Scrambling for survival, to avoid depression, inflation or atomic war is ultimately a futile endeavor. The real endeavor should be to firmly establish or entrench the mind in firm faith in the mercy of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. There is no end to this survival consciousness, because it is rooted in the bodily conception of life. So how can one preserve the temporary material body and those things related to it? The endeavor must be to preserve Krishna consciousness under all circumstances. Faith and devotion to Krishna is the only substantial protection against all kinds of impending danger—gross, subtle or spiritual.
The karmi must not be encouraged to abandon his environment. Rather, in his environment, he must be spiritually awakened, by receiving and chanting the holy name of Krishna and radiating Krishna consciousness to all living entities within his orbit of life.
If even one person lives like this and is able to awaken only one other sleeping soul to Krishna consciousness and in turn that person awakens one other person and so on, the Krishna consciousness movement will be revived. It will double, triple, quadruple unlimitedly. At the present moment there is no real spiritual movement. Everything has come to stagnation, due to absorption in name and fame.
If life itself is ultimately terminated, then what to speak of economic development, either individually or collectively? One should learn to be satisfied with that which comes easily, out of its own accord. And the time saved, spend in meditation or prayer to Krishna.
Our effort must be exclusively dependent on Krishna and the spiritual master. No one can cross the dangerous allurements of the mind and senses by personal strength of mind and intellect. Spiritual life is simply a matter of follow the leader. And in that environment, the follower automatically serves as a leader for the succeeding wave of followers, who in turn act in the same follow-the-leader relationship. No one is ever independent at any time.
