If our family members don’t support our bhakti, what should we do?

Anwser Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
If our family members are not supporting us in our practice of bhakti, how can we continue? Generally, especially in the modern world, usually family members, they are not autocratic. They also know that they cannot control anyone. But their main concern is that you are going to become too spiritual and negligent of your family responsibilities.
And generally, people don’t want change. In their own way, they go on like that. Why bring a change? So, if you find that you can do things in a way by which they feel assured that when they need you, what is expected of you, you are going to do it.
So, that initial change will cause some fear. So, their hope may be that okay, this is just a fad. It will get over.
And the opposite, the fad will go away. But if this is an aspired opposition, you are consistent. But you are not going to extremes.
Then over a period of time, they will accept. Generally, whenever we go through starting something new, first, we will go through four phases. One is criticism.
Second is neglect. And gradually after that, there will be appreciation. After that, there will be appreciation to come gradually.
And then after that, they may also follow. So, at this stage, you can focus primarily on, within your situation, what all you can do. Who knows? If Krishna is in your heart, Krishna is in their hearts also.
If you don’t have the conception that I will not be able to do it, just try to have the attitude that let me do whatever I can. If I keep doing whatever I can, then, Krishna is seen and Krishna will make some arrangements. And ultimately what Krishna expects from us is our best.
So, if our best happens to be only this much in this situation, if we accept that, then also we are making spiritual advancement. So, in our life, in our bhakti, there is the circumstantial and there is the transcendental. The transcendental is our relationship with Krishna.
It doesn’t depend on any circumstance. But specific expression of that relationship may depend on certain circumstances. So, the circumstantial, don’t let it limit your desire.
Let you have a strong desire to practice bhakti and express that desire whenever you can, without causing too much disruption to others. But whenever you can, express it. And then seeing that, Krishna can change the trans-circumstantial also.
Do what you can. Don’t do any excess things. At the same time, be open.
Krishna may reveal some plan by which you will be able to do much more.