What are the dos and donts to develop devotional consciousness?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So, what are the do’s and don’ts which devotees need to practice to be Krishna conscious in action? Actually, we are talking about do’s and don’ts in terms of actions. Action is one thing, consciousness is another thing. And the two should be related.
But they are not necessarily related. What relates action and consciousness is intention. What is my intention? For example, I may fast on Ekadashi.
I may fast nirjul. But after fasting nirjul, then I go to the kitchen and see who is eating what. So attached.
Sense gratifier. Hopeless. Then what is happening? I am doing the activity of fasting.
My body is fasting but my ego is feasting. And what is happening is my intention is not to go closer to Krishna. My intention is to prove my superiority over others.
So, if we remember that whatever I am doing, I am chanting, I am studying scripture, I am doing services, the purpose is that I want to go closer to Krishna and I want to take others closer to Krishna. If we keep that intention as much as possible in mind. Remind ourselves repeatedly of that intention.
Then, the action will be accompanied by the right consciousness. So, Vyavasayatmika Munthi, Eka, Udurandana. Repeatedly reminding ourselves of the intention.
That is important. So that the activity may be Krishna conscious or the activity may be externally of bhakti but our consciousness may not be Krishna conscious. So, one very important or very powerful way in which you can remind ourselves of that intention is by associating with devotees who have that intention.
So, in the devotee community also you will see there are different kinds of devotees with different levels of motivation for practicing bhakti. So, if you associate with devotees who are serious, who are striving to be Krishna conscious, then their association will inspire us. It will rub off on us and we will also be Krishna conscious.
So, wherever we are, the mind would the mind often sees the tendency of the conditioned mind is how sinful I can be without becoming sinful. How much wrong I can do without being wrong. Or how little bhakti can I do while still being called a bhakta.
So, that is the attitude of the mind. And if we are not careful in devotee association what will happen is we will look at the lowest level of the devotee and we think I can do this also and I can be a devotee. But if we keep the purpose in mind, then we will see who are the serious devotees.
How can I become like them? And then in the devotee association we will rise upwards and we will become examples where others also rise upwards. So, keeping our purpose that I have come here for coming closer to Krishna and associating with those who can help us come closer to Krishna, those who inspire us to come closer to Krishna. That was actually Srila Prabhupada’s speciality.
The Vedic scriptures are very vast. Prabhupada in almost every purport, he comes back to the essence. We have to be Krishna conscious.
We have to be Krishna conscious. So, reading scriptures is a very powerful way of reminding ourselves of what our purpose is. That means by constantly reminding ourselves of the purpose of our activities, we can infuse those activities with Krishna consciousness.
Does that answer your question? Thank you. Hare Krishna. Shall we stop here? Thank you very much.
Srimad Bhagavad Gita Ki Jai Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai Gaur Bhaktivinda Ki Jai Sai Gaur Premanand