Why does our inspiration for service rise on hearing and fall when material responsibilities come up?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, when we take classes, we can inspire to do a lot of studies.
But then afterwards, our family, professional responsibility will come up and then we are not able to do something. Firstly, if we see that two necessarily are separate, within our family responsibilities, they can also be split apart. In our professional responsibility, I say, So, we don’t have to necessarily see that only directly to the devotional activity and religion.
We have to bring the devotional interaction into all activities. So, for instance, our children, people, Krishna’s children, I said, so very blessed. Every relationship that we have, every obligation that we have, we can be the spiritual guide.
Because wherever we are, people are observing us. If we are conducting ourselves, if people around us see, the more kind, the more gentle, the more sensitive, the more helpful, if people see that when we offer this, this person becomes better. Then better potential, you know, more, there is a certain human virtue which everyone appreciates.
And if that happens, then people are going to be happier. They are not going to be confused, they are going to be happy. That is also serious.
It’s teaching. Now, I was in a university in India and one student asked, Now, how can I help, how can I inspire other students to become devotees? So, I told him, study nicely. If you study nicely, it will guarantee that your friends will become devotees.
But if you study poorly, it will guarantee that your friends will not become devotees. So, firstly we should see, even our worldly responsibilities also as a form of self-restraint. Having said that, they are not the only form of self-restraint.
Because we do them in worldly circumstances. So, it’s very easy to get material consciousness and illnesses. That’s why we need a direct connection with Krishna.
We need activities where we are directly connected to the Lord Krishna. So, if we are inspired to do some service, and we take it up, it’s vital to have like-minded people who are also inspired by that service. Intelligent inspirers.
And it is also good if you are doing a particular service, to read or hear also about that service. In general, reading and giving inspires, because it’s like food. After I have food, I get energy, I work.
And after some time, it just naturally, like that energy goes away. And I have to eat it. So, at one level, to engage in this kind of worldly service, we need to keep hearing everything.
But along with that, by hearing, we hear so many different things. So, if we are inspired to do a particular service, then we should try to hear or read about that service. If I am going to give you worship, then have you read, not just about specifics of how to give me worship, but also, you know, why did you go through that? Get a more structured vision of that service.
Associating devotees who are in that service, and then get an understanding from them. Which is, like, see how they are seeing Krishna in that service. Not just practical strategies.
Practical strategies are also good. If they also give us guidance on how to do it. But also, get a spiritual vision.
So, I think there is general hearing, specific hearing about our service, and associating those who are inspired in that service. By that, we can maintain our inspiration for doing our service. If we associate with others who are doing some other service, which is good.
But then, our enthusiasm for our service will go. If I am inspired to study scripture, I read scripture. And somebody else is inspired to do poetry.
Then, there is, you know, I have this much funds. What is my future studying? So, the easiest way to become insecure and unsteady in our service is to associate with those who are doing some other service and their association disinfuses within ourselves. So, in association, we need to associate with like-minded devotees that we are inspired to do this certain activity.