When the gopis criticize Akrura for taking Krishna away are they not offending Akrura?

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Thank you. So, when the Gopis see that Akrura is taking Krishna away from them, is it not, and they criticize them, is it not that they are offending Akrura? The word offense is used in many different contexts.
And the really serious offense is not just speaking negatively about someone. It is speaking negatively with the intention of pulling down that person with envy in our heart. Because we cannot tolerate that person’s power, position, prestige, glory, whatever it is.
Otherwise, in the routine course of interactions, it’s always possible, actually it’s almost inevitable that some people will be displeased in some way. If we are managing some resources and there is a limited resource and that resource has to be given to this person or this person. And whoever makes the decision to give it to this person, the other person is going to be unhappy.
And when that other person is unhappy, then that other person will criticize. You have to see that that is just a reaction which is simply circumstantial. Now, if somebody makes that into an agenda, that means again and again and again they criticize, then that indicates not just a circumstantial reaction, but it indicates a core intention.
Something which just happens occasionally once in a while, that’s a circumstantial reaction. But something which happens repeatedly even when there is not much of a provocative circumstance, then that means it is not coming because of the circumstance, it is coming because of what is inside. So, I would say that we don’t have to bandy the word around offence very casually.
We have to be very careful about what comprises an offence. Of course, we should be careful as much as possible to not hurt anyone. At the same time, if certain actions do hurt others, it’s not necessary that it’s offensive.
It’s just that, yes, that particular action is pleasing to a particular person. And because we live in a world of finite resources, therefore, when we are trying to serve Krishna in this world, it is going to happen that sometimes some devotees will be pleased, some devotees will not be pleased. That’s what happened.
So, rather than getting too much in the zone of offensiveness, you know, this person committed offence, that person committed offence, we just appreciate the emotions of the heart of the devotees. They had so much love for Krishna that they just couldn’t tolerate separation from Him. And rather than seeing that as their big offence, rather we can see it as the glory of their devotion, because of which they can’t tolerate even a single moment of separation.
It’s like in the Gopis, they are trying to behold the form of Krishna. And what happens? The eyes blink. When the eyes blink, they can’t see Krishna.
So, what do they say? They say, Krishna, when you go out of the home, when you go out of Vrindavan into the forests, at that time, in separation from you, one moment appears like a millennia for us. Not seeing you. In Mahashtami, the fasting day, for us, when Krishna appears, we will not feel that separation.
Many times when we are fasting, we feel 12 o’clock is so far away because we are feeling separation from water or food. I mean, the clock is not moving forward. One moment seems like one hour, two hours, ten hours.
Why is the clock not moving? So, we have an intense desire for something. So, for them, there is a craving for Krishna. When will Krishna be seen? When Krishna comes, what happens? Their eyes blink and they can’t see Krishna.
So, in Vrindavan, Champu, Kalikarnapur says that the Gopis feel as if when their eyes blink, it is like the end of the world for them. Because for one moment, they are deprived of Krishna. And out of their exasperation at not being able to see Krishna, what do they say? They call Brahmaji as foolish.
Jada means foolish. Like we have Jada Bharat. Bharat was foolish.
The one who has made this eye dumb is foolish. And Brahmaji is not foolish. He is extremely intelligent.
He is the lord of the goddess of intelligence actually. So, at that point, nobody catches the Gopis and says, Hey, you committed offence to Brahma. No, not like that.
Their level of devotion is so exalted that what would be otherwise seen as a criticism is actually seen as a testimony to the sweetness of their devotion. Any other questions?