Human life's priceless moments are wasted pursuing destined material gains; dedicate them instead to Krishna consciousness.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.4 — December 5, 1975, Vṛndāvana 751205SB-VRNDAVAN [37:47 Minutes] SB-07.06.04_751205SB-VRNDAVAN Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter, fourth verse.
[leads chanting of verse, etc.] tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam [SB 7.6.4] [break] [00:58] Translation: "Therefore, only for the purpose of sense gratification, material activities like economic development are simply a waste of time and energy without any practical profit. If such energy and endeavor is utilized for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, surely one can attain to the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no benefit by engaging oneself in economic development." Prabhupāda: tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam [SB 7.6.4] So prayasa, activities... Rūpa Gosvāmī has forbidden, atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca ṣaḍbhiḥ bhaktir pranaśyati [NoI 2] There are six kind of activities which will increase your transcendental importance of life, and there are six kinds of activities which will destroy your whatever little devotion you have got.
These, in the Upadeśāmṛta you will find, how you can increase and how you can finish. So about finishing, if you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayāsaḥ. The first thing is atyāhāra, eating too much than necessity, atyāhāra, or collecting more than you require.
For maintenance of your body you have to secure some monetary benefit—but not more than what you require. People are not satisfied. At the present moment everyone is trying to get more and more and more and more and more. There is no satiation.
This kind of endeavor is forbidden. It will not help you. But people are mad after money. If he is getting, say, five hundred rupees, he says, "No, why five hundred?
Five thousand." And if he gets five thousand, then he says, "Why five thousand? Five lakhs." And if he gets five lakhs, then he says, "Why five lakhs? Five crores." This is there. The whole world is going on.
They are never satisfied. You go to any rich man: "Sir, you have now enough money. Please come to our meeting in the morning, seven-thirty." "No, I have no time." He's earning money. So everyone thinks, "To earn money is my first business. That is...