Will Chanting Hare Krishna Not Make One Lazy And Selfish?

 

If a person is chanting Hare Krishna all the time, is he not neglecting others and working for his own selfish motive of going back to God? How can such a person be called a social worker?In this world, each one of us is   either   a   part   of   the problem or a part of the solution. Most people due to their uncontrolled passions  like anger and greed are a part of the problem of the world. But a person who chants Hare Krishna and becomes Krishna conscious gives up all such passions and harmonizes himself with the will of God. He thus becomes a part of the solution, rather than being a part of the problem. And by his example and words, he inspires many others to also harmonize themselves with the will of God and become a part of the solution. Hence his contribution to society is invaluable.

 

It requires intelligence to appreciate the importance of the transformation in consciousness of people that a devotee brings about. For example, in the 1960s thousands of American youths were taking to drugs and becoming hippies and criminals, being frustrated with the emptiness of their lives. The American government was trying various means to save its youth from criminalism and drug-addiction but its efforts were turning out to be futile. At that time, Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON, taught these youths the chanting of the Holy Names and, being inspired by the happiness and the enlightenment that the chanting gave them, hundreds of such hippies became "happies"; they gave up drugs and crime forever and lived pure lives of selfless service to God and man thereafter. Thus Srila Prabhupada succeeded where the US government had failed -just due to his devotion to Krishna and his ability to infuse that devotion in the hearts of others. So although a devotee may be appearing to just practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness, the wise understand the value of his contribution to society.

 

Moreover a devotee is never selfish. One who loves Krishna naturally loves every living being. Suppose your sister gets married and has a child. Earlier you loved only your sister, but now you love not only your sister, but also her husband and her son because of their connection to your sister. Similarly if a person loves Krishna then he begins to love all living beings because of their connection to Krishna. Every living being is a part and parcel of Krishna, so a devotee of Krishna sees everyone in relation to Krishna, loves everyone and renders service to everyone by glorifying Krishna and teaching about Krishna.