Envy of a Devotee of God - The Test of Pure Vaiṣṇavism
The material world is fueled by the desire to surpass others, but the spiritual world operates on the principle of selfless service. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a genuine devotee of the Lord is naturally free from all material envy, and understanding the difference between mundane jealousy and transcendental emotion is essential for spiritual advancement.
The Non-Envious Nature of a Vaiṣṇava
A pure devotee sees the Supreme Lord situated within the heart of every living entity. Because of this universal spiritual vision, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that a true Vaiṣṇava never seeks to exploit, harm, or harbor jealousy toward any moving or nonmoving creature.
- A devotee is never envious of other living entities.
- A Vaisnava is never envious or unnecessarily violent. There were many ants on the path, but Jada Bharata took care by looking ahead three feet. When the ants were no longer in his way, he would place his foot on the ground.
- Such a person (a devotee of God) must be nonenvious and should think of the welfare of all living entities, not only of the human beings, but living entities other than human beings.
- Paramo nirmatsaranam, those who are no more envious. How they will have a devotee envious? He loves Krsna and in relationship with Krsna loves everyone. In that position, in that state, one will not try to suppress another.
Material Envy Among So-called Devotees
As long as a practitioner maintains traces of false ego, the tendency to compete remains. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that even within spiritual institutions, neophyte devotees may unfortunately display material envy toward those who are advancing, revealing their lack of true spiritual realization.
- Here in this material world, everyone is envious of someone else. Even in religious life, it is sometimes found that if one devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious of him.
- It is sometimes found that if one devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious of him. Such envious devotees are not completely freed from the bondage of birth and death.
- Unfortunately, even some so-called Vaisnavas enviously refuse to cooperate with this movement but instead condemn it in so many ways.
- His behavior should always be straightforward and simple, and although he is not envious but friendly to everyone, he should avoid the company of persons who are not spiritually advanced.
Transcendental Envy and Righteous Anger
Not all displays of anger or rivalry are rooted in material conditioning. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that a pure devotee's fierce anger in defense of the Lord, or the intimate, loving rivalry between Kṛṣṇa's eternal associates, are purely transcendental emotions completely devoid of mundane malice.
- A devotee is generally very humble and meek, and he is reluctant to pick a quarrel with anyone. Nor does he envy anyone. However, a pure devotee immediately becomes fiery with anger when he sees that Lord Visnu or His devotee is insulted.
- Dhruva Maharaja's becoming angry, overwhelmed with grief, and envious of the enemies was not incompatible with his position as a great devotee. It is a misunderstanding that a devotee should not be angry, envious or overwhelmed by lamentation.
- Bodily symptoms which express overwhelming ecstatic love: bashfulness, concealment, remembering, argumentativeness, anxiety, thoughtfulness, endurance, happiness, eagerness, haughtiness, envy, impudence, dizziness and alertness.
- Rukmini and Satyabhama were co-wives, and because Krsna was husband of both, there naturally was some feminine envy between them. So when Satyabhama heard the glories of Rukmini, she was envious of her and thus became disappointed.
The Danger of Envying the Devotees
Harboring malice toward a pure soul is the most destructive act a conditioned entity can perform. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that envying a devotee only destroys the envious person, whereas a true Vaiṣṇava rejoices whenever another soul receives the mercy of the Supreme Lord.
- To give a practical example, Hiranyakasipu was envious of Prahlada Maharaja, but this envy of the devotee was harmful to Hiranyakasipu, not to Prahlada.
- Narada says, "My dear King, there are many devotees who first become attracted to the Personality of Godhead for purposes of sense gratification, from being envious of Him, out of fear of Him, or from desiring to associate affectionately with Him."
- This is characteristic of a pure Vaisnava. He is never envious if another devotee receives the mercy and strength of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
- The transcendental devotees of the Lord are not only free from material envy, but are well-wishers to everyone, and they strive to establish a competitionless society with God in the center.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully maps out the stark contrast between material envy and pure devotional service. Material envy, which stems from the false ego's desire to usurp the Supreme Lord's position, leads to endless suffering and spiritual stagnation. It is a poison so potent that it can even infiltrate the minds of neophyte practitioners, causing them to resent the advancement of others. However, a pure Vaiṣṇava operates on an entirely different platform. Cured of the disease of matsaratā, the pure devotee acts only as a well-wisher, feeling genuine joy when others succeed in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Even when a pure devotee displays anger or rivalry, it is a display of ecstatic love aimed solely at the pleasure or protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, to become truly Kṛṣṇa conscious is to leave behind all mundane jealousy and embrace a competitionless existence centered entirely on loving service.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Envy of a Devotee of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.