Accepting Money for Gratifying Our Senses or for God's Service
In the execution of devotional service, the exchange of wealth presents both a danger and an opportunity. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while money is often associated with the illusory energy, its spiritual quality depends entirely on how it is utilized. This article explores the distinction between accepting contributions for the satisfaction of the senses—which leads to bondage—and accepting them for the service of the Lord, which leads to liberation.
Pollution through Materialistic Charity
Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that accepting contributions from those absorbed in sense gratification can contaminate the consciousness of a spiritual practitioner. It is emphasized that the mind becomes polluted when one accepts the hard-earned wealth of materialists, making spiritual progress difficult because the recipient absorbs the sinful reactions and mentality of the donor.
- Advaita Acarya, My spiritual master, should never accept charity from rich men or kings, because if a spiritual master accepts money or grains from such materialists his mind becomes polluted.
- It is very risky to accept money or food from materialistic persons, for such acceptance pollutes the mind of the charity's recipient.
- If one accepts money from materialistic persons to offer food to the Deity and Vaisnavas, a pure Vaisnava does not accept it. This causes unhappiness for the materialists because they are fully absorbed in the bodily conception of life.
Proper Attitude in Preaching
Although wealth is often an agency of māyā, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs that a preacher must deal with money for the service of the Lord. The crucial safeguard against illusion is the firm determination to never utilize such funds for personal sense gratification, but strictly for Kṛṣṇa's mission, which transforms the energy from material to spiritual.
- Maya's most attractive feature is women and money. We Krishna Conscious men have to deal with women and money in course of preaching work, and the only prophylactic measure to save us is not to accept them for our sense gratification.
- A Vaisnava guru accepts money or other contributions, but he does not employ such contributions for sense gratification.
Standards for Brahmanas and Householders
Regarding social orders, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while a gṛhastha generally should not accept charity, a qualified brāhmaṇa may do so provided he does not accumulate wealth. Ideally, one remains independent and self-sufficient, as exemplified by great souls who refused to compromise their integrity for salary or gifts, maintaining their status solely to serve society without obligation.
- The grhastha cannot accept charity. But a grhastha-brahmana, he can accept charity, but he will not, I mean to say, accumulate money by taking charity. Whatever he gets, he must spend.
- There must be brahmanas who are independent. Canakya Pandita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Maharaja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary.
- Srila Murari Gupta never accepted charity from friends, nor did he accept money from anyone. He practiced as a physician and maintained his family with his earnings.
Renunciation and Detachment
True renunciation involves rejecting the illusory claim of ownership over material assets. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights the example of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who rejected family inheritance to depend solely on the mercy of the Lord, understanding that material attachments bind the soul to the bodily concept of life and that accepting money from worldly sources can compromise one's spiritual standing.
- However, because he has received the mercy of Your lotus feet, he does not even accept his father's money. Instead he eats by begging alms from centers for the distribution of food.
- Raghunatha dasa did not accept the money and men sent by his father. Therefore the brahmana and one of the servants stayed there with the money.
- Mohad grha-ksetra-vasuni: out of illusion only does the materialist accept his home, his land and his money as permanent.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the act of accepting money acts as a barometer for one's spiritual advancement and intent. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that while the accumulation of wealth for personal security or enjoyment is a symptom of illusion and greed, the acceptance of resources for the sole purpose of propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a necessary risk taken by preachers. The key lies in absolute purity; one must ensure that every farthing accepted is engaged in the service of the Lord, thereby protecting oneself from the contamination of māyā and offering liberation to the giver.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Accepting Money. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.