Radhanath Swami on duty versus hobby

The price of Krishna consciousness is sincerity. A sincere person does not consider difficult or easy. A sincere person considers whether it is right or wrong. When a mother is sleeping, in the middle of the night when the baby is crying is it easy for her to get up and take care of the baby? Is it easy? Very difficult! But does she do it…every mother who has some sincerity to become a mother, even if it is the most difficult thing in the world, she will get up and take care of the child. There is no consideration - easy or difficult. There is only one consideration - whether it is right or wrong.

Do you go to work every day? Do you love your work every day? Is there a day sometimes where you wake up and do not want to go to work? When people you have to deal with you don’t like even to see - your boss. Sometimes it is the last thing in the world that you want to face these people. Does that mean you do not go? Do you even consider you like it or don’t like it whether it is easy or difficult. You only consider one thing it is my duty, I must do it, It is correct.

For common matters for survival we constantly do things we don’t like to do because it is correct, it is the truth. In the spiritual realm, we are not following Guru’s order because we like it or we are not following guru’s order because it is easy. We are following guru’s order because it is truth and if it is truth we must do it. As long as you are thinking I like and I don’t like or it is easy or not easy that means we are not very sincere. Sincerity means is it correct or is it not, is it the truth or is it not. Is this my duty and responsibility as a human being to follow this instruction or is it not, if it is I do it under any mind or condition of mind or senses.

Spiritual life is a responsibility. It is not a hobby. Hobby, you do when you like. Responsibility, you do it no matter what. Do you pay your taxes? Do you like to pay your taxes? Why do you do it? Why don’t you tell your government that I don’t like this, I am not going to pay. It’s difficult to pay taxes, forget it I am never going to pay again. Why do you not tell them like that? Why you tell your guru that. You won’t tell the Government that. Because it is not your hobby to pay taxes but it is your duty. Spiritual life is not a hobby it is the sacred duty of the soul. The Government does not give a damn whether you like it or not. They don’t care if it is difficult or not. It is your responsibility as a citizen of this country that you must pay. So it is our sacred duty to God to surrender to Him and we surrender by following the orders of Gurudev. It is the only way. There is no other process of surrender.

It is the duty of every human being to surrender to the order of Guru. A sincere person who accepts his responsibility does not consider easy or difficult.

-H.H.Radhanath Swami