Business in an ethical manner | 29 Apr 2022 | Juhu | Śrīla Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Goswāmi

You can see from there.

Good morning, all of you. Thank you so much, Your Holiness Gopal Krishna Ji, for gracing the occasion of inaugurating the Business Conclave, which is the premier organizing function at Shriram College of Commerce, wherein the students bring in stalwarts from various spheres be it politics, spirituality, sports, film industry, in order to learn from their lives. It's very unfortunate that in the present scenario where we try to make our professional journey successful and in the day-to-day activities of taking care and fulfilling the needs of our family, sometimes there is a disconnect, and the disconnect often turns out to be from our own selves. Whether it is our mind, body, or soul. And when this kind of a disconnect happens, this is where spirituality means a lot in order for us to lead a life which is a very satisfying life. Successful life is different from a happy life and a satisfying life. And with us we have Holiness Gopal Krishna Ji, who despite being so highly qualified in terms of his academic credentials, ultimately is trying to connect how spirituality is a path towards holistic development of mankind. Sir, as an institution which excels in the teaching of economics and commerce, often in our very first lecture of economics we say that desires are unlimited But the resources are limited, and that is where the concept of economics and pricing of scarce resources comes. But sir, with the kind of interactions and the lessons and the guidance you have been giving to the public at large clearly shows how desires too can remain limited, and sometimes even after fulfilling all your desires, you may not end up to be a happy person. So what is this connect between mind, body, and soul, sir? Not just my students, but equally me as the principal of the college look forward to hearing your views. And once again, thank you so much for gracing this occasion. And this is the inaugural session of the business conference. Thank you once again, sir, for being with us at Sridham College of Commerce.

