What to do if devotees avoid services saying that they are not according to my nature?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
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emotions. No need to feel guilty about that.
That’s why I feel that especially in any project, in the initial stages, the devotees have to have a lot of sacrificing spirit and as the project grows and there are more devotees, then devotees can also be engaged according to their natures. But then everybody starts thinking, this is my nature, this is my nature, this is my nature and then the project will not grow. So, there’s always that balance that has to be done between the individual growth and the institutional growth.
So, the institutional growth requires some things, but the individual also has to grow in bhakti. So, both at some places they can go in parallel, sometimes they may go in opposite directions. So, then at least in a community for it to grow, there have to be some individuals who are very inspired to do what it takes for the community to grow.
And those who are always trying to say that this is not my nature, this is not my nature, then they will themselves not grow in spiritual life. So, definitely our nature should not become our excuse for not doing service. And if something is really required, then definitely Krishna will be pleased if we go against our nature and do that service.
So, from the individual’s perspective, see bhakti is, there is always this mood of cooperation. So, the individual should think, I will do whatever I am told to do. But the manager should think, okay, if this person has this nature, I will try to engage them in this nature.
And that way, there will be cooperation. Just like we talk about the elderly. The shastra tells from the elderly point of view, those who are elderly, they should renounce home, they should go to the forest and they should focus on spirituality.
That’s from the individual perspective. But from the society’s perspective, it is said that the Kshatriya’s responsibility is to protect five kinds of people, five categories of people and one of them is the elderly. The Kshatriya should not think when people become elderly, you go to the forest and you take care of yourself.
The management should think that it is our responsibility. Now, these are people who have lived throughout, they have served throughout, it is our responsibility to take care of them. So, there has to be that cooperative spirit from both sides.
So, the individuals are ready to be selfless and do what is required for the community. And as the community leaders also are saying, okay, for this person, if this is the nature, let us see how we can engage them in that nature. When that cooperative spirit is there, then both the individual and the institution both can grow.