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A good person or a good devotee is one who is prepared to take new light or new exposure and incorporate it in his life. Everyone has a mind which can permit such development without any trouble.

04 February 2007

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.

I have always wondered: What is the difference between a good person and a bad person? How do I say that a person is good or bad, especially in the context of devotion? What I find is that a person who is able to, and is prepared to understand matters in the proper light, with an open mind is a good person. The first thing is that one should be receptive without passing judgements, without prejudice.

During the last Geeta Tattva Sameeksha, I was discussing the 12th Chapter, the Bhakti Yoga. Sri Krishna has spent quite some time explaining it. What is “bhakti”? Right from the start, he says that bhakti primarily consists of divinizing the mind and intelligence. When the mind and intelligence are completely transformed according to devotional principles, a person becomes a devotee.

Later on, he enumerates the lakshanaas, characteristics, of a devotee. He says that God loves those who have these qualities in them and that the devotee, who, with utmost Shraddha, attention, imbibes all these characteristics becomes dearest to Him.

Immediately, the seeker should understand that these are the lakshanaas, characteristics of devotees, and that these are to be imbibed. When you develop this kind of an enlightened-outlook or knowledge-response, I think the whole life will change drastically.

While listing devotional qualities, Sri Krishna, first of all, mentions “adveṣṭā sarva bhūtānāṃ” – a devotee must not have hatred towards anybody in this world. He uses the words “sarva bhūtānāṃ”. Not only human beings, but all creatures! Instantly the devotee should understand and come out with a response: “Oh! Is it so? Then let me develop this virtue. From this moment, let me not dislike anybody!” Don’t you think that this one exposure – either by reading or by listening – is sufficient for people to start thinking about getting rid of all forms of hatred and resentment?

Understand very clearly that your mind is not a granite block. It is something like water. It cannot be rigid. It has to be flexible. And the mind can be transformed to any level of purity, expansion and elevation.

You might have been a very crooked person. I think the crookedness can be removed. A person might have been very wicked. He can become very gentle and noble. A person might have been miserly. He can become very generous, liberal. One might have been unillumined and ignorant. He can become illumined and wise. What is there not possible, so far as the mind is concerned? And a good person can still strive to be better! There is no end to refinement of the mind.

So, I think every time your attitude should be one of correct, proper response to exposure. You should be rightly exposed and you should also allow yourself to get rightly exposed. This is not merely true of devotion – in every aspect of life, this principle becomes relevant.

When you are young, your parents give you the right guidance. There should be a heart-to-heart talk. They will tell you about virtues and qualities of life. Later, when you have friends, good discussions should take place. When you read, valuable books should be read.

So many meetings are held in the corporate sector. In such meetings beautiful discussions take place. Do they not respond with correct attitude to the new exposures? Without that, can there be any fruitful meeting? Is it not very enlightening? I think, as devotees, you should always be prepared to change and transform your behavior, character and outlook.

So, a good person or a good devotee is one who is prepared to take new light or new exposure and incorporate it in his life. Everyone has a mind which can permit such development without any trouble.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.

(Prabhata Rashmih- Vicharasethu May 2007)