Is the passion for our material duties like excelling in studies desirable or undesirable?

From Abhishek P

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna Question from Abhishek when we talk about the word passion does it refer only to lusty desires or does it refer to the passion for our duties for example passion for getting good grades or performing in our job answer the word of passion in a specific sense creates the desire of lust but in a generic sense it creates the desire to explore and enjoy matter so it does not limit it to lust it can also include other forms of material enjoyment as far as the desire to excel in our studies or at work is concerned that is not necessarily an undesirable passion although it can become an undesirable passion if it consumes us so much that it doesn’t allow us the time or the ease or time or focus for giving attention to our spiritual side Arjuna was a champion archer and did not become like that by being apathetic or lazy about his archery we know how he practiced diligently tirelessly even to the point of practicing at night at one time he was eating food and the lantern went off and then he found that I can still eat so if I can eat then I can shoot also so the fact that he thought of and implemented the idea of shooting at night to master shooting invisible targets indicates that he was passionate about archery but because his heart was devoted to Krishna his archery was also used in the service of Krishna so similarly if our heart is devoted to Krishna then our passion our passion can also be used in Krishna’s service it’s not that devotees are meant to be lackadaisical or poor in their material performances if a devotee is an excellent student then that helps the devotee to have a stabler job a better job by which the material stability and material material favorable situation can materially non-anxiety producing situation can help the devotee to focus more on spiritual life and also that can also act as a source as a means by which other people become attracted to Krishna people are attracted to performance if the student is a good performer a topper then others become attracted through the attraction to that devotee performer people can become attracted to devotion and the same applies to job performance also so devotees you shouldn’t think that the passion for their material duties is necessarily undesirable but that doesn’t also mean that we consider the passion for our material duties in and of itself as holy or sacred our heart needs to be connected to Krishna first and foremost by our devoting focused and exclusive time for devotional activities when our heart is connected to Krishna then we can connect our worldly duties also to Krishna so it is easier for us to be passionate about our worldly duties than it is to be passionate about our spiritual duties our spiritual opportunities for making rapid devotional advancement so that’s why it’s important for us to associate with devotees who have that divine passion that strong and by that we will have sufficient divine passion and then when we get in contact with the material energy because we want to excel there for the sake of Krishna we will be able to use material passion in Krishna’s service instead of material passion using us in Maya’s service if we are not strongly rooted in Krishna then we may start off by intending to do wonderful things in Krishna’s service and have that passion but that passion from being divine to material passion we will tend to go away from Krishna so it’s not wrong to have passion for our worldly duties but it’s equally if not more important to have a similar passion for our spiritual activities and for that we need to have steady and strong association with devotees who are spiritually passionate.
Thank you.