Question: When describing discrimination, you wrote to me ‘A devotee is recommended to cultivate loving service feelings for the Supreme Lord and the Spiritual Master; to cultivate friendly relationship with other like-minded devotees; to cultivate compassion towards innocent and unfortunate persons; and to avoid and neglect those who are critical and envious. (Please study Nectar of Instruction Text 4-5) This is the essence of discrimination.
‘ In Nectar of Instruction on page 58 it says ‘Srila Rupa Goswami advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kanishta adhikari, madhyama adhikari and uttama adhikari. The devotee should also know his own position and should not try to imitate a devotee situated on a higher platform…”
In trying to be discerning, I feel I become judgemental, uncertain of the distinctions I am trying to make. I feel it even elicits a tendency toward fault finding which is subdued when I consider (or attempt to consider) myself as inferior to everyone.
On page 50 it speaks of the prakrta sahajiyas and ‘those who are innocent but simply carried away by bad association.’ I also feel unsure that I would be able to distinguish the difference, especially when an emotional investment was present and/or the circumstance was such that the choice involved either association with unpurified devotees or lack of association.
In lectures, I have heard you say that in the work place (and assuming this applies to any environment where there is unpurified association) you can try to give association without taking association. I often feel too easily influenced. Although trying, it seems I am often lacking in the strength to do this.
Without being cruel, selfish, or impersonal what are some ways in which I could learn to discern different levels of spiritual advancement in different individuals and sustain the strength to be detached from negative influences when in association of those who are spiritually subordinate?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
The following points should be helpful.
Discerning:
1. Discriminating is not the same as judging. Intelligence is simply the ability to distinguish one thing from another. The purpose of discerning is so that you can appropriately serve and offer respect others.
2. The key protection is approacing life (or others) with service mood.
3. Fault-finding’s symptom is to consider oneself better than other. Discerning faculty, instead, points the way to suitable service.
4. Honor the soul. This will protect you from fault-finding.
Association: Carry bhakti in your heart. Bhakti need not be ostentatiously flaunted; instead, if you carry it within your heart, and pray / aspire to extend bhakti in appropriate ways to others, you will find immense protection!
Read Bhaktyaloka, Ch 5 and 11 for detailed instructions by BVT.
