Isn’t demonisation of the present with its promise of hi-tech paradise necessary to make people seek spiritual happiness?

Transcript

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any other questions? question isn’t demonization of the present necessary as an impetus for practicing devotional service unless we discuss and realize how this world is a place of misery won’t there be no impetus for practicing devotional service answer demonization is different from philosophical education that this world is is temporary and a place of misery is a fundamental spiritual teaching and the same Bhagavad Gita that teaches this also says that there are four kinds of people who approach Krishna and one of them is the distress so Krishna also said the distress is not the only reason that people take to spiritual life so if our preaching is excessively negative then the other kind of people the inquisitive the inquisitive the knowledgeable and the wealth seekers they will not be attracted because they will not find anything substantial if we are just demonizing the world then we are not presenting the positive alternative of Krishna consciousness adequately so yes we do need to have positive spiritual education especially in this age where with technology and with advancement around us where there is so much allure of happiness already there in the gadgets or just around the corner with some improvements we do need to educate the people that technology cannot make unhappy it is only spirituality and precisely devotional spirituality that can make us happy so technology may make our life comfortable temporarily but comfort is not the same as happiness so this education we need to give but this education doesn’t have to be a demonization demonization means to portray something as entirely incorrigibly negative so certainly the today’s world situation including the technology is not incorrigibly negative it can be used in devotional service as we are doing right now by having this talk through technology so yes philosophical education is a part of the essential process of Krishna consciousness and that philosophical education includes teaching but then Eshwopanishad also says Vidyam cha vidyam cha yas tadvedo bhayamsaham that we have to have vidya and avidya it doesn’t mean knowledge and ignorance but it means knowledge about the positive spiritual path and knowledge about avidya about the dark material existence so both are required and both are a part of the integral package of Krishna consciousness which glorifies Krishna and contrast other things with the glory of Krishna so this is something which is done age after age after age and certainly it is important that it is a part of philosophy whatever current brand of avidya is there there is education there should be education that it doesn’t lead to any happiness but that should we shouldn’t become obsessed with the negative of our age and forget to depict the positive Prabhupada did not go about just telling about how drugs were bad even when he was with the hippies who were so degraded he focused on chanting Hare Krishna and showing them how spiritual devotion was wonderful and then they gave up drugs by that that’s how we don’t have to demonize we have to educate and education includes as one part of it the philosophical point that this world is a place of misery and is temporary thank you