. Such activities can be undertaken only by devotees experienced in propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All the ācāryas in South India, especially Śrī Rāmānujācārya, constructed many big temples, and in North India all the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana constructed large temples. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also constructed large centers, known as Gauḍīya Maṭhas. Therefore temple construction is not bad, provided proper care is taken for the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if such endeavors are considered greedy, the greed is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and therefore these are spiritual activities.
A materialist who wants to acquire many things, even opening temples, societies, but that is because of material greed. It is not a pure thing. On the other hand someone wants to build temples to train people in KC .. that type of greed is good. It fills the desire of Krsna.. That all living beings come back to him. The majority of them are in the spiritual world and a minority of them revolted and came here into this material world which has 3 types of miseries.. There is sex desire, greed, anger.. We are in bad position in this material world. We are harassed by material nature.. We cannot stop birth death old age and disease.. With alll themedicines and hospitals.. People are dying.. With all the contraceptives.. But people are still born,. Material nature works under the devas who work under Krsna.. It is inferior energy of Krsna and it is impossible to overcome.. Stupid people believes the nonsense that death, old age can be conquered..
Instead of trying to control the death , old age,, one should try to control the lust greed and anger..
SB 7.15.22
By making plans with determination, one should give up lusty desires for sense gratification. Similarly, by giving up envy one should conquer anger, by discussing the disadvantages of accumulating wealth one should give up greed, and by discussing the truth one should give up fear.
Just like lets make a plan to chant 16 good rounds early in the morning every day. Lets make a plan to come to temple and listen to the class everyday,, this is the solution to stop the lusty desires..
People become angry because one is envious of someone or something.. Envy is you want something so badly, that you are only satisfied only when you get it and others dont get it…. Example – Staple food of Irish – potatoes.. British bought up all the potatoes and stoked them in military warehouses.. They destroyed the crop.. This caused tremendous famine.. Many irish people left Ireland and went to other countries.. They did the same thing in Bengal.. Technique of taking away things and keeping to oneself so no one else gets it.. The inflation.. All these are games played by the greedy people.. Ravana was lusty of Women and envious of men who have beautiful women.. Mandodari is very beautiful.. That is not enough..
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has suggested how one can conquer lusty desires for sense gratification. One cannot give up thinking of women, for thinking in this way is natural; even while walking on the street, one will see so many women. However, if one is determined not to live with a woman, even while seeing a woman he will not become lusty. If one is determined not to have sex, he can automatically conquer lusty desires.The example given in this regard is that even if one is hungry, if on a particular day he is determined to observe fasting, he can naturally conquer the disturbances of hunger and thirst. If one is determined not to be envious of anyone, he can naturally conquer anger. Similarly, one can give up the desire to accumulate wealth simply by considering how difficult it is to protect the money in one’s possession. If one keeps a large amount of cash with him, he is always anxious about keeping it properly. Thus if one discusses the disadvantages of accumulating wealth, he can naturally give up business without difficulty.
There was once a relatively poor Brahmana.. He lived near a Businessman.. He came to the Brahmanas house and said “ can I speak to you please? I don’t trust even my wife and kids.. I have a lot of money.. I am going on a long trip.. I want you to protect my money while I am gone.. “ Brahmana was not sure but agreed to help.. Late one night he hears soft knocking on the door.. He looks out the window and sees the business man came with a box of jewels.. And gives it to him and leaves. The wife of Brahmana sees and asks “who was that and what was that.. He said he does not trust anyone and he only trusts me.. “They are so worried of the money they are always watching it and protecting and miss mangala arti… and they dig a hole with hands to bury the box.. They feel there is so much trouble with money.. Finally the Brahmana said, I cant chant, cant eat, cant say mantras and I cant even pass stool.. He goes takes the box and gives to the wife of Business man and tells the truth and she is shocked.. He says never come to me you or your husband..
This is the problem greed causes…
SB 7.15.23
By discussing spiritual knowledge one can conquer lamentation and illusion, by serving a great devotee one can become prideless, by keeping silent one can avoid obstacles on the path of mystic yoga, and simply by stopping sense gratification one can conquer envy.
Lust, anger, greed and envy.. Just destroy a person.. It is not simple as this.. One must accept a bonafide guru to overcome these kids of negative influences in life..
Greed comes in any form subtle form.. SATISFACTION is the key.. The three boys were satisfied and the fourth one was not and look at what happened to him.