1. Sastra recommends to become lazy

    Prabhupada: To become lazy is the recommendation of the sastra. To become lazy… It is a bad word, "lazy," but actually life means not to work very hard. That is real life. And to work hard for eating, that is animal life; that is not human life. Human life should be very peaceful, without any hard work, and cultivating spiritual knowledge. That is human life, not that to work hard like hogs and dogs throughout the whole day for find out some stool, where it is. That is not human life. So people are being educated to work very hard. That is not human life. Therefore those who have got money, they build nice bungalow in a secluded place to live peacefully, to become lazy.

    Perfection of life means ultimately you become lazy; you haven't got to work. That is perfection, they say. Otherwise, why they get a cottage in a secluded place and live? All these Americans, they go weekend. They leave aside all working, they become tired, hard working, and they go. That is the intention, that you should live peaceful life, not working very hard. That is human life. Otherwise why they go outside the city at the weekend? Why do they go?

    Indian man: They want rest, I suppose. They want to rest.

    Prabhupada: So that means lazy. Rest means lazy; you don't work.

    Indian man: If one works five days a week, you rest for two…

    Prabhupada: That is another thing. You have to work to become lazy. [laughter] That is another thing. But the goal is to become lazy. You work five days very hard just to become lazy for two days. That's all. So if you have got means to become seven days lazy, you'll prefer it.

    Pusta Krsna: Most people would go crazy if they didn't have any work.

    Prabhupada: No, that means their life is not properly conducted. And therefore the word laziness has come. Laziness is not actually the word. Laziness means minimizing the bodily labor and engaged in spiritual work. If you ask people, "Please come to our temple," who is coming? Because he says, "I have no time." But we are not working hard.

    > Morning Walk — October 19, 1975, Johannesburg