What are the ways in which the Nectar of Instruction text 1 can be misapplied?
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lectures to hear. Thank you. So what are the ways in which the mid-term instruction can be applied? Yes, see the main danger is making renunciation the standard of devotion.
That means this devotee is so renounced, therefore he is given the privilege of renunciation. But renunciation is the root of devotion. It is not the standard of devotion.
So sometimes for renunciation the purpose of renunciation is that when there is renunciation we can look up undistractedly at Krishna. But sometimes that same renunciation can make us look down proudly at others. So that is the problem.
So if I am fasting nirjala nakadashi and I go to the kitchen and see who all are eating. See like that, you know what happens? Our body is fasting but our ego is still there. So basically when we become renunciation centered, instead of saying Krishna centered, we just get distracted, we become proud, we become judgmental towards others.
So now we have to understand that renunciation is important in the practice of bhakti. But the essence is bhakti. And another important thing to understand is that some people look at me like this.
That means that they by their past karma, in this life or in the other life, they may be very sinful. And for them to control themselves, we have to get rid of everything. And so we all need renunciation, not necessarily because of that.
It’s like we have six opulences of Krishna, beauty, strength, wealth, fame, knowledge, renunciation. Now if someone is very beautiful, does that mean that they are great devotees? They can be. But beauty is not a sign of devotion.
Beauty comes by past good karma. Strength will come by past good karma. Similarly, by past good karma, renunciation can also come.
So if some people have got renunciation in the past good karma, that is good because if somebody has wealth, they can use that wealth in Krishna’s service. They don’t have to worry about earning it. Just similarly, if somebody has renunciation, they can use that renunciation in Krishna’s service.
But that renunciation alone itself is not good. It’s a sign of not good. So sometimes this doesn’t mean that some devotee is not this is just by their past karma.
We should always think in a way that helps us to say no. If we see a devotee is renounced, we say no. I don’t know.
Maybe because of his past karma, past good upbringing, past good actions or because of his devotion. But the point is, we don’t have to make that devotee renunciation as a standard by which we compare our devotion. Devotees sit for only 5 hours.
I need renunciation. I need this. No.
What my body needs, I need to provide it to him. So, when we reset our demands that we renounce, I need to serve Krishna. I need to do whatever is good for Krishna.
Then we will regulate at our level and we need to serve Krishna. Does that answer your question? Yes. Yes.