4 chapatis and 6 feet of floor-thats all we need !!–SP‏

Hare Krsna
Below Srila Prabhupada mentions three things-
1.) Foolish work(Ugra Karma) makes one toil too hard-and without that-we still can daily eat only a few chapatis
2.) We work so hard (for that big/expensive house) but we all need is only 6 feet to lay down in at night.
3.) The tendency NOT to work so hard (for maya) is– a spiritual tendency.damaghosa das
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1.) Brahma Samhita lecture- NY july 31 1971

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was very much sympathetic that “I am simply anxious for these rascals who have created a humbug civilization for temporary happiness,” māyā–sukhāya. Māyā–sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB7.9.43]. They have created ugra karma. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ugra karma.

Huge

factory, day and night melting iron, and they are working, working. The special technologies, getting some money, they’re happy. They do not know how they’re wasting their valuable life. This is called māyā. Why so much work? Why you are working so hard? Do you think if you’ll get hundred dollars per day you can eat more capātīs than myself? (laughter). Rascal does not know that he will eat the same number of capātīs, four or five or six, but he’ll work so hard. So we are the best intelligent class. We don’t work, but we get our capātīs. (laughter) Let the rascal work, but we get our capātīs. Māyā–sukhāya bharam udvahatovimūḍhan [SB 7.9.43].

2.) 720907SB.NV Lectures

Prabhupada: Twenty-five percent of the land. Suppose we owned the

twenty-five percent of the whole world, but at the time of occupying

the land I require only six feet? That’s all. So they…, is he not

ass? He knows that “I want only six feet land to lie down. Why I am

trying to acquire the whole world? And working so hard?” That is ass.

Similarly, I’m so working hard. What I am eating? Perhaps I am not

eating. When I come home, I take a piece of bread and a cup of tea,

bas, finished. But he does not think “Why am I working hard? I am not

eating more. I am not occupying more place. I cannot enjoy fully sense

gra…” Simply an idea: “More money, more money, more money.”

Therefore he’s ass. Ass does not enjoy life, but works very hard. We

have got… Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an

ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to

the ghata, for washing ghata. And he is let loose there, and a morsel

of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he’s eating there,

standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given

freedom. He does not think that “Why shall I work so hard? This grass

is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this

washerman?” But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass.

Similarly, all these karmis, they are working so hard, but they are

eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That’s all.

Or something else. They have been collared.

3.)750304mw.dal Conversations

Just like in the prisonhouse you have to work. Eh? So
they think this working is civilization. This is avidya. So therefore
they have created more work. From early morning, five o’clock, till
ten o’clock, simply working. They do not know that “This working is
our punishment.” But because ignorant, they think that “Working is
life.” This is called ignorance . He does not know, “This working is my
punishment. How to get out of this work?” No. To increase the work
more, complicate, that is civilization. This is called avidya.
Avidya-karma-samjnanya. Our tendency is not to work but get things.
Therefore he has asked that question. Because he has to get cloth by
working, therefore he asking, “Why God has not created?” That means
tendency is not to work. That is spiritual tendency . Everything,
necessities, automatically available. That is our… Therefore as soon
as one man becomes rich, he does not work. He gets his thing by
working others. The tendency is there, to retire from work . They go to
a solitary place. They retire. They do not go out. Weekly, at least,
they want to stop worker, working. So why this tendency? He does not
want to die. He does not want to work. This is spiritual.Why man
should work like… Therefore real civilization is that minimize work.

Minimize work, save time, and go back to your spiritual life.That is
civilization. And this is not civilization, to get the necessities of
life, sense gratification, and work like hog and dog. That is
condemned.