Suppose we are driving to meet someone dear to us, and we get a desire to offer them a special gift. But we get so caught in searching for a good gift that we lose our way and don’t reach for the meeting. By our mistaken priorities, we end up displeasing the very person we wanted to please.  

On the spiritual path, we may similarly undermine our relationship with Krishna. While practicing bhakti, we may desire to offer him something special. But that desire may become stronger than our desire for him, thereby distracting us from him. 

Suppose we desire to earn a lot of money to build a grand temple for Krishna. Even if we eventually get that wealth, we may have become so immersed in materialistic consciousness that our desire to use the wealth for Krishna may have decreased or even disappeared. And if we don’t get that wealth, we may become so irritated or disheartened as to give up our bhakti practice. 

Does this mean that we shouldn’t desire to offer Krishna grand things? Certainly, we should; love naturally wants to offer the best of everything to the beloved. But presently, our love for Krishna is not very strong. In trying to give the world to Krishna, we shouldn’t end up giving our heart to the world. 

Moreover, in bhakti, grand offerings aren’t essential; what is essential is just a devoted heart. The Bhagavad-gita (09.26) declares that Krishna accepts even the simplest of things if offered with devotion. Therefore, we need to prioritize direct bhakti activities that increase our devotional desire for Krishna (12.09). 

By such proper prioritization, when we keep our desire for Krishna the foremost desire in our consciousness, we can offer him wonderful things whenever possible and offer him our heart always. 

 

Think it over:

  • How can the desire to offer something to Krishna distract us from him?
  • What is the most essential offering in bhakti?
  • How can we maintain proper prioritization in bhakti? 

 

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09.26  If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.


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