If I don’t find answers by different devotees equally convincing, am I judging them?

Podcast:

It is that different senior devotees don’t answer my questions perfectly. Sometimes even devotees who are prominent preachers may answer a question by saying just keep faith. But I’m convinced only when a philosophical logical answer is given. So am I judging these devotees, or is it that everyone has their own nature? Answer, everybody gets their own strength and conviction in bhakti from different sources.

And based on where they are getting their strength and conviction from, other things may not they may not consider other things that important. So for example, if some devotees primary nourishment comes from worshiping the deities, or somebody whose primary nourishment comes from building big temples for Krishna, then for them, philosophical questions may not be that important either in getting answers to those questions themselves or in giving answers to others. So because their faith is not coming from their or at least not entirely or significantly coming from their philosophical convictions. So in those situations, it’s important that we provide them, that that we provide them the understanding in the space that they have naturally carved for themselves. That means that we don’t negatively judge or label them based on their inability to answer questions.

If they are close to us or if we have to work with them regularly, then we can try to understand what is it that works for them in bhakti? What is it that gives them strength? Sometimes they may also be preachers, but they may be reaching at a particular level to attract a particular level of audiences and that does not involve so much intellectual exploration as developing personal relationships and cultivating people. So so it’s not a judgment itself is not bad if it’s it’s more for self understanding of what is favorable and what is unfavorable for us and not for devaluing, certain devotees just because they can’t answer questions the way we, the way we find convincing. So, we understand that they are getting their strength from somewhere else and we can appreciate that part of them, but we get, if we get our strength from logical and philosophical answers, then we have to look for those devotees who can provide us those answers and focus on those answers and move forward from there.

Unless we do that, we will not grow. So it is Jeeva’s Rupa Goswami that we need like minded association. Not just association, but like minded association. So, this is not just a matter of individual natures that could also be part, but it’s also a matter of individuality in faith Individuality in the source of faith that, that every devotee may have. So we are focusing on the fact that we are individuals and that in because we are we have to find out what gives us faith and seek that and seek the association of those devotees who can answer the questions in a way that we find convincing.

And others who just told us to have faith, then don’t ask questions. Don’t ask questions which in before which we need logical and philosophical answers. We’re asking those questions. For others, we can ask them questions such as how best can I, you know, how to improve my chanting or maybe how to wake up in the morning or something practical we can ask them if at all we have to ask them anything? Otherwise, just maintain the relationship which is not involved to many question answers with them, especially if you already have a relationship with them.

Thank you, Hare Krishna.