What role does time play in differentiating between wants and needs?
Answer Podcast
Download by “right-click and save content”
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, when we differentiate between needs and wants, how important is time to differentiate between the two? Yes, time makes a big difference because what is necessary now, it actually varies according to time, place, circumstance.
So, I was once talking with a senior Vaishnava, a sannyasi, you know, he said, you know, he’s also a writer, I’m also a writer. So, he said, you know, what does a sannyasi need today? It’s only two things, prasad and internet. So, actually, yeah, if we are in a particular service, we need to communicate with others.
So, that which was not at all thought of also as a need, but that becomes a necessity now. So, according to time, place, circumstance, things change. So, you know, in differentiating between wants and needs, what we should focus on is our purpose.
What am I trying to do ultimately? So, you have to serve Krishna. For my service to Krishna, what all do I need? So, some people are sometimes, even some devotees, sometimes they may be very anti-technology. Yeah, if their service doesn’t need technology, if they’re living in a, like they’re trying to create eco-friendly living and they’re living far away, and if that’s the way they want to, that’s fine.
But, you know, we don’t have to be crusaders against technology. There’s nothing material that we have to campaign against or campaign for. We just have to see the material and how important it is for me, how useful is it for me.
So, if it is useful, I use it in Krishna’s service. So, keeping our purpose very clear, that my purpose is to serve Krishna, then I see what is my service to Krishna and what do I need for that. That can help us in understanding this.
And when I talk about a purpose, it is not just general, I have to serve Krishna, but you have to see what is my specific service to Krishna. So, that’s why based on our situation, then what will be our need, that can vary. So, keeping the purpose in mind, we’ll be able to decide the difference between what is a want and what is a need.
Thank you. Any other questions? Yes, ma’am.