​How can we stay self-aware while living in a materialistic culture?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
But the media is trying to constantly allure us.
What can we do to become self-aware? When we say A, B, C, D, four steps are there. A is association. If we associate with those who are spiritually minded, that helps us to also become reoriented spiritually.
We are largely shaped by our association. So if we associate with those who are materialistic, we will become materialistic. Association is very important.
D is books. If you read some spiritual books like the Bhagavad Gita or some books written in the Bhagavad Gita, you get spiritual wisdom that also intellectually orients us. So basically, association socially orients us in the spiritual direction.
Books, they intellectually orient us in the spiritual direction. C is chanting. Chanting is meditation.
That is a practical that experientially orients us. It gives us experience. Yes, there is something special over here.
I want it more. And D is Deity. Now we go to temples where there is Deity.
We pray to Krishna. We take Krishna’s prasad. It’s A, B, C, D. These are practical and potent steps by which you can spiritualize our consciousness.
And within these activities, if we find even one activity that we like, I like to read books. I like to hear talks. I like to sing.
Then in Bhakti, there are many services also we can do practically. So if we find anything that inspires us to connect with Krishna, we focus on that and we use that as our focal point. So just as we may have certain things, material to which we are strongly attracted.
So like that, even devotionally, we find there’s something which strongly connects us with Krishna. Focus on that and develop that. And we can practically spiritualize ourselves.
Did I answer your question? Yes. So we try orienting all three parts of the mind.