How can we get in our next life the devotional facilities we don’t have in this life?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how can we get in our next life things which we did not have in this lifetime, by which we can be better situated in our life? Actually, the change from one lifetime to another lifetime is quite unpredictable in its specifics. It is in the broad principles it is predictable. Based on Krishna says that whatever the state of our consciousness at the time of death, that’s what we will attain.
And whatever we cultivate the most attachment to in this life, that is what we will remember at the time of our death, at the end of this life. So, exactly what we will get in our next life, we can’t say at this stage. Now, Prabhupada writes in a third canto purport that a devotee desires the darshan of the Lord, but the devotee doesn’t demand the darshan.
So, if we don’t desire, then how can we do that? Bhakti also means having some desires to serve Krishna, having desires to love Krishna. So, desire is natural. And when we are in the material world, because we are functioning at the material level of reality, we will naturally desire certain material conditions or certain material circumstances by which we can better serve Krishna.
So, having that desire is just a natural feature of being conscious. Being conscious means, you know, I will see, oh, this is beautiful, this, this doesn’t match properly, this tastes good, this doesn’t taste that good. So, being conscious means having desires, having perceptions, having emotions in relation to the perceptions, and based on the emotions, then certain desires that will emerge.
We can’t wish away desires, nor are we expected to wish away desires. But in this life, it is possible. No, no, no.
When we desire, but we don’t demand, that means what? That Krishna, I feel this is, this will be helpful for me. This will be good for me. So, sometimes we have the power to get it.
Sometimes we don’t have the, it’s not in our power to get it. Some other things have to be worked out. So, if we demand, then that means we are putting ourselves in the position of the controller.
We are thinking that we are, we are making our bhakti conditional to the fulfillment of that particular desire. So, demands actually choke the flow of love. When I start demanding, basically I don’t acknowledge the other person as a free being, as a person with free will, and I just, this is what I want and this is what you have to do.
So, demands actually choke the flow of love. Requests give direction to love. Okay, say somebody loves us and we love that person.
If they tell us to do something, they want us to, they request us to do something, okay, I want to express my affection for you, I want to express my love for you. How do I do that? I’ll do this for you. This is what you want, I’ll do it.
So, now, in our relationship with Krishna, if we feel whether it’s this life or next life, that certain situations are favorable for, will be favorable for our bhakti, desiring that is okay because that is, that is what we feel we need for our service to Krishna. But the challenge comes when that desire becomes more dominant, the desire for that thing becomes more dominant in the desire to serve Krishna. That means that, Krishna, I need this for serving you.
If I don’t have this, I will not serve you. Then, that desire impedes our service to Krishna. But the desire is in a mode of assistance.
Krishna, this is what I want to do. This is how I feel I can best serve you. For this, I need this.
But, whether I have it or not, I will keep serving you. So, if we have that mood, then we can, we aspire for pure devotional service. But we can’t become pure devotees without becoming devotees.
First we become devotees, then we become pure devotees. Devotees means we have a heart to heart connection with Krishna. It may not be purely selfless right now.
Krishna, I want this. We may have that desire. That doesn’t matter so much.
At least we have a relationship with Krishna. So, first things, first means that we connect with Krishna and whatever we feel we need for that connection, we can see, we can pray for that, we can seek that. And overall, if we are doing bhakti properly, if we are living a virtuous life while practicing bhakti, then that itself comprises a certain level of pious spiritual credits.
Krishna says that those who have not completed their bhakti and those who have seriously practiced bhakti but not completed, you know, they will be born in a devotee’s family, wealthy family, aristocratic family, learned family, whatever, by which one can move forwards. So, the material facilities needed for practicing bhakti are provided by Krishna for a person who has not completed their bhakti in this life. That will come in new course.
But rather than assuming that I need this for serving Krishna, we focus on the point that I want to serve Krishna, and Krishna, if this is there, I feel it will be very good for me. But if you have some other plan, please give me the strength to serve you even without this. If you keep that attitude, then you can maintain that balance between expressing our individuality at the same time also expressing our surrender.