Hare Krsna,
Sometimes during our journey in KC, we unknowingly become envious of someone because they might be doing better in KC. It then becomes slightly uneasy to associate with them due to the presence of such feelings.What do we do in such cases to transcend these state and just focus on devotional service??
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yad yad vibhütimat sattvaà
çrémad ürjitam eva vä
tat tad evävagaccha tvaà
mama tejo-‘àça-sambhavam
“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”
So, that means that whatever abilities we have, if i look good, if i speak well, if i have a very good memory, if i have a lot of wealth somebody else has those things more than me, whatever i have and whatever others have, is a gift from Krishna. So, if we understand that whatever possessions anyone has, they belong to Krishna and when we see those qualities in ourselves if we become proud and egoistic then we will feel miserable when those abilities desert us, as it will eventually happen due to old age or other circumstances. But if we see that these abilities are a gift from God to us and we are meant to use it in His service for the benefit of humanity then we feel grateful to God for whatever gifts that He has given us and we use them to connect ourselves back with God. And our connection with God will give us far greater happiness than the happiness that we might otherwise get by bragging those abilities and trying to attract respect and praise from others.
Similarly, when we see good qualities in others if we see them disconnected from Krishna then we will think ‘ oh this person is better than me’ and we will become jealous. But if we see abilities and qualities and possessions with others and we think that actually whatever is attracting me in this person is actually a spark of Krishna. So, Of course when we are being jealous are we attracted? Yes, it is indirect attraction. We are attracted to that person’s opulence but rather than that attraction expressing itself as appreciation, it expresses itself as jealousy. But if we understand, oh this person has this quality and because of this so many people are getting attracted to him but this quality is just a spark of the quality that Krishna has. So, if this person with a spark can attract so many people, how much more Krishna will be attractive. And how much more happiness i can experience if i can get attracted to Krishna.
So, when we think in this way that ultimately, the highest happiness is in remembrance of Krishna and devotional connection with Krishna and whatever qualities we have which may lead to pride in us and whatever qualities others have which may lead to jealousy in others, if we use all of them to connect ourselves with Krishna to increase our remembrance of Krishna then we can not only become free from jealousy and ego But we can become positively enlivened and joyful.
Thank you!
Hare Krishna prabhuji 🙏🙏
Thank-you so much for this answer. It was much needed☺️☺️
Hare KRsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
I thank you for understanding the issue and raising it. I have seen a lot of so called senior advanced devotees who dont even understand they are suffering from envy.
It is a ntural human feeling to be envious of someone higher than us. However, it is an impediment to our spiritual progress. So what can be done to overcome it? I heard in one lecture given by one temple brahmacari to other temple brahmacaris ( I happened to be there then) wherein prabhuji was mentioning that the best way to overcome negative emotions towards a fellow devotee is to dance with him in kirtan or arati. This way, the negative feelings will disappear.
Another is to pray sincerely to the lord to rid you of the feeling, to publicly glorify the devotee for being sooooo nice in KC, to render some personal service to the devotee one is envious of. The most effective is to pray to guru and chant very sincerely.
THese are the ways I know of mataji. I hope to hear from other devotees and learn from them waht they do.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Mataji 🙏🙏
Thank-you 🙏
Very nice answer given by Radha Rasamayi Mataj that the best way to overcome to jealousy is to glorify that particular devotee publicly or among with other devotee friends. He should look in to the good qualities of that devotee acquired from devotional services to Krishna.By such glorification, it is mentioned in NOD that the envious devotee is purified.
It's said some where in Nectar of Devotion that in Spiritual life one becomes jubilant when one sees other devotee is progressing in devotional life, not of jealous. How ever in material platform it is opposite--one becomes jealous with others' material opulence. This is quite opposite in trance dental world.In spiritual life one praises another for his/her devotional opulence. Of course, there are three divisions of devotees--kanistha,madhyama,and uttam. So, you can not expect every devotees are on the same level just because of their dress,so called sanyasi or senior status etc. Nice similes given there in NOD: the parent-bamboo become pleased when they see their descendant bamboo is being used as the flute of Krishna being constant associate with nectarine lips of Krishna.
Hare Krishna prabhuji 🙏🙏
Thank-you 🙏🙏
Surly this earth was designed to banish any hope for the happyness of man. Still I chant on drive-on, pray & preach on realizing still that there is no other/no better way. Religions are a Ego smashing process and this earth is a Ego smashing process. And as it has been thought to us (kc) is not different.
We humans have little value or worth to the heavenly dennasins. Hence exhausting supporting or uplifting us as we are is not in anyone's game-plan. We are on our own, pricing that what we bring to this earth table is who we are more so, than what we do. if we can regulate Direct equempoise our energies so that we infuse all the world with health giving life giving harmonizing immaculate immanence-still there will be jealousy envy and greed. Heating you for it, coming from all the worlds. physical/visable- life is the ego's hell for sure. I think this can't be avoided by any means!?