So I start now. Hare Krishna. Should I start now? First of all, I would like to thank the organizers of the Business Enclave for inviting me to speak on this occasion. And I want to appreciate the wonderful work that the conclaves have been doing. Am I being heard clearly? Can I have some feedback? Okay. Business conclave being organized by Sriram College, very prestigious college in India. And unless you get top marks, you can't enter into that college. And the business conclave is being organized with a goal that we can produce successful businessmen. To do business, there's no harm, but We should have ethics in our life. Today we see that a lot of people doing business, they lack ethics. And the Vedic conclusion is that everything belongs to God. Ishwara shaivam sarvam. God is the proprietor of everything. And if God is the proprietor of everything, and everything should also be used in his service. Today we see that society is lacking character. We see that people's behavior is very unethical. People are just arrogant, they're full of pride, anger, harshness, and ignorance. We are anxious to cultivate material knowledge, we don't give any priority to spiritual knowledge. Without spiritual knowledge, human life is a failure. Shrama evikyam. So in the Bhagavad Gita, it is explained that for us to be successful in any area, we should keep God in the center and we should develop ethical culture. These days, Business conferences all over, people talk about ethics, but they don't really practice ethics. We think that just by talking, that is enough. We need to practice ethical behavior in our dealing. When we practice ethical behavior, then society will work in harmony. Today, what do we see in society today? Gross unrest. And unlimited wars and so on. So we need to inject sanity in society. In the 9th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, Raja Vidya Raja Goyam. This knowledge is very important. It is the king of education. And PRASAD RAVAL, I'm sure you've heard about him, he says that we must cultivate spiritual knowledge from a young age. Now what happens if you cultivate spiritual knowledge? If you cultivate spiritual knowledge, you grow up with character, you grow up with morality, good habits, and you can make positive contribution to society. Because of lack of spiritual education, we see that Most of us are born in ignorance, they are brought up in ignorance, and they usually also pass away in ignorance. If one is fortunate enough to come in contact with a saintly person, then he understands the goal of life. So through the Bhagavad Gita, we understand that this body is a temporary companion. Just like the body is also always changing. And similarly, at death, you take on another body. And this body is just a temporary companion. Then we have bad habits. You're born in a polluted atmosphere. And to correct our habit, we need right association. If we have the right association, then you can cultivate spiritual knowledge. So in the Bhagavad Gita, Kṛṣṇa says, this body is a temporary companion. What is permanent is the soul. And this science of soul must be learned from a young age. The great sage PRASAD RAVAL said, "Cultivate this knowledge from the age of 5." Now you may be wondering why am I talking about the Bhagavad Gita in a business conclave. The reason I've talked, we're talking on this topic is because without character, without morality, without ethical principles, You can't succeed in any area. Due to ignorance, we think greed can be satisfied. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, lust, anger, and greed, three highways that take you to hell. So just like we value material education, we should also value spiritual education. And we, our spiritual education that we give, is based on the Vedas. The word Veda means knowledge, and this knowledge is not sectarian knowledge. It is meant for entire humanity. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the famous writer who translated nearly 90 books into English, has presented this very ancient Vedic knowledge all over the world. And all over the world today, people are accepting this knowledge. His books have been translated in over 80 languages of the world, and people are being enlightened with this knowledge. Many of us in India think, "Oh, this is outdated. This is fiction. This is mythology. This is not essential." It's not mythology. It's not fiction. Is a reality. And Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda took this Vedic knowledge to virtually every corner of the globe. And today you have colleges all over the world teaching Bhagavad-gītā as a reference book or a course book. Now, we cultivate spiritual knowledge, then what happens? You grow up with good habits, These days you see that the youth of India getting totally spoiled because of the lack of spiritual training. And if they have the spiritual training, then they grow up with character. Then they know how they're supposed to live. Then when they do business, they do business with ethical I have been to several business conclaves where the theme has been business and ethical behavior. We all talk about ethical behavior, but unfortunately we don't practice it. So what we need is people who will practice it. And ethical behavior can be practiced any part of the world. What is lacking? What is lacking is the spiritual understanding. So it is very nice you have organized this conclave, business conclave, and if we give this knowledge as the Bhagavad Gita, then we will grow with character, and then the society will become a peaceful place for them. Today you see there is so much unrest in society. There is depression. 3 out of 5 patients who go to see a doctor go to see him for depression, because they are feeling some type of depression. And again, as all of you know, there is a lot of unrest in society. And why is all this there? It's man's greed. Greed. We think that if I can only have more, more, more, I'll become happy. What we see in society, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and this is due to lack of knowledge. When you water the root of the tree, also water all the branches and leaves. So similarly, if we cultivate this knowledge, that is the foundation for ethical behaviour, then society will become peaceful. Today we also see that the world is running out of natural resources. The world is running out of natural resources. Why? We lack our spirituality. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains that food grains come from rainfall. Rainfall comes when we perform sacrifice. And when you perform sacrifice, you get cooperation from the Supreme Lord. Material nature, we're totally dependent on material nature. For example, earth, water, fire, ether. These are all essential for us to live. And these material ingredients are provided by whom? Provided by God. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, full rains will come only if we have rainfall. And rainfall will come When we perform religious duties. A strong harvest is helpful in boosting any economy. So, we don't follow the laws of God, the material nature doesn't cooperate. This is explained in the Bhagavad Gita. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the story of a king called King Vena. This King Vena was godless. He stopped all the offerings that were going on. He chastised the Brahmanas. He told them, "Worship me." When the Brahmanas saw all types of worship have been stopped, in society. They thought it was very dangerous to give a king of this type, and they cursed him and his son, Prithu, became the king. First thing that he did was to inject God consciousness, and then all the necessities of life which were previously stopped became available. So this is what is lacking in society. So whether you want to be a businessman, whether you want to be an expert technician, whether you want to be a housewife, our goal should be to recognize that without God consciousness, nothing can be successful. And he, and the Lord is the ultimate proprietor of everything. And when you recognize the Lord is the ultimate provider, You also desire to use this in the service of the Lord. So we presently, we see that the behaviour is unethical. We want to inject ethical behaviour. So this Business Council will succeed in its real mission of producing men with character if we give them the knowledge that the Bhagavad Gita gives. Today we have devotees acting on the essence of the Bhagavad-gītā all over, all over the world, and the Western societies too. And they're realizing that Bhagavad-gītā has immense amount of knowledge to give. And by practicing and reading the Bhagavad-gītā, you can answer all the questions you may have. Bhagavad-gītā has an answer to every question you may possibly have. And Bhagavad Gita destroys ignorance and enlightens you. So we need to enlighten society today. Some of us unfortunately think that we talk about spiritual subject matter, it is a waste of time, it's something embarrassing. That's not a fact. Today all over the world people are realizing that without spirituality human life is a waste. And without spirituality, you cannot have peace of mind. And this peace of mind can come only when we take Vedic message, or the message of the Koran, or Bible, as a guide. There must be some element of spirituality, and that is very important. So, I have a busy day today. And I want to thank the organizers for having invited us to participate in this program. And we hope that your audience will take advantage of this philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita. And we'll be happy to come again, work on more Prasad Raaval for enlightening the audience on the goal of human life. So thank you very much. And I am participating in another conference in 5 minutes, so I have to go to that conference. And I apologize for being a little short. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Any— is it time for taking one or two questions? Hare Krishna.

Thank you so much, sir. I think I can speak from everyone's side when I say that Guruji's words were truly enlightening. We are so thankful to have you here with us today. A little bit about sir. Guru, his holy name is Gopal Krishna Ji. Did his bachelor's degree at Dayal Singh College and has a double MBA from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and from Sorbonne University, Paris. Currently, he is in ISKCON group and a member of the governing body commission and an initiating guru within the group. He is an international religious leader and regularly delivers lectures on various special scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam at various ISKCON temples. He has also been featured in various radio and television channels and print media nationally and internationally, commenting on various issues. We are truly honored to have someone of your stature here with us. Thank you so much, sir, for inaugurating the event.

