Do we need to appreciate devotees before we can appreciate Krishna?
So do we need to appreciate devotees before we can appreciate Krishna? yes definitely when I talk about assimilation, application, appreciation all these three require devotee association because even when we have to assimilate how are we going to assimilate? if we study Bhagavad Gita ourselves we may understand a few things but there are many questions which may also come and to get the answers to those questions we need to associate with devotees whom we can ask the questions and who can answer our questions so assimilation association is required even for application also when we have to practice if we alone have to practice it becomes quite difficult but if we come in the association of devotees then the same devotional activities become not only easier they actually become joyful so and definitely for appreciation it develops to the extent we associate with those who are appreciating Krishna so for example if we see deities if we go to some other devotee's house who has got deities and they are serving the deities with great care, with great reverence with great bhakti and we see that oh they do this like this everyday for so many days, so many years that seeing that inspires us and we may also get deities and we may have some picture of Krishna in our house but when we see others serving Krishna very nicely we also feel inspired to serve so appreciation comes by associating with those who are appreciating and in that sense our desires are not just linear they are triangular what do you mean by triangular? that so normally think of desire as I see some object and I desire that object so I am here, the object is here, I desire it we think of that's how desires develop that's true, that's one way desires develop but that's not the only way desires develop say for example an Indian comes to America India practically no one knows about baseball but say an Indian student comes to an American university where everybody is passionate for baseball then and by associating with those who are mad after baseball say a friend says come, let's go for a baseball match initially it doesn't make any sense others are so excited, so wild about it and the student also starts developing then he also becomes excited, after 6 months he may also be maniac about baseball so what has happened, the baseball was here first time he saw baseball he said what is this, it doesn't make any sense to me but then by associating with someone else who loves baseball then from their attraction to baseball his attraction to baseball also develops so our desire is not just linear it's triangular and this especially applies for bhakti for the spiritual manifestations of Krishna for example Bhagavad Gita many of us if we come from a pious background we may have recited some Bhagavad Gita verses in our childhood especially sometimes our children are told, memorize some Bhagavad Gita verses and that's good but when we associate with those who are not just memorizing the Gita but they are living the Gita then our appreciation for the Gita increases much more so it's like, if I just study the Gita, ok it's a good book but if I study those who are living the Gita by associating with them, my appreciation of the Gita increases much more so yes definitely we need association of devotees for assimilation for application and especially for appreciation does that answer your question?