​How can we avoid pride while giving spiritual knowledge to others?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how can we overcome pride, especially when we are giving spiritual knowledge to others? Answer? Broadly, there are three aspects. First is that if you remember the source, this is not my knowledge. This is Krishna’s knowledge, which is coming through Guru Sadhu Shastra.
So, it’s not my property in that sense. Now, if say, some people are starving, and I am going and giving some food, a charity to them. I may feel proud, see, I am feeding the hungry.
But if actually, I have a master who is very charitable, and I am simply giving his charity to them, then I will not feel, I will feel happy that I am able to help these poor people. But I won’t think, I know that it’s not my money with which this charity is giving. So, it’s not I am giving the charity.
So, that way, if you remember, it’s not my knowledge. It’s Krishna’s knowledge which I am giving. Then we can avoid pride to a substantial degree.
Still, we may feel that okay, it’s Krishna’s knowledge, but actually, I am explaining it systematically. I have understood it. I have used my intelligence.
And I am presenting it in an appealing way. Others cannot present it so well. So, that may cause pride to us.
So, then we have to again remember that actually, even the intelligence that we have, that is not our own intelligence. It is given by Krishna to us. And that’s why we can also see sometimes in our lives that we also act in very unintelligent ways.
And I say that I am intelligent. And I may be intelligent also on many occasions. But on other occasions, I act like a fool sometimes.
So, if my intelligence were my intelligence only, then I should be able to act soundly at all times. But when I am not able to do like that, that means there is something wrong. So, it is not my intelligence.
It is Krishna’s intelligence. The knowledge is coming from Krishna. The ability to process and present that knowledge, that intelligence is also coming from Krishna.
And lastly, the pride that comes from thinking that I am very clever or whatever, that doesn’t satisfy our heart. Because pride, in one sense, is like lust. When there is lust, there is some titillation, there is some gratification.
But it is momentary. And after that momentary gratification, and even before that momentary gratification, there is so much craving. When will I get it again? When will I get it again? When will I get it again? So, in that sense, if we consider the overall balance, it’s actually misery.
We may not feel it so graphically, but suppose if we consider somebody is a drunkard, or alcoholic, they may say, I go so high, I feel so good when I drink. But then we can observe, this person has fallen in the gutter, or this person has made a fool out of themselves. So, as compared to the little pleasure, the amount of misery they get is far greater.
So, that applies, we can very easily see that applying for intoxication, it applies for lust also, it applies for pride also. Because what happens when we are proud, then we are constantly looking for reasons for our own pride, for justifications for our pride, proof, evidences for our pride. I have to prove that I am cleverer than that person, or I have to make sure that this person knows how clever I am, how great I am.
And then our whole focus shifts from Krishna to that, to the satisfaction of the pride. And then even if we consider, even if I am a very clever person, still how long are people going to praise me? Isn’t it? Life is going to go on, maybe in a day, two, three times, maybe a few times, some people will praise me. But pride is a constant craving which keeps burning us from within, and it keeps us dissatisfied.
So, if we use our instincts also to understand that, the titillation, whatever pleasure I get from pride, actually it is distracting me from the much higher satisfaction that I can get by absorption in Krishna. If I stay focused on, not on, you know, I am so clever, but I think it is Krishna’s message, and I give that, I share that message with Krishna, share the message of Krishna with others, I will find that actually I am much more satisfied, I am much more fulfilled. And that way, we can move onwards in our service towards Krishna.
So, if we can focus on this point, these three things, remember it is Krishna’s knowledge, it is Krishna’s intuition by which we are able to present the knowledge, and it is Krishna who is the goal who will provide a lasting satisfaction. Pride and praise will not provide a lasting satisfaction. Therefore, not get involved in that.
Therefore, consciously avoid focusing on whether I am getting glory and praise or not, just focus on whether I am remembering Krishna or not. That way we can avoid pride. And of course, we need the mercy of devotees and Krishna, we can pray for protection.
But along with praying for protection, we can also do these things, which we can minimize the danger of pride. Okay.