Economic development wastes human life; Krishna consciousness revives our forgotten relationship with God.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Devotees repeat] [leads chanting, etc.] tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam [SB 7.6.4] [02:35] Translation: "Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit.
If one's endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development." Prabhupāda: tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam [SB 7.6.4] This is the essence of instruction of all Vedic instructions. What is that? Na tat prayāso kartavyo.
Everyone is engaged for developing economic condition. The whole world is engaged how to develop economic condition. There were so many empires, especially in the Western countries. The British Empire, what was their aim?
To develop economic condition. Bring money from all over the world in London, and become lord, baron, this, that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't endeavor for all these things." Don't endeavor. "Why not?
Shall I not?" "No," he said. "No, you should not." Why? Yata āyur-vyayaḥ. "You are simply wasting time." Wasting time.
The so-called economic development may be temporary. Actually, you cannot improve. We can see practically, so many people, in big, big cities, they are trying to develop their economic condition to improve their status of life, but do you think that everyone is successful? In big, big cities, in our country India, Calcutta, Bombay, at least, we have seen it that everyone..., there are so many millions of people, they are trying, but still you'll find somebody is living in palace building and somebody is living in slum.
"Everyone has got equal chance in big, big cities. They can improve." No. That is not possible. In Western countries, when I did not come to your country I thought USA or in Europe, there is no poor man. I was thinking like that.