Surmounting the Existential Challenge

The greatest challenge of human life is to understand and fulfill the purpose of our existence. Great philosophers in the West have grappled with this existential challenge throughout the ages with no definitive conclusion. However, for the great sages of India, the followers of the Vedic wisdom, this is not an issue at all. It is clearly stated in the Vedanta Sutra, "athato brahma jijnasa--Now that you have achieved the human form of life you must inquire to understand the nature of the Absolute Truth." And then the Bhagavad-gita proceeds to described the Absolute Truth in full and how one can fully realize it. By studying the Bhagavad-gita and following its simple instructions one will easily surmount the existential challenge and achieve the highest enlightenment.

Devotee Shares Knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita

Devotee Shares Knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: When to Advance in Material Activities?

I am wondering, great guru, how does one know when to advance in material activities, and which kinds of activities to partake in? What if a person is not able to attend a temple but tries very hard to abide by the Bhagavad-gita and its lessons? Is that still service? 

I fully and happily appreciate your great messages everyday, and thank you, beautiful guru, for your constant mercy upon all of us, for I'm a very lowly soul. Also, thank you for taking the time out to answer our questions and providing the most truthful, transparent answers to our most perplexing questions. 

Hare Krishna! 

C.R.

Answer: Accept Only What is Necessary

A devotee accepts whatever material advancement is necessary to accommodate his material comforts, but not beyond that, because he much prefers spiritual advancement to material advancement. Therefore he keeps his association with non-devotees minimized as much as possible and maximizes as much as possible his association with devotees, his reading of transcendental literatures, his chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, and his outreach of giving Krishna consciousness to others.

If you are not able to attend a temple, you can still can become perfect in Krishna consciousness by turning your home into a temple, a Krishna-centered atmosphere. But whenever you can get some facility to visit an ISKCON temple, even if you have to travel out of town, you should take full advantage of this greatest of all opportunities for strengthening your Krishna consciousness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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