By contemplating the consequences of sensuality, if we practice bhakti, is that bhakti at the level of fear?

Answer Podcast

Is it that if we consider the is it that if we are concerned about the consequences of say worldly indulgence, then we are practicing bhakti out of fear? And if we are attracted to the fruits of Krishna, the sweetness of Krishna, then we are practicing out of love? Yes and no. Because at one level, Rupa Goswami has given us a very practical guideline. Somehow or the other fix the mind on Krishna.
So even if it is out of fear of the misery of material existence, that’s why I take shelter of Krishna, that’s fine. Krishna says that there are four kinds of people who come to him. In Kali Yuga, there are four kinds of people who come to Krishna.
The distressed, the distressed, the distressed and the distressed. People who are philosophical seekers are extremely rare. And those who are wealth seekers, there are so many other ways they may get wealth nowadays.
So it is only when we get problems and we feel I can’t solve this problem. Oh God, please help me. So usually at our level, any way we fix the mind on Krishna, it is good.
At the same time, because we live in a culture where morality is so much relativized and trivialized. So it is important to remind ourselves of the consequences of immorality. And that is not necessarily an unhealthy kind of fear.
See, there is when we say that fear, in the Bible it is said fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. So fear is not a bad thing. When when say if a child is putting the hand in fire.
Mother, don’t put it. Mother shouts, I don’t want my mother to get angry with me. That fear is good.
But if there is fear as an emotion and there is fear as a conception of God. If I think of God only as a fearsome person who will punish me if I do wrong. And if that is my primary conception of God, then that is not very attractive.
That is not very positive. But fear is actually required. And today because the culture as I said is so relativizing.
So we need to remind ourselves of the consequences of of immorality. We may relativize morality but we can’t relativize the consequences of immorality. You want to drink, you drink.
You don’t want to drink, you don’t drink. Fine. You may relativize that.
But after drinking, if I get liver problems, there is no relativizing that. That is for real. So reminding ourselves of consequences is actually intelligence.
So it’s not necessarily bhakti at the level of fear. It is just educating our intelligence about the dangers. And also as we practice bhakti, we need to focus more and more on the positives of bhakti.
That not just we will go to Krishna but even in this world our life becomes more meaningful. It becomes more fulfilling. It becomes more practically productive.
We become better human beings. We help others to become better. So we can look at the positive fruits of bhakti even in this life.
So we see Krishna as a source of positive change in our life. Even in this world, not to speak of another world. So that way we do look at the positive consequences and that’s what will help us to sustain our practice of bhakti.
So it’s more like we are aware of the dangers. We don’t constantly obsess over the dangers of immoral living. That’s not the primary thing we think about.
The primary thing about Krishna is serving Krishna. But we are also aware of that. And sometimes as I said somehow or other we have to fix the mind on Krishna.
In some situations forceful reminders of the danger of immoral living. They may jolt us out of our complacency. And they may inspire us to fix our mind on Krishna.
Sometimes very inspiring experiences of the sweetness of Krishna bhakti. We come in the association of senior devotees. Very illuminating classes.
There are very sweet kirtans. That may inspire us. So rather than relegating something to the level of fear and something to the level of love, we see whatever impetus takes us towards Krishna, we accept that.
So the principle is If whatever is favorable for my bhakti, I accept it. What is unfavorable that I avoid it. Thank you very much.