Devotees are often so busy with their devotional activities that they have no time to do many of the things that most people feel are important and would not do without - for example reading the daily newspaper. With no deliberate effort on their part, a devotee fully engaged in service to Krishna has no time to read newspapers. One then may consider whether this is irresponsible - not tuning into other's sufferings and the political events which externally shape our world.

However, let us consider that what is reported daily is often very repetitious and motivated. It's not just "the news" you get when you read a report - you also get a whole set of prejudices and the complete omission of transcendental knowledge. Without the insight of transcendental writing, the story of yesterday's events is meaningless and merely deadens the human sensibility with tons of depressing proof that we are living in the age of Kali {darkness}.

One time in India a devotee entered Srila Prabhupada's room with a daily newspaper. "What's the news?" Srila Prabhupada asked. "What are the rascals saying? Newspaper means all the statements of rascals." He pointed out that those who read newspapers soon throw them away - an indication of the journal's value. However, if one is fortunate to get a copy of the Srimad Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita and to understand it's value even slightly, he will not throw it away, but rather treasure it throughout his life. He also quoted his spiritual teacher by saying, "If all the books in the world were destroyed by fire and only the Holy Scriptures remained, there would be no loss." In explanation, spiritually advanced persons who are compared to swans do not take pleasure in dead literatures, which are sources of pleasure for those who are like crows and are themselves spiritually dead.

Therefore, if we read the Vedas, in which all cause and effect {karma} is explained - and where we are offered ultimate relief from all misery, aren't we doing ourselves a better favor than by gorging on unexplained "news" from around the world? Let's keep in touch with the real world.