News are integral part of life, our day starts with watching or reading the breaking news while sipping a tea or a coffee. News are rich source of information of things happening around the corners of the world. Billions of newspapers are published every single day, there are thousands of news channels telecasting and updating us at every moment. Trillions of dollars are invested in news related businesses.
But if you analyse carefully news doesn't change with the time, it is same all the time. Similar kind of problems such as terrorism, corruption, abuse, death, theft etc we find everyday in news, only a performer, place and time of performance is changed. We have seen there are so many people who actually take so much interest in watching, reading, contemplating and revising same news over again and again. But we need to introspect over the significant benefits of news apart from some information. We must think over the questions like is this news taking me anywhere, is that making any change in my lifestyle or attitude or nature or habits or bringing transformation of my mind and heart? We haven't heard of anyone yet whose heart is changed or anyone whose character is developed by reading or watching a news.
Humans by nature are very curious and inquisitive, they are eager for knowledge, especially the knowledge which will make them happy. And if this inquisitiveness is not dovetailed in proper way then they take shelter of mundane knowledge which is actually not so beneficial for them. I am not against the news but we must not waste our precious time on chewing the subject matter discussed in it rather one must contemplate on how can we get rid of these problems (corruption, death, disease etc.) of life 'permanently' to lead our life with bliss and satisfaction.
News while giving description of problems doesn't give any substantial solution over such issues or crisis. On the other hand we have the scriptures, which does not only give us information of this entire material cosmos but also update us about transcendental cosmos which is 'Nitya-Navanavaymana'- always new and fresh. Like a news, scriptures also describe material problems lead by birth, old age, disease and death but it offers us solution and guidance not only to deal with such troubles of life but also to avoid these troubles in next life in most practical way.
“Now, how can we transfer our thoughts from the material energy to the spiritual energy? There are so many literatures which fill our thoughts with the material energy – newspapers, magazines, novels, etc. Our thinking, which is now absorbed in these literatures, must be transferred to the Vedic literatures. The great sages, therefore, have written so many Vedic literatures, such as the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not imaginative; they are historical records.”
“Just as materialists engage their minds in reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures, we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given to us by Vyāsadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death.”
-Excerpt From: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. “Bhagavad-gita As It Is.” Introduction.
But if you analyse carefully news doesn't change with the time, it is same all the time. Similar kind of problems such as terrorism, corruption, abuse, death, theft etc we find everyday in news, only a performer, place and time of performance is changed. We have seen there are so many people who actually take so much interest in watching, reading, contemplating and revising same news over again and again. But we need to introspect over the significant benefits of news apart from some information. We must think over the questions like is this news taking me anywhere, is that making any change in my lifestyle or attitude or nature or habits or bringing transformation of my mind and heart? We haven't heard of anyone yet whose heart is changed or anyone whose character is developed by reading or watching a news.
Humans by nature are very curious and inquisitive, they are eager for knowledge, especially the knowledge which will make them happy. And if this inquisitiveness is not dovetailed in proper way then they take shelter of mundane knowledge which is actually not so beneficial for them. I am not against the news but we must not waste our precious time on chewing the subject matter discussed in it rather one must contemplate on how can we get rid of these problems (corruption, death, disease etc.) of life 'permanently' to lead our life with bliss and satisfaction.
News while giving description of problems doesn't give any substantial solution over such issues or crisis. On the other hand we have the scriptures, which does not only give us information of this entire material cosmos but also update us about transcendental cosmos which is 'Nitya-Navanavaymana'- always new and fresh. Like a news, scriptures also describe material problems lead by birth, old age, disease and death but it offers us solution and guidance not only to deal with such troubles of life but also to avoid these troubles in next life in most practical way.
“Now, how can we transfer our thoughts from the material energy to the spiritual energy? There are so many literatures which fill our thoughts with the material energy – newspapers, magazines, novels, etc. Our thinking, which is now absorbed in these literatures, must be transferred to the Vedic literatures. The great sages, therefore, have written so many Vedic literatures, such as the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not imaginative; they are historical records.”
“Just as materialists engage their minds in reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures, we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given to us by Vyāsadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death.”
-Excerpt From: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. “Bhagavad-gita As It Is.” Introduction.
By Rupesh Gauranga Dasa
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