When we start studying Bhagavad-gita what is the motivation for continuing to study material science?

Transcript

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So, once you start studying Bhagavad Gita, what is the motivation for studying material science or staying in touch with material science? It all depends on one’s particular service. I would say that there is a vision of spirituality that if you become spiritual, you have to reject the material.
That is not the vision that the Bhagavad Gita offers us. The material and the spiritual are complementary. They are not opposite.
That means that the Bhagavad Gita gives us spiritual knowledge and which helps us to direct us in our life. So, we could say that science gives us a car to drive. Spirituality tells us where to drive.
So, it’s basically complementary. Arjuna was already an archer. A champion archer he was.
And Krishna told him, Krishna’s knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita guided him about how to use his archery skills. So, similarly, if we see, if either I had always an interest in science and I felt that science can help us to understand the way things work better. And science for me, I saw it as the study of science, I can appreciate I can appreciate God’s nature better.
Through that I can appreciate God better. And by studying science, I can share an appreciation of spirituality in scientific terms. So, that’s my take on it.
If somebody is in a scientific profession, say, studying or teaching or doing research or whatever, then we, the Bhagavad Gita has the concept of doing our work in a mood of service, in a mood of worship. So, the Bhagavad Gita’s knowledge is not meant to replace material knowledge. It is meant to direct material knowledge.
So, for functioning in the world, we need material knowledge. But, for what purpose are we functioning in the world? That the Bhagavad Gita tells us. So, in that sense, it’s not necessary that just because of getting interest in spiritual knowledge, one has to use interest in material knowledge.
What happens is, by spiritual growth, we understand that material things alone can’t make me happy. And, therefore, we don’t necessarily need to reject material things, but rather, we use material things for our spiritual growth. So, rather than seeing material things as independent sources of pleasure, you know, I get a degree, I get a job, I get a award, and that will make me happy.
You see that this helps us to grow spiritually, if we use it in a mood of service. And thus, we can, through our material intelligence, material knowledge, use it in a mood of service, we can go closer to Krishna. So, that’s how we can maintain our interest, seeing it as devotional service.
Okay? Thank you.