Difficulty in understanding transcendental topics

[Guest guest]

10. Why can't everyone understand transcendental subject matter?

 

How can they if they are unfortunate? There must be purity. Those who are

fortunate hear transcendental topics with faith and by the Lord's mercy

understand them, and those who make hasty conclusions cannot understand the

Absolute Truth. Such persons cannot even spend time cultivating complete

transcendental knowledge. Our society is so engrossed in materialism that

people are unable to spend even a moment to discuss eternal life. We are

busy in worldly activities twenty-four hours a day. We don't even bother to

know who we are. But human beings should spend twenty-four hours a day on

spiritual cultivation. It is not the duty of intelligent persons to waste

their valuable lives gratifying their senses.

We should search out our self-interest. Most of us are engaged in pursuing

selfishness. The children play, the young maintain family life, and the old

endeavor to protect their lives and their property. Consequently, they are

indifferent to their own self-interest. In order to focus on worldly

self-interest, materialists sacrifice eternal self-interest. What a pity!

Some people say one need not worry about the soul's welfare at present. Why

think about the future? All that's necessary at present is to work. But this

is not right, because if one fails to get an education in childhood, he will

suffer inconvenience as an adult. A person desiring social welfare

necessarily also desires welfare for himself. Such a person should endeavor

to see that devotional service, which is the characteristic of the spirit,

is not impeded by sense gratification.

Many people may think it is enough to give up sinful activities and

accumulate piety, but this is not the ultimate goal. Those who are actually

intelligent consider the relationship between their present activities and

their eternal existence at every stage of life. If one fails to think about

this, he will find himself in trouble. Work done at the proper time reaps

proper fruits in the future. If one does not use his time properly he will

face difficulty. People who desire to discuss spiritual topics in old age

will find themselves unable to do so because they will remain preoccupied

with and disturbed by family life.

 

(Srila Bhaksiddhanta Amrta Vani)