How can we know whether our emotions are coming from the modes or from our bhakti practices?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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so how can we while practicing bhakti differentiate between the emotions that have come from the modes and the emotions that have come from our spiritual practice where the emotions come from is not as important as where the emotions take us if we just become too much analytical where are these emotions coming from say for example in a class somebody makes a joke and I start thinking am I laughing for my pleasure or Krishna’s pleasure we don’t have to do that so as long as it is within the context of Krishna Bhakti that’s perfectly fine so rather than worrying where this emotion has come from if we need to trace we can trace but our focus should be where does this emotion take me so sometimes I come to take darshan of Krishna I feel so good in my heart I feel so sweet, I feel so blissful now is it sahajiyaic, is it like sentimentality or is it authentic spirituality what do I do after that do I tell the world oh no I was so ecstatic now I have become a pure devotee now rather instead if we focus on oh Krishna is so kind, Bhakti is so sweet let me dedicate myself to serving Krishna then that emotion has energized us, stimulated us to follow more diligently the process that will take us to Krishna so that is in terms of fruit it is favourable so if Krishna comes in our dream now can Krishna come in our dream who are we to stop Krishna from coming in our dream if he wants to, isn’t it Krishna can come in our dream, that’s wonderful now is it just we are imagining something or Krishna has really come in the dream and the important thing is not whether Krishna comes in our dream or not the important thing is after we wake up what we do isn’t it after I wake up I just tell the whole world oh Krishna came in my dream that means I am a pure devotee offer up your senses now laughter if I am doing like that then that is simply increasing my ego but Krishna is so kind I should become more devoted to Krishna if whatever spiritual experiences we whatever emotional experiences we get if they inspire us to follow the process more diligently then we should see that as favourable to Bhakti and we can accept those emotions but if those emotions make us think that now I have become so advanced that I don’t need to follow the process you know for the neophyte devotees they need to they need to chant Hare Krishna now Krishna is coming in my dream, I have transcended all this then that is unfavourable so basically without worrying too much about where the emotions are coming from we can focus on where the emotions are taking us