Prabhupada 0883 - Don't Waste Your Time How to Solve Your Economic Problems
Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973
So Kṛṣṇa likes to be related with His devotee as father and mother. Here, in this material world, we try to make our relationship with the Supreme as father, but Kṛṣṇa wants to become the son. Therefore nanda-gopa-kumārāya (SB 1.8.21). He takes pleasure to become a devotee's son. Ordinary men, they want God as father, but that is not very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Father means... To become father means always botheration: "Give me this, give me this, give me this." You see. Of course, Kṛṣṇa has got immense potencies to supply. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He can supply everyone as much he wants. He's supplying food to the elephant. He's supplying food to the ant. Why not to the human being? But these rascals, they do not know. They're working day and night like ass to find out bread. And if he goes to church, there also: "Give me bread." They are only bread problem. That's all. Although the living entity is the son of the richest opulent person, but he has created his bread problem. This is called ignorance. He thinks that "If I do not solve my bread problem, if I do not drive my trucks day and night..."Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. whoosh. Such a nonsense civilization. You see. Bread problem. Where is bread problem? Kṛṣṇa can supply. If He can supply food to the elephant in Africa... There are millions and millions of African elephants, you know, and they are supplied food.
The Bhāgavata says don't waste your time for this bread problem. Don't waste your time. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Don't waste your time how to solve your economic problems. This is nonsense. Of course, it is very revolutionary. People will hate me. "What Swamiji's speaking?" But actually this is the fact. This is another madness. Suppose you have got your rich father, enough food. Where is your economic problem? This is madness. There is no economic problem. If you are, if you know that "My father is the richest man of the city," then where is my economic problem? Actually, that is the position. We have no economic problem. Everything is there, complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśo Invocation). Everything is complete there. You want water. Just see: there are oceans of water. You want purified water. You cannot. Although the ocean water's so much, when there is scarcity of water, you have take help of Kṛṣṇa. He'll evaporate the water, He'll make it cloud. Then when it falls down, then it becomes sweet. Otherwise you cannot touch. Everything under control. Everything is full-water, light, heat. Everything is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). His stock is never finished. Simply you become obedient and the supply is there. You can understand.
These Kṛṣṇa consciousness persons, they have no problem, economic problem. Everything is sufficiently supplied by Kṛṣṇa. In Los Angeles, the neighbors, they are very envious, that "You do not work. You have no anxiety. You have got four cars. You are eating so nicely. How is that?" They inquire from our devotees. That is the actually the fact. We are spending so much money, we have got so many centers. The calculation is about $70,000 we are spending. Who is supplying? Somehow or other, we are getting. So there is no problem. You simply become sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. Everything is there. This is the test.