Pious activities

[Guest guest]

> Dear Maharaja,

>

> Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

>

> In the Madhya-lila 22.45 purport it is stated:

>

> Pious activities can be divided into three categories–pious

> activities that awaken one’s dormant Krsna consciousness are called

> bhakty-unmukhi sukrti. Pious activities that bestow material

> opulence are called bhogonmukhi, and pious activities that enable

> the living entity to merge into the existence of the Supreme are

> called moksonmukhi.

>

> Can you give examples of the different types of pious activities

> that would bring these different results?

>

>

> Your servant,

> Nrsimha Kavaca dasa

 

I would rather just say that one can understand what category the

pious activities are in when you see the result of them according to

the three categories listed above.

 

We do know, for example, that pious activities that awaken Krsna

consciousness are actually activities in devotional service done

either knowingly or unknowingly. Since they are actually devotional

activities, we generally do not refer to them as pious, yet, they are

definitely pious since all devotional activities are certainly pious

(punya sravana kirtanam) but since they are so much more than ordinary

pious activities, we do not use the fuzzy term 'pious' to describe

them, but use the more common terminology as 'devotional.'

 

However, in this purport, Prabhupada has chosen to speak of these

activities as pious in order to contrast them with material pious

activities. And this is proper and very nice.

 

Pious activities which bring material results are like planting trees

along the sides of roads to shade the walkers, digging wells and

creating bathing ponds, or making charity to brahmanas or taking care

of the health of others and so on. There are hundreds of examples.

 

Pious activities which lead to brahman realization are activities

which we would call regulative principles of austerity, such as the

four regulative principles, taking cold baths, sleeping on the floor,

eating simply, and helping others to understand the absolute.