If we use our extrovert nature to serve Krishna, are we functioning in the mode of passion?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
If we are extroverts and then we use our extroverted nature to attract people to Krishna, then is it that we are actually in a moral passion or are we serving Krishna? Yeah, okay. So, it’s not necessary, is it for contribution or is it for gratification ourselves? What are we doing it? No, we don’t have to necessarily be constantly separating that.
It is like, say, if we have a particular nature and we serve according to that nature. Now, if I like to speak, I am speaking for Krishna. Now, is it that I have no desire at all that I be appreciated, that I be praised for my classes? If I wait for that, I will never be able to speak about Krishna.
But it is not that in order to get appreciation, I will speak simply some mundane jokes, speak some point of nothing related to Krishna. But that will make me popular. So, basically, like I said, we have our nature and there is the service of Krishna, there are two circles.
We find the intersection and we situate ourselves in that. And while doing that, so while working with our nature for Krishna, there is also the natural, you know, the desire for appreciation can be because of the ego, but it can also be because of just our human need for reciprocation. So, if we do some service and we want some reciprocation from others, that is just a human being.
But the important thing is, even if we are not appreciated, what do we do? Do we keep serving Krishna? And if we are appreciated, do we think that now everybody is understanding how great I am? Are you thinking, Krishna is using me in this way, I am grateful to Krishna, let me serve him more. So, if, when we are appreciated, if we see the Krishna connection, pass on the credit to Krishna and continue to serve Krishna, then that is positive, that is how we should work. So, it is not so much in the mode of passion, because we all have a certain amount of passion within us and we can’t wish it away.
We have to work with whatever we have. So, if I have a lot of passion within me, then the sadhana that I do, that is what will keep me to some level in goodness. And I work with the passion and I don’t work for the passion.
Work for the passion means, if I am distributing books, now I want to be the number one and I will be the number one by hook or by crook. So, in the early days of our movement, it happened sometimes that some devotees, they just wanted to, they had their bus party, they wanted to distribute books. And there was another bus party.
So, one devotee woke up early in the morning and just punctured the tyre of the other bus. So, this is destructive competition. Of course, if the devotee was told, he will learn and apologize sincerely.
But the thing is, at that time, he just didn’t see things in a proper perspective. So, we can use our passion in Krishna’s service, but when our passion starts making us do something which is against the principles of dharma, then we stop. Krishna says, dharma aviruddho bhuteshu, kamosa nivartashiva.
Kama can refer to a lot of sexual desires, but kama can refer even to desire in general. So, it’s not that we are not meant to have desires or it’s not that we are not meant to have ambitions. But ambition should not go against the dharma.
So, when ambition makes us go against ethics, then that ambition becomes greedy. Then that ambition becomes destructive. So, if that ambition is according to the principles of dharma, and that inspires me to serve more, then that’s positive.
And gradually, as we keep serving enthusiastically, in passion, whatever it is, we use passion for serving Krishna, then as we become purified more and more, we will be that vigorous only, but we will do it more and more in goodness. That means, initially, say, we are distributing books, now we just be concerned, how many books are distributed? But, over a period of time, we will start, okay, what kind of people did I meet? Who was very interested? How will I talk with them? Now, how can I learn to talk better with them? Not just so that I can distribute more books, but so that I can become a better representative of Krishna. We will become more reflective, more introspective.
And that will happen gradually by purification. So, even if there is some desire, there is some passion, there is some desire for even glorification. I am such a good preacher, I am such a good book distributor, I am such a good singer.
Even if that is there, what we need to do is keep serving Krishna. Once, one devotee was playing kirtan, playing mudanga and singing kirtan very nicely. And Prabhupada had come to that temple, and Prabhupada came by him and said, this kirtan is very nice.
And then he suddenly thought, this is an opportunity for me to share my heart with Prabhupada. He said, so he spoke to Prabhupada, sometimes I feel proud. And Prabhupada just patted him on the back, what’s wrong with that? He said, what’s wrong with that? So much wrong.
Now, the point was, what Prabhupada was saying is, that sometimes we think that if I do a service nicely, then I will become proud. But, to think like that means I am already proud. How? Because I am thinking that right now I am not proud, in future I will become proud.
To think like that is itself one level pride. So, it’s not that we don’t have pride within our heart. Just like, for example, there is lust.
It’s not that we all have some amount of lust in our hearts. And when there is a particular object that provokes us, that lust may come out. But it’s not that that object is making us lusty.
It is obviously triggering the lust, what is there inside us. So, similarly, pride is there within us. But maybe right now, I do not have any reason to express my pride.
I am proud, but I have not done anything which is worthy of praise. So, I am not expressing it. So, it’s not that I will do some wonderful service and become proud.
Rather when I do that service, I will get some reason to express my pride. But, the important point here is, what can I do? Pride is already there in my heart. If I say that I will not do any service, I will not do any special service, because I will become proud.
And all that is going to happen is, when somebody else does some special service, my pride will come off in an ugly way as envy. So, we will find some way to cast exposure on that person. So, the cure for pride is not suppression of talent.
The cure for pride is purification of intent. Suppression of talent means I don’t do my service because I feel that I will become proud. No, the pride will come off as envy.
But, instead, what I do is, I keep serving Krishna. And as I keep serving Krishna, that service to Krishna establishes a connection with him. And when that connection is established, after that, that connection gives me a higher taste.
And once we get that higher taste, then we realize, oh, okay, the joy of remembering Krishna, the joy of serving And even if nobody praises me, it doesn’t matter so much. Once I, when I started giving classes for the first time, I was very conscious of how many people praise me for my classes after the class. And one time, I gave a very well prepared, very well delivered class.
At least I thought it was well prepared and well delivered. All the thoughts flowed very nicely, connected very nicely. But after that class, no one appreciated the class.
And I was feeling so irritated. And then it struck me, actually, while I was preparing the class, I was absorbing Krishna. I was happy.
While I was giving the class, I was absorbing Krishna. I was happy. But after I gave the class, I was not absorbing Krishna, I was unhappy.
So, I realized that even if somebody comes and praises me, that is only for a few minutes, few moments. But the absorption in Krishna is actually a far greater source of fulfillment. So, it is not that I am free from that desire.
It was just quite a revelation for me at that time. And I would not have got that revelation if I had not spoken. And thought that, oh, I am so proud, I cannot speak about Krishna now.
It is when we connect with Krishna, when we serve Krishna, then we get the higher taste of serving Krishna. And it is that higher taste which gradually frees us from the lower taste. That is what will lead to the purification or intake.
So, I am speaking about Krishna because I want to remember Krishna. I want to help others to remember Krishna. If others appreciate, that is nice.
I will learn more about how I can serve better. But that is not the primary thing. So, that is how we, even if we are in passion, we just keep serving Krishna enthusiastically.
We don’t transgress the boundaries of dharma. But even if we have pride, even if we become a little proud, actually Krishna will purify us of that pride. He will give us a higher taste.
And through that higher taste, we will realize that the taste from glorification, from pride, it is not really worth the distraction from Krishna that it leads to. And that way, we will become purified of the pride. Does that answer your question?