There's no time, no time for questions. No, no. Okay, thank you.

Sir is asking if there are questions.

Any question?

I can take one or two.

Please do. Ask. Interact with him, sir.

Let's see his interactions. Sir, if you could please shed some light upon how we can inculcate spirituality and ethics as a student in our our lives now that we are about to graduate and we are about to enter the corporate world and we are about to start our lives, you know, a new chapter in our lives. So if you could please shed some light upon it.

We need to cultivate spiritual knowledge and realize the importance of spiritual knowledge. Unfortunately, we are brought up in a society where we think this is the least important thing. Where it is the most important. Simple process is read the Bhagavad Gita, one verse a day. Bhagavad Gita as it is, I'm sure many of you have seen this everywhere, is today available in over 80 languages of the world. And you read the Bhagavad Gita, you find your mind will become totally peaceful. We don't have peace. You may have money, you may have power, you may have influence, but no peace of mind. Is that true? In America, there was a survey, and people were asked a question: What do you want in life that money cannot buy? And the number one answer was peace of mind. Peace of mind cannot be bought with money. If you take spiritual knowledge, it will help you. And anyone can read the Bhagavad Gita. Okay.

Thank you, sir. Thank you for your wise teachings. I also got a question from the audience here, sir. The students want to know how management lessons can be learned from our Gita, which is the most revered spiritual book in the world. If you could please share some lessons that we can integrate in our lives.

When you're running a business, what are you really looking for? You're looking for honest employees, you're looking for a good environment, People work to the maximum, and this can only be attained if you have people with character. Today, one of the biggest challenges is you can't get honest employees. You can't get men with character. And why is that? Because of lack of spiritual education. If you give them this knowledge that the Bhagavad Gita, then they will recognize the value of honesty. And if you recognize the value of honesty, then you also recognize the importance of good character. Today we see that people are engrossed in so many sinful activities, and still they're not happy. We have thousands of people all over the world read Bhagavad-gītā every day. And you should talk to these people. They'll tell you how the Bhagavad-gītā has changed their lives, how the Bhagavad-gītā has given them a path of happiness.

Any other? Thank you, sir. Yes, sir. Sir, another question. How do we find balance and solitude in this chaotic world? Now that when you have to be active all the time, you have to support your family, you have to run your business, you have to do your job. With all these cluttered life, how do we find balance and solitude?

The last part of your question? How to find balance of life. Balance of life. How to define it? Krishna doesn't say don't work, don't do business, don't study. Krishna says whatever you do, do it for my pleasure and then offering unto me. So spend 8, 9 hours a day to do business and you do your other activities and Also spend some time in chanting the names of the Lord, which is a process of mantra yoga, and reading the Bhagavad Gītā. You can lead a balanced life. If you lead a balanced life, then you will be peaceful. Then the society, the country will prosper.

Thank you, sir. Thank you. Uh, now, uh, have you asked one last question from yourself?

Yes, last question.

Now that many—

I'm sorry—

many students are suffering from the mental repercussions of the pandemic, and, uh, there would be no other better person, uh, to tell us how spiritual practice and how meditation can help us. So if you could please tell us how important it is and how do we practice and gain something out of it.

When we have bad habits, sinful habits, material nature strikes. You must understand there is something known as the law of karma, which in brief means for every action there is a reaction. Just like in the Bible it is said, "As you sow, you shall reap." So based on our activities, our future quota of happiness and distress is decided. And now the sinful burden on the earth is so heavy, people are not happy at all. And because they are engaging in Sinful activities, material nature is giving them, giving them pain. And material nature strikes in various ways: floods, earthquakes, drought, virus. It's all due to heavy sinful activity on the earth. Mother cow should be protected. Cow is one of our seven mothers. We don't do that, and that is why nature retaliates. So laws of nature are very severe. And if we live by the laws of God, then society will be peaceful.

We would like to thank you, sir, for gracing the occasion and enlightening us with your thoughts and ideas. We are sure that everyone in the attendance today benefited tremendously with your insights. We would also like to thank our principal, Professor Subhikar, and faculty advisor of Students Union, Sir Suryaprakash, for giving us the opportunity to host Sir and conduct the conference.

Actually, if I could— we would be happy to give a lecture on Bhagavad Gita. At some other time more convenient. Because Bhagavad-gītā is—

Yes, definitely would love to hear from you again, sir, and definitely on the lessons that we can get from the Bhagavad-gītā. I'd like to thank all the attendees for listening to sir so patiently and staying with us. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.