Q&A: Mundane music, movies and literature: Are they harmful for the practice of bhakti?

Q: Are mundane music, movies and literature harmful for the practice of bhakti? If one is attached to them, will the genre make any difference, for example documentaries vs. romance, or classical music or ragas vs. techno?

A: As a matter of general principle, mundane music, movies and literature are harmful for the development of bhakti. When assessing the devotional worth of a sense object, one must evaluate its effect on the consciousness. If a sense object does not contribute to the positive cultivation of awareness of and love for Krishna, it is contrary to devotion.

The fruit of subjecting one to mundane influences is the development of mundane desires: saGgAt saJjAyate kAmaH. Asat-sanga, or the company of the unholy, has been mentioned in countless scriptures as being contrary to devotion. Thakur Mahashaya writes in his Prema-bhakti Chandrika:

asat saGgati sadA, tyAga koro anya gItA, karmI jJAnI parihari dUre |
kevala bhakata saGga, prema-bhakti-rasa raGga, lIlA-kathA vraja-rasa-pure || pbc 15

"Always give up the company of the unholy and all other songs, stay afar from the pursuers of worldly fruits and the speculators. Keep only the company of devotees, seek delight in prema-bhakti-rasa, and engage in lila-katha in Vraja, the abode of rasa."

Were you to keep the company of the worldly or seek pleasure in their amusements, whether through direct company or vicariously enjoying through worldly movies, music and literature, you would develop attachment to the same, and in proportion your taste for Vraja-rasa would dwindle. Therefore, stay aloof!

The question is sometimes asked, "But there are some movies that contain some spiritual ideas, sometimes quite similar to our philosophy. Surely it is all right to watch them?" The inquirer must then consider this: What is the motivation in watching it? You can read the scriptures or discuss with sadhus and hear spiritual ideas that do not only resemble it, but are the real thing itself. What more could you gain from a movie made by worldly authors? How much of the input of the movie is truly of spiritual import, and how many undesired influences are introduced in the course of the movie? We are yet to hear of a mainstream movie where the balance would have been tipped in favor of positive spiritual influences in the context of our desired mode of bhajan.

Mundane music is essentially a glorification of the ways of the world. A grand deal of the time in glorifying the pleasures of life, some of the time in exploring spirituality, in introspection. Yet, of what benefit will the diverse spiritual influences be to a loving devotee who casts afar even love for the Lord of Vaikuntha? In the words of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami, in instructing his mind:

api tyaktvA lakSmI-pati-ratim ito vyoma-nayanIM
vraje rAdhA-kRSNau sva-rati-maNidau tvaM bhaja manaH || ms 4

"Also forsake love for the Consort of Lakshmi, as it'd lead you to Vaikuntha;
O Mind! Worship Radha and Krishna of Vraja, the bestowers of the jewel of their love!"

If one does has not imbibed this exclusive concept of devotion, how will the fruits of sadhana be tasted? The nectarine fruits of sadhana are available for the relish of those engaged in exclusive worship, casting afar both the mundane and the contrary spiritual tastes.

Are there gradations of difference between different modes of entertainment? Yes, certainly, inasmuch as all phenomena of the world are appearances of the three modes of nature. Pursuits for enjoyment and material progress are superior to madness and ignorance, and search for knowledge supersedes pursuits for enjoyement. Yet, they are all shackles binding us to the temporary world. In Sri Krishna's words to Arjuna:

trai-guNya-viSayA vedA nistrai-guNyo bhavArjuna |
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kSema AtmavAn || bg 2.45

"The Vedas deal with the enjoyments of the three modes; free yourself of the three modes, O Arjuna! Rise and be established in the eternal reality beyond duality, free from concerns of sustenance, established in the self!"

If this is true of the ancient literature of the sages, then how much more is this true of contemporary mundane literature! The question may again arise, "But surely the study of such literature may be undertaken as a matter of acquainting oneself with the ways of the world, to be able to present the path of devotion in a meaningful manner?" Thus speaks the preacher. The Bhagavata says:

veda-vAda-rato na syAn na pASaNDI na haitukaH |
zuSka-vAda-vivAde na kaJcit pakSaM samAzrayet || bhAg 11.18.30

"Do not devote yourself to the rituals of the Vedas, do not engage in arguments over fruitless topics with atheists and logicians, never take sides on such topics."

Sri Jiva Goswami comments on the words pASaNDI na syAd, iti pUrva-pakSa-jJAnArtham api pASaNDa-mataM nAbhyased ityarthaH - "Do not study the opinions of the atheists for the sake of gaining knowledge of counter-argumentation." Since mundane knowledge is not conclusive, but is ever-changing by its nature, there is no end in sight to entangling engagements in the realm of mundane knowledge.

The path of devotion stands on its own merit, it calls for no contextualization to exercise its effect. The message of devotion has a deep impact on the heart of the hearer when originating from a pure source, from a loving and spotless heart. The hearer, witnessing the other-worldly qualities of the speaker, will take a keen interest in the message without regard for the context it appears in. Whatever cultural or topical contextualization may be there, it must remain subservient to the effect of the devotee's own practice and absorption. One should keep his focus on cultivating the heart.

There are useful spheres of knowledge in the mundane realm; the classical arts of music, poetry and so forth are all worthy of being engaged as a matter of seva, of loving service. These classical arts are present both in this world and the world of divine play. Studying them with the aim of engaging them for the pleasure of Radha and Krishna is a worthy undertaking indeed, as long as the study is kept in the proper perspective. Familiarity with languages such as Bengali and Sanskrit opens new doors of devotional insight in the form of direct access to the countless works of divine inspiration in our vast canon of literature, and it bestows the ability to interact with sadhus in their native language.

Additionally, if there are fields of knowledge that must be pursued as a matter of fulfilling one's occupational duties and maintaining one's livelihood, and if such pursuits are undertaken in a spirit of detachment, they will not have an adverse effect on devotional cultivation, though they may certainly be a distracting and time-consuming factor. As long as one lives in this world in a situation short of full withdrawal from the world, a degree of awareness and information of the ways of the world is called for. Yet, one must always exercise caution and re-evaluate the nature of the situation and of one's heart's feeling in relation to the said undertakings.

The nature of the mind is to seek variety, to seek novelties; the nature of the senses is to be drawn to sense objects. In absence of spiritual counterparts, the two are naturally drawn towards mundane objects. One should, therefore, always seek to place himself in a position surrounded by divine objects and divine company. It is with this great need in mind that we are constantly striving to produce varieties of devotional media, facilitating different avenues of devotional interaction. It is our sincere prayer that the devotees scattered across the globe, often in isolation and amidst unfavorable influences, take full advantage of what is being offered.