How can we survive spiritually when suddenly we lose devotee association?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, if suddenly we lose the association of devotees after having been a lot, very protected, nicely in devotee association, how do we avoid monotony? How do we protect ourselves? Generally, the protection in association is actually through engagement. This association of devotees, it gives us the facility to engage ourselves in doing something devotional. So, if we don’t have devotee association, then we can try to find out some devotional engagement.
So, devotional engagement can be of various types. Nowadays, we are all connected through the technology. So, we can still be doing some seva.
Maybe, it may not, we can make some artwork. I am just, just generally giving some ideas. But the point is, we can connect with each other even now through service.
So, we get some ideas. You know, maybe we can discuss this. We can discuss this book.
Even if we have some friends, we may not be meeting constantly, we are physically far away, but still we can relate with each other. So, basically, if we can find out some engagement, which we can do, and through that engagement, we connect with other devotees. Then, that is one way we can survive through that lack of association also.
So, keep engaged. Find out something which we feel inspired to do and do it for Krishna. And who knows that opportunity may help us to find some talent which we have not developed earlier.
And we may be able to do something wonderful for Krishna also. Another thing is that when there is no association, try to create association. Try to create association means wherever we are, try to find out some people.
See, anywhere we go, there is social circle, there are some people who are completely materialistic, some people who are little pious, and there might be one or two people who are a little spiritually interested. Try to share Krishna Bhakti with them. If we try to create association, not in a very aggressive way that I am right and you are wrong, but in a friendly way, sharing way, then that can be very powerful.
Because if we have a spirit of sharing Bhakti with others in our friend circle, whoever is there, then wherever we go, we will always have an opportunity to do some service. And thirdly, we can see this as an opportunity to increase our appreciation for devotees, for association. That is, we said that separation does to love what wind does to fire.
Separation does to love what wind does to fire. Like there is a forest fire and then a wind comes. And what happens? The forest fire spreads.
It becomes much, much bigger. And sometimes in the forest fire, the worst thing that that firefighters fear is the wind over there. Now, so like that, if our love for Krishna, love for devotees, it is like a fire, forest fire.
And separation will become like a wind. It will make the fire blaze more and more. And we will appreciate devotee association more and more and when we get association, we will really cherish it in future.
At the same time, sometimes if the fire is not a forest fire, it is a candle. And then wind comes. What will happen? The candle will be extinguished.
So like that, if our own bhakti is very, very tender, it’s very weak. And separation can extinguish it also. So we should see this as opportunity to make our own bhakti stronger.
That we can appreciate it more. And if we have deep impressions, we draw on those impressions, and manifest the determination thereby. And it is, we can see it as a test from Krishna.
And what happens is, when a test is difficult to pass, but if we pass, we get promoted. So Krishna will be very pleased if we survive, even if it’s an association. And try to see how we can get more and more association, try to come back to association as much as possible, whenever possible.
But most importantly, if we show Krishna that we want to practice bhakti, Krishna will make some arrangement by which we will get some association somewhere. Does that answer the question? So thank you very much for your attention and participation. Hare Krishna.