Human life exists solely to inquire about the Absolute Truth, not to satisfy insatiable material desires.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10 — October 21, 1972, Vṛndāvana 721021SB-VRNDAVAN [33:43 Minutes] SB-01.02.10_721021SB-VRNDAVAN Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] kāmasya nendriya prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10]
Prabhupāda: Anyone else? [devotees chant] [break] Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms] kāmasya—of desires; na—not; indriya—senses; prītiḥ—satisfaction; lābhaḥ—gain; jīveta—self-preservation; yāvatā—so much so; jīvasya—of the living being; tattva—Absolute Truth; jijñāsā—inquiries; na—not; arthaḥ—end; yaḥ ca iha—whatsoever else; karmabhiḥ—by occupational activities. [02:22] "Life's desires should never be aimed at gratifying the senses. One should desire to live only because human life enables one to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This should be the goal of all works." Prabhupāda: Hm. kāmasya nendriya prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10] So we were discussing dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90].
So we have already discussed that religiosity does not mean to gain material gain. Generally, people take to religiosity for material gain. We have already discussed, just people go to the church: "God, give us our daily bread." Or even in temple they go to ask something, material gain. But actually religiosity's not meant for that purpose.
Religiosity meant for dharmasya āpavargyasya. To enter into life of religiosity means to get out of the threefold miserable condition of life, apavarga. So then dharma, artha, money also we want. Arthasya dharmaikāntasya na kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ [SB 1.2.9]. We want money—that's all right—but not for satisfaction of our lusty desires.
Money has got its use. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we get money also. But we are spending for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our need is very great.
People will be surprised what we are expending per month. We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month. In New York, we spend ten thousand per..., dollars per month, or more than that. Similarly, on the average, we spend not less than ten thousand dollars per each branch.
But we have got calculation. We, we are spending seventy thousand dollar, dollar per month. So Indian exchange means seven lakhs of rupees. So we need money. And we are getting money also.