Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

...spending money for any material endevour,good or bad,will result in karma,either good or bad,either way its all " bad " since all karma keeps us in the material world.Money should be invested in Krishna Consciousness,so there will be no karma involved.

Thanks, how do I invite others to comment? or is it a matter of time?

In addition to points 1 and 2:

3) do you think it OK to use profits made from non Krisna Concious activities can be invested in KC? and what of continuing such activities to use profits in KC?

I would appreciate responses to all 3 of the above points.

I am especially interested in point 2 and some form of negative energy attached to these "ill gotten gains"

My understanding goes like this:
1. You get some bad karma but not as much as if you did invest into ugrakarma personally.
2. This is the same bad karma.
3. Can be done but carefully. In our history we have a record of failures (getting into ugrakarma).

I could not find any specific scriptural references about negative energy following money, but the following verses are in reference to accepting food:

"When one eats food offered by a materialistic man, ones mind becomes contaminated, and when the mind is contaminated, one is unable to think of Krishna properly. When one accepts an invitation from a person contaminated by the material mode of passion, the person who offers the food and the person who accepts it are both mentally contaminated." (Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya-lila 6.278-279)

Many interesting points about ill-gotten gains in the following verses:

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3, chapter 30:
Text 31
TRANSLATION
He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the passage money with which he leaves this world.
PURPORT
When a man earns money by unfair means and maintains his family and himself with that money, the money is enjoyed by many members of the family, but he alone goes to hell. A person who enjoys life by earning money or by envying another'92s life, and who enjoys with family and friends, will have to enjoy alone the resultant sinful reactions accrued from such violent and illicit life. For example, if a man secures some money by killing someone and with that money maintains his family, those who enjoy the black money earned by him are also partially responsible and are also sent to hell, but he who is the leader is especially punished. The result of material enjoyment is that one takes with him the sinful reaction only, and not the money. The money he earned is left in this world, and he takes only the reaction.
In this world also, if a person acquires some money by murdering someone, the family is not hanged, although its members are sinfully contaminated. But the man who commits the murder and maintains his family is himself hanged as a murderer. The direct offender is more responsible for sinful activities than the indirect enjoyer. The great learned scholar Cuc0u257 u7751 akya Pau7751 u7693 ita says, therefore, that whatever one has in his possession had better be spent for the cause of sat, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because one cannot take his possessions with him. They remain here, and they will be lost. Either we leave the money or the money leaves us, but we will be separated. The best use of money as long as it is within our possession is to spend it to acquire Ku7771 u7779 u7751 a consciousness.

TEXT 32
TRANSLATION
Thus, by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the maintainer of kinsmen is put into a hellish condition to suffer for his sinful activities, like a man who has lost his wealth.
PURPORT
The example set herein is that the sinful person suffers just like a man who has lost his wealth. The human form of body is achieved by the conditioned soul after many, many births and is a very valuable asset. Instead of utilizing this life to get liberation, if one uses it simply for the purpose of maintaining his so-called family and therefore performs foolish and unauthorized action, he is compared to a man who has lost his wealth and who, upon losing it, laments. When wealth is lost, there is no use lamenting, but as long as there is wealth, one has to utilize it properly and thereby gain eternal profit. It may be argued that when a man leaves his money earned by sinful activities, he also leaves his sinful activities here with his money. But it is especially mentioned herein that by superior arrangement (daivenuc0u257 su257 ditam), although the man leaves behind him his sinfully earned money, he carries the effect of it. When a man steals some money, if he is caught and agrees to return it, he is not freed from the criminal punishment. By the law of the state, even though he returns the money, he has to undergo the punishment. Similarly, the money earned by a criminal process may be left by the man when dying, but by superior arrangement he carries with him the effect, and therefore he has to suffer hellish life.

TEXT 33
TRANSLATION
Therefore a person who is very eager to maintain his family and kinsmen simply by black methods certainly goes to the darkest region of hell, which is known as Andha-tuc0u257 misra.
PURPORT
Three words in this verse are very significant. Kevalena means '93only by black methods,'94 adharmeu7751 a means '93unrighteous'94 or '93irreligious,'94 and kuu7789 umba-bharau7751 a means '93family maintenance.'94 Maintaining one'92s family is certainly the duty of a householder, but one should be eager to earn his livelihood by the prescribed method, as stated in the scriptures. In Bhagavad-gu299 tu257 it is described that the Lord has divided the social system into four classifications of castes, or varu7751 as, according to quality and work. Apart from Bhagavad-gu299 tu257 , in every society a man is known according to his quality and work. For example, when a man is constructing wooden furniture, he is called a carpenter, and a man who works with an anvil and iron is called a blacksmith. Similarly, a man who is engaged in the medical or engineering fields has a particular duty and designation. All these human activities have been divided by the Supreme Lord into four varu7751 as, namely bru257 hmau7751 a, ku7779 atriya, vaiu347 ya and u347 u363 dra. In Bhagavad-gu299 tu257 and in other Vedic literatures, the specific duties of the bru257 hmau7751 a, ku7779 atriya, vaiu347 ya and u347 u363 dra are mentioned.
One should work honestly according to his qualification. He should not earn his livelihood unfairly, by means for which he is not qualified. If a bru257 hmau7751 a who works as a priest so that he may enlighten his followers with the spiritual way of life is not qualified as a priest, then he is cheating the public. One should not earn by such unfair means. The same is applicable to a ku7779 atriya or to a vaiu347 ya. It is especially mentioned that the means of livelihood of those who are trying to advance in Ku7771 u7779 u7751 a consciousness must be very fair and uncomplicated. Here it is mentioned that he who earns his livelihood by unfair means (kevalena) is sent to the darkest hellish region. Otherwise, if one maintains his family by prescribed methods and honest means, there is no objection to one'92s being a family man.