Should we associate with like-minded devotees or devotees who have the qualities we don’t have?

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Sometimes we are told that we should associate with those devotees who have the qualities which we don’t have. And by that association we can develop the qualities.
The word qualities is a very broad word. And we have to understand what it means. So, for example, there are in Vedic culture also Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra.
So, it is not that if a Vaishya associates with a Brahmana, the Vaishya will develop Brahmanical qualities. Vaishya will have a Vaishya pravratti. And society also requires Vaishyas.
So, we cannot change our core nature. To expect to do that itself is unrealistic. That’s the first thing.
So, what I was saying is that whatever our swabhav is, we serve according to our swabhav. But irrespective of what our swabhav is, there are certain attributes which are required for serious sadhana. So, for example, if we associate with those who wake up early in the morning, we will wake up early in the morning.
Now if we associate with those who sleep late, then it will be difficult for us to wake up. So, in terms of bhakti sadhana, there are certain activities which are good and we can develop those qualities by associating with those devotees who are doing it seriously. But in general, we need to focus on our strengths and grow according to our strengths.
We have to be aware of our weaknesses so that we don’t succumb because of them. But worrying too much of our weaknesses, it can actually make us very disheartened. Because we can’t really give up our weaknesses very easily.
That takes a long long time. We have to be aware of our weaknesses. But if we try to transform our weaknesses into our strengths, that is quite often an impossible task.
It takes too much effort. So, usually focus on our strengths and be aware of the weaknesses. So, if there are serious weaknesses, then we may have to work to at least bring them to an acceptable level.
But focus should always be on our strengths.