122 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 13
purpose we naturally must have sufficient money. Therefore, according
to the advice of Srila Ripa Gosvami Prabhupada, we should not give up
attachment to money that can spread the Krsna consciousness movement.
Srila Ripa Gosvami says in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.256):
prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
vairagyam phalgu kathyate
““When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things which are re-
lated to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, though they are material,
this is called incomplete renunciation.” Money that can help in spreading
the Krsna consciousness movement is not a part of the material world,
and we should not give it up, thinking that it is material. Srila Ripa
Gosvami advises:
andsaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate
‘“‘When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts
everything in relation to Krsna, one is rightly situated above possessive-
ness.” (Bhakti-rasémrta-sindhu 1.2.255) Money is undoubtedly coming
in great quantities, but we should not be attached to this money for sense
gratification; every cent should be spent for spreading the Krsna con-
sciousness movement, not for sense gratification. There is danger for a
preacher when he receives great quantities of money, for as soon as he
spends even a single cent of the collection for his personal sense
gratification, he becomes a fallen victim. The preachers of the Krsna con-
sciousness movement should be extremely careful not to misuse the im-
mense quantities of money needed to spread this movement. Let us not
make this money the cause of our distress; it should be used for Krsna,
and that will cause our eternal happiness. Money is Laksmi, or the god-
dess of fortune, the companion of Narayana. Laksmiji must always
remain with Narayana, and then there need be no fear of degradation.
