How can we use gadgets in bhakti without becoming attached?
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.
How can we use facilities like gadgets in Krishna's service without becoming attached to them? Yeah, the principle is that there should be time for exclusive engagement with Krishna. So when our heart is offered to Krishna, then we can offer the world to Krishna. If our heart is not offered to Krishna, then when we get the world, we offer the heart to the world.
So, that's why our basic sadhana has to be done very seriously. That is the time when our heart connects with Krishna. And generally speaking, it is difficult to do effective service in this world without gadgets, especially if we are living in cities.
There can be, I would say, three different approaches. One is, if somebody really feels that, this will depend on individual temperament, and there is no, there is a matter of principle and there is a matter of preference. Which gadgets to use, how much to use, that is a matter of preference.
The matter of principle is that we carry these gadgets in Krishna's service, but we should make sure that we are actually using them in Krishna's service, rather than getting entangled with them. But as a matter of preference, there can be three different approaches. Some devotee may feel that I just don't want these gadgets at all.
It just distracts me too much. And they may decide that no, he won't use the gadgets. And some devotee may even feel that I don't want to live in the city, where there are so many gadgets.
So they may go to the farm communities. If not the Brahmacharya, some Karnataka, some other community. That's a matter of preference.
And it's not necessary that a devotee who is gadget free is attachment free. There can be different kinds of attachments. So that devotee shouldn't think that I am superior because I am not using gadgets.
So that is one extreme. As a matter of preference, one may say I am not using gadgets. The other extreme is, as a matter of preference, a person may just be surrounded by gadgets.
Some devotees may take up services which involve a lot of technology. And then if they have a lot of technology, then they actually may require gadgets from the services. So if somebody is actually, say, doing some, some, say, devotees are looking after the electronics department, or something like that.
Or somebody is making movies, or somebody is making some other high-tech production. Then that person may have to use a lot of technology gadgets. And we shouldn't think that because the devotee is using so many gadgets, therefore the devotee must be very attached.
It depends on how the devotee is using it. So there may be some devotees who may be literally surrounded by gadgets. And that is also okay if a service requires that.
So I do my service constantly with a computer. So one day, one day, one day, you sleep at the lotus feet of your computer. He's trying to play a wrong attitude.
So then, now for me, when my computer gets spoilt, it creates a lot of inconvenience. So the general standard among authors is that they usually have two or three computers. So if one computer doesn't work, you have another computer.
So then I thought if I have two computers, it will be an Atyahar. So I asked Dr. Sanath Maharaj. So he said that, you know, if you have two cars, it will be an Atyahar.
Not two computers. I don't need even one car because I don't travel so much. So he said the point is that if we take facilities just because they provide prestige.
I don't know here. In some temples it may not be like this. In some temples, the brahmacharis who have a car reserved for them, they are considered more advanced, more secure.
Because they have so much facilities. They must be ready to do their own service. So if somebody takes the facilities that are not required just for the sake of prestige and takes more of the facilities, that is definitely undesirable.
But if somebody requires the facilities, and is using those facilities, then even having their own limited service, that is not necessary at all. That is just an emergency preparation. We have to do some services.
And if we can't do them, then our service gets paralyzed. But generally, so these are two extremes. Those who are not using gadgets at all and those who are using a lot of gadgets.
I would say from the general devotee community, there are some minimum gadgets which are required. So, probably we may need a cell phone. We may need an internet connection somewhere.
And we may need a beaker or whatever. So the basic facilities that are required, we use them in Krishna service. And generally, as we keep practicing Bhakti, you know, our consciousness gradually shifts from outwards to inwards.
That means, generally, if I am very new to computers, and as soon as I get a computer, I will see which way it is. How attractive it is. But over a period of time, I will start using the computer as I am in Krishna.
Then my focus becomes, what am I using the computer for? So like Prabhupada, whether he was going in a bullock cart or a plane, his focus was not on what he was going in. His focus was on where he was going and why he was going. As he was going for sharing his practices.
Similarly, as we keep practicing Bhakti, our consciousness moves from outwards to inwards. We don't bother so much about what gadgets we are using. Although we may be conscious, or conscientious, to use gadgets that do help us to do our service well.
But we don't focus so much on the gadgets. We focus more on what we are doing using those gadgets. And that happens by our consistent practice of Bhakti.
So I would say that, generally for most devotees, there should not be either a paranoia for gadgets, and I have not used any gadget at all, nor an obsession with gadgets. Without gadgets I can't do any service. Because most services will require some basic gadgets.
And we use them. And we also have time in which we don't let the gadgets distract us from our Krishna consciousness. So when we have that exclusive time for sadhana, when we connect our heart with Krishna, then we can also connect the world with Krishna.
And use the gadgets to connect the world with Krishna. Thank you very much.