How can we balance our material commitments and spiritual aspirations?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how can we balance our material commitments with our spiritual instructions which we receive? See, first thing is that we shouldn’t see them as absolutely separate or conflicting. They may appear to be conflicting in terms of the demands on our time.
Okay, sometime I have some work to do at home, and there’s a program in the temple. And those terms, they will be competing. But actually in purpose, both involve the same essential thing.
Essential thing is that actually I am meant to serve. So, I can serve Krishna directly by coming to the temple, by attending satsang, by chanting his holy names. And I can serve Krishna by taking care of my family members, by doing my job.
All that can be done in the mood of service. Now, the mood of service may not last for long, will not last for long, if we do not do activities directly connected with Krishna. That means, if I’m only doing my home activities and my professional responsibilities, I may think I’m doing it for Krishna, but without that direct contact with Krishna, that intention to serve will become more and more vague, more and more intangible.
And we’ll be doing things for our own gratification rather than Krishna’s service. So, we do need regular, direct devotional contact with Krishna. By coming to the temple, by studying scripture, by attending program, by let’s say ABCD, association, books, chanting, deity worship.
We need this directly. And having done that, so we have to have some basic level of commitment to the devotional activities. Now, what that basic level is, that can vary from person to person, situation to situation.
But that basic commitment is there, then there is flexibility in terms of sometimes we may focus more on our material life because that is what is required. Sometimes we focus more on spiritual life because there’s more opportunity there at that time. So, it is like if I’m going on the road, say I came from from where I’m staying here to the temple, the traffic is a lot, I’ll come slowly.
If the traffic is not there, I can come faster. So, similarly, our intention is to move towards Krishna. But sometimes the traffic in our material life may become a lot.
At that time, it slows down. But our intention is to simply move forward. Now, the test is really, when the traffic has slowed down, we shouldn’t be creating traffic.
To stay slow. There are activities which are essential to do for our material life. But when they are not there, we ourselves create engagements.
Say, I have to go here, I have to do that, I have to do that, even when they’re not essential. So, if when it is essential, we do things, that’s fine. But when it is not essential, at that time, we need to shift and focus on Krishna.
And again, this also we learn by experience. It’s not that something which is, which is like a rigid thing, which we all should be knowing or will always be knowing. It’s that we learn by experience.
You know, last time I did that. But basically, learning dharma is, it is as simple and as difficult as learning how much to eat. Ultimately, no one can tell us.
People get into, you’re overheating, or you’re not eating enough. People may tell us, but you know, I know how much I need to eat. And sometimes I may eat too much.
Sometimes I may eat too little. And then we are back on course. Just as usually, you know, it is rare that people eat too less.
Most of the problems we eat too much. So, in Ayurveda, the principle is that if you have a doubt, whether you should eat or should not eat, you should not eat. Because when you are hungry, there is no doubt only at that time.
I have to eat. When will I eat? But once I say, should I take one more or should I not take one more? That means already the body is signaling to us, it’s enough. So, just as in general, although there is extreme possibility of both eating too much and eating too little, the usual tendency is to eat too much.
So, like that, the usual tendency of our life is to gravitate towards too much material life, too much engage in material life. So, we need to guard ourselves against that. And by regular association with devotees, especially by associating with devotees who are also in similar situations like us, and they have gone through similar situations, we can take their guidance and learn.
Okay, maybe in this situation, I need to focus more. But later on, I can adjust. Now I’m getting too much involved in this.
So, it’s all a matter of learning by experience, learning with intelligence and learning with experience.