If we don’t have the inclination to do some service, should we still do it just to purify ourselves?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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If we don’t have the inclination to do something, should we still try to do it? And will that purify us? It depends on what that activity is.
If it is a core devotional activity, just say chanting the holy names or studying scriptures, then that’s a part of our essential purification process. And then we should do that. And by associating with other devotees who have a taste for that, we are trying to understand what is it that gives you so much taste.
Then gradually you will get that taste also over a period of time. So now if it is not a core devotional activity which is a part of our sadhana, if it is some other activity, maybe some service, some devotees do managerial service, some devotees do preaching service, some devotees do some other kind of services. If I am not very comfortable with a particular service, then it is a balance between individual need and institutional need.
Sometimes the temple where we are, they may need a particular service. So then we may do that service at that time. But over a period of time, for sustainable practice of bhakti, it is good that our primary service be something which we are inclined to do.
Because we all have a svabhava, we all have a particular nature. That nature, we don’t have, the Bhagavad Gita talks about brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, shudra. Now that classification of the four varanas may not be very practical in today’s times.
That’s a whole different subject. But the underlying principle is, it’s not just categorization of the four categories. The principle is that there are different natures, that means different people have different things which they feel inspired to.
And when they are engaged in that way, then they can move forward harmoniously in their life. So there are only two verses in the Bhagavad Gita that are repeated. Not verbatim, but almost verbatim.
One is the call for devotion to Krishna. In 9.34, In 18.65 it is, Just devote yourself to him. Second verse that is repeated is, In 3.35, 18.46 is that, Krishna says, act according to your nature.
Don’t act according to other’s nature. So, if there is something, if there is something which we are not at all attracted to, if we feel a lot of resistance towards doing that, internally, then, maybe that is not our nature. So as an expression of surrender, if we are told to do that, we may do that when it is a need.
But for sustainability, if something causes too much resistance within us to do, then trying to do that, we may say it may purify, but then the price is so much, see we don’t just want to be purified. We also need to be enlivened, to be encouraged in our bhakti. So what happens sometimes, when we are working too much against our material nature, that incompatibility with our material nature, causes dissatisfaction.
And we mistake that dissatisfaction to be spiritual dissatisfaction. And we think, this process of bhakti doesn’t work. So it is actually not spiritual dissatisfaction, it is material dissatisfaction.
Because of the incompatibility of what I am doing with my nature. So then when we mistake that material dissatisfaction to be spiritual dissatisfaction, then we become disheartened in the practice of bhakti, and give up the practice of bhakti. That should not happen.
Bhakti is connection with Krishna, and the connection with Krishna gives us higher satisfaction. And according to our nature, if we do services, then there is not so much incompatibility, not so much resistance inside us, and we can be fruitfully engaged in material things. Does that answer your question?