If we practice bhakti simply to look good in others’ eyes how can we advance?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you.
So how do we spiritualize our material activities when we don’t have so much intention or attraction to serve Krishna? We are more concerned about our own image or reputation. People should not think of us as irresponsible or as failures because of our spiritual practices. See there are various levels at which we can connect with Krishna.
Broadly there is fear, desire, beauty and love. So any way we connect with Krishna that is auspicious. And usually we often start our spiritual life from not so pure inspiration, which is fine.
Purity, it doesn’t have to be the starting point of bhakti. It is actually at a very advanced level. We start with whatever it is that we have interest in.
So say somebody likes to sing and they come and sing for Krishna. If you tell them, you know, cook for Krishna, clean vessels for Krishna, they are not interested in that. They are not interested in singing.
So their interest is if you consider the circle of interest, their interest is singing only. It’s fine. But somehow they find an intersection point between their circle of interest and Krishna consciousness.
And over a period of time, if they keep singing, they will start finding that actually when I sing mundane songs, I don’t get that pleasure which I get when I am singing for Krishna. And then that means that fulfilment that is coming, it is not just from singing, it is from Krishna. And then they will become more open to connecting with Krishna in other ways also.
So the important thing is, it is wherever we are, we start connecting with Krishna from that point. So even if it is at the starting point when we are thinking that, oh, while practicing bhakti, if I become negligent about my material duties, then people will speak badly about me and speak badly about bhakti. That is actually not just the ego.
That is the ego used in devotional service. Because what does it mean, ego used in devotional service? That means that the desire for respect, if it inspires us to practice bhakti, that is not unfavourable. That is not necessarily the highest.
The highest is that whether people honour me or dishonour me, I will practice bhakti. But any way we practice bhakti, that is auspicious. So at our level, we start connecting with Krishna.
Yena kena prakarena mana krishna nivese. Rupa Goswami says that somehow or other, fix the mind on Krishna. And actually for a devotee to want a good reputation is not a wrong thing.
Because people are attracted by reputation. And if a devotee has a good reputation, if a devotee is a good student, if a devotee is talented in a particular field, people are attracted to that and from that they become attracted to Krishna. Now the problem becomes when we seek only the reputation and not the devotion.
Then it becomes without substance. But if we are pursuing quality activities, we are doing our duties and a positive reputation comes by that. That can be used in Krishna’s service.
In fact, Prabhupada actually did that when he was in India. Not many Indians were interested in hearing about it. But he went to America and when Americans started practicing bhakti, Prabhupada came back to India.
Indians came to his program because this Swami has American disciples. People were interested. So what was Prabhupada doing? Prabhupada was using the reputation of America in the service of devotion, in the service of Krishna.
So in principle, we can, whatever level we are at, we start connecting with Krishna. And whatever is favorable for connecting with Krishna, we accept that. Does that answer your question?