When hearing Vedic philosophy distracts me from studies what should I do?
From Rajeev
Transcript
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Question from Rajiv Prabhu. From last few months, I am very eager to listen about Krishna and Vedic philosophy, especially when I joined your side and listening your lectures. So, sometimes it little bit divert me from my preparation.
So, is it exam anxiety or something else? Answer Generally, we should have a schedule by which we have time for studies and we have time for our spiritual life also. So, if the exams are coming up and if we are feeling some anxiety, then we need to reschedule ourselves so that we can give adequate time for our studies. In general, there can be two extremes in this.
One is that when we are preparing for the exams, sometimes the preparation seems a little burdensome and the mind wants to take a path of least resistance and hearing Krishna consciousness seems to be much easier than studying for the exams. And that’s why the mind pushes us to do that and then afterwards the mind will beat us up saying you didn’t study, you are a fool and because of your Krishna consciousness you suffered in your exams, therefore now you should give up Krishna consciousness. That will be a trick of the mind.
So, we shouldn’t be studying or hearing Krishna consciousness just so that we get a convenient escape way from the studies that we have to do. Krishna says in the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita that when we renounce something just because it is difficult to do, that is not renunciation in the mode of goodness. It can be in passion, it can even be in ignorance and that sort of renunciation will not lead to the fruits of renunciation.
So, if we have a proper schedule where we allocate a particular amount of time for hearing Krishna consciousness, eagerness to hear Krishna conscious philosophy is very good and that will help us to advance. But at the same time, the whole point of Krishna consciousness is able to see the Krishna connection in everything in our life, including our studies. So, studies is our swadharma now as students and we have to do that swadharma responsibly.
So, actually Krishna consciousness should enable us to become more responsible in our studies. That doesn’t mean that we have to spend all our time studying. That is the other extreme where the mind says that you have to study, you have to study, you cannot do anything else.
Actually speaking, if we just try to study, we will never be able to study 24 hours a day. And even if we try to study all day continuously for a long time, the only thing that will happen is that we will want some break and then if we are not taking some spiritual breaks, we will take up some sensual breaks and then waste our time in undesirable things. So, having a balance is good and we will ourselves learn by experience what will be a balance for us.
Should I do this much or that much? And how exactly should I go ahead and do it? So, that way we can learn this balance and if it is exam anxiety, then we need to deal with it in a calm way. Generally we calm our mind down by having a realistic plan and evaluating our fears calmly. So, if we are just worrying and not doing anything, anxiety will increase.
But if you are doing what is in our power and we have a plan to deal with the situation, then anxiety is a trick of the mind. And by evaluating the anxiety with intelligence, by praying to Krishna, remembering that he is in charge and he will protect us and we can do our best and we should do our best. But beyond that, worrying about things that are not in our control is simply going to sap our mental energy.
By such contemplation also we can become free from worry or at least minimize our worry. So, balance between studies and exam and Krishna conscious hearing can be achieved by intelligence and experience.