Pure devotional service to Krishna is the only means of genuine relief from all material suffering and karmic reactions.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
The Nectar of Devotion "Relief from Material Distress." — November 4, 1972, Vṛndāvana 721104ND-VRNDAVAN [39:04 Minutes] NOD_721104ND-VRNDAVAN Pradyumna: [offers obeisances] ... sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe Prabhupāda: Hmm. Pradyumna: From page number two.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. Pradyumna: " 'Relief from Material Distress.' In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that one should surrender unto Him, giving up all other engagements. The Lord also gives His word there that He will protect such surrendered souls from the reactions of all sinful activities. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the distresses from sinful activities are due both to the sins themselves and to sins committed in our past lives." Prabhupāda: Hmm now, "Relief from Material Distress." There are two kinds of activities: pious activities and impious activities. Generally we understand by performing impious activities, we suffer, and by performing pious activities, we enjoy.
But actually, in the material world there is no enjoyment. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna [Cc. Antya 4.176]. In the material world, in the world of duality, either we think "This is pious" or either we think "This is impious," they are practically on the same platform.
We take it as pleasure. Just like several times I have explained, people here in this material world, they are working very hard all day and night. And when they gain some material profit after working so hard, they think that "This is profit. This is happiness." Actually, where is the happiness?
If one is working very hard, where is the happiness? So this is called illusion. In the śāstra it is said, "Generally, people in this material world, they are in..., in the rajo-guṇa." Therefore hard-working activities, they take it as pleasure. If some saintly person do not work, he is engaged in devotional service or meditation or chanting, sometimes it is misunderstood that "These people are escaping," because they take it very nice to work very hard. Unless you work very hard, they take it as a process of escaping: "They..., they're escaping the social obligation and other obligation by taking to mendicant life and living at the cost of others." So many things.
So they like it, to work very hard. But our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transferring that hard working to the business of Kṛṣṇa. That tendency for hard working may be utilized. Just like the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that lust and anger, these are our enemies. Kāma-krodha-lobha-moha-mātsarya.
But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that the kāma also can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kāmaṁ kṛṣṇa-karmārpane. If one is very much attached to work for Kṛṣṇa, that tendency for the karmīs to work very hard for sense gratification, it can be utilized. It can be... Similarly, 'krodha' bhakta-dveṣi jane [Prema-bhakti-candrikā].