If some devotees do great kirtan but don’t chant 16 rounds should we appreciate them?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
If somebody sings very beautifully or speaks very eloquently but they are not following the process of bhakti properly, so they are not chanting their rounds, then we are not able to appreciate them so much. So, what can we do at that situation? See, there are two distinct aspects over here. One is that there is a standard process of bhakti which is recommended for enabling us to become purified in this life and to attain Krishna.
But there are also some devotees, even they may be senior, they may have practiced for many years, but somehow for whatever reason, they feel that they can’t practice this whole process. They just don’t feel inspired, they just can’t do it, whatever. Then, if they are doing one form of service, that is also good.
And if they are doing it well, that is also to be appreciated. Better than they give up bhakti completely. If somebody, there are many people, if you see traditionally in India, there are some people who just love to come to the temple and do some puja over there, or do some seva.
But they would not do other forms of devotion. Some people just, whenever there is a katha, they will come for the katha. But if you tell them to do japa, they will not do japa.
They will come to do seva. Some people, they are very eager, they will come to the temple and serve prasadam. But they will not want to sit and hear the lecture.
Or, they may do deity worship, but they will not do chanting. Now, at one level, we can say that all forms of devotional service have their potency. And if anyone is doing any one form of devotional service, that is also going to connect them with Krishna.
And if they do it beautifully, do it well, in a way that inspires others, then what we see is, that by their past karma, they have been given this skill. The skill to speak, the skill to write, the skill to sing. And with the bhakti that they have, they are using the bhakti inside and the skill outside.
Both of them, by which they are performing the devotional service well. And in that sense, they are connecting with Krishna and they are connecting others also with Krishna. So, we appreciate that.
In that sense, there is no need to look at what they are not doing and hold it against them. At the same time, there has to be a differentiation between those devotees who are dedicated fully to Krishna. We don’t want such devotees to become the role models in our movement.
That they are doing service to Krishna, we appreciate that, we value that. And Krishna accepts service from everyone. If somebody is doing a particular service nicely, why can’t Krishna accept that? He can also accept that.
But then, they shouldn’t become the role models. Now, they will become the role models for some people. Definitely.
But those should be people who will anyway not go into practice the full process of bhakti. Somebody just loves kirtan. And there are many, say, devoted kids, they are not interested in practicing the full process of bhakti.
But at least they are coming for kirtans. And they love the kirtans. So, it’s like, say, a father has two sons.
And one of them is brilliant, usually gets 80% marks in the exam. Other just scrapes to get 40%. Now, if that 40% person has got 60% marks, the father will say, Bravo! Well done! And the 80% also comes and says, I also got 60% here.
What have you done? So now, for the 40% person, 60% will stop up. But for the 80% student, 60% is down. So, what should not happen is that, when we praise somebody who is at 60%, we appreciate them, but that doesn’t mean 60% is the ideal.
For those at 40%, they should not think 60% is the ideal. But for somebody at 80%, they should not think 60% is the ideal. So, there has to be a proper education given, where we don’t minimize devotees who are not practicing bhakti process.
By the same time, we explain things in a holistic way, by which those who are practicing bhakti in a dedicated way, following the full process of bhakti, they become the role models. They are considered as the exemplary leaders. It is said that when Bhakti Sahaja Thakur was departing, at that time, there was one devotee who was a very good sweet singer.
He was singing kirtan. And Bhakti Sahaja Thakur requested that some other devotee sing. And that devotee was not a very sweet singer, but he was known as a very faithful devotee.
So, Bhakti Sahaja Thakur wanted to hear his kirtan at that time. So, that aspect is also there. So, we don’t reject their service, but we also in a non-critical way, make it clear who the role models, who the leaders of the movement should be.
And who people should aspire to become like. And if they can’t become like this, then there are other options also. You can just practice bhakti at this level.
That’s also fine. So, we can say that there are multiple levels of devotion. So, rather than saying, this is a devotee and this is a non-devotee.
We can say that there are many concentric circles of expanding radii. And all the people are connected with Krishna at different levels. Now, there can be outer radius also where somebody is situated and they are also connected with Krishna.
Somebody that inner radius, you could say that all these concentric circles form a pyramid. And somebody is near the top of the pyramid, somebody is somewhere near the bottom of the pyramid. They are all on the path to Krishna.
So, what shouldn’t happen is that somebody at the bottom becomes the standard. And everything, if I become like this, that’s good enough. No, we always should try to improve.
But if you can’t, then you are happy here also. Does that answer your question? In a way, yeah. What it means is, when I said that they should not become the role model, it means that what should, generally if somebody is not doing a particular form of bhakti, they are not going to go and broadcast and tell the world.
I do such katha, but I don’t chant the rounds. So, you also don’t chant the rounds. Nobody is going to do that publicly.
So, if somebody is going to say, there are three different situations. Somebody has come and done nice kirtans and they come and they go. And devotees also come and do kirtans with them.
And they feel inspired and they go on with their bhakti. That’s perfectly fine. But somebody starts thinking, you know, I want to make them into my shiksha guru or bhiksha guru or something like that.
I will take regular guidance from them. Then, then we may have to tell them in a confidential forum that this is what they are doing, this is what they are not doing right now. So, if you want to take guidance, keep this in mind.
So, we don’t have to tell it publicly to everyone. Because most people, so many devotees come in the horizon of our consciousness and they inspire us in different ways and then they go out. If somebody is seeking a steady relationship with them, then we may have to tell them that these are issues.
And the real serious situation would be if somebody starts justifying their half-hearted practice based on them. See, that devotee is also not chanting my rounds. I am also not chanting my rounds.
I just come for kirtans. And somebody who was chanting, gives up chanting and tries to become like that, then it is a serious problem. Otherwise, if some inspiration is there, every devotee has their own deficiencies.
Some deficiencies are more glaring, some deficiencies are less glaring. And we don’t have to necessarily talk about the deficiencies of someone. Somebody is inspired, that is good.
They take the inspiration and move in their path towards Krishna. But if they want to seek a steady relationship with them, then better to in a private way, privately respectful way.