Hate the sin, not the sinner

All of us are subject to human imperfections. Even when we know exactly what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to behave, we may not always be able to follow it perfectly.

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All of us are subject to human imperfections. Even when we know exactly what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to behave, we may not always be able to follow it perfectly. We may thus neglect our duties and perform questionable or even immoral activities from time to time. We may even harm others in the process, and we may also be harmed by others committing their own set of mistakes.

When this happens, it is surely not a sin to call a spade a spade and complain to others about what happened, just as others may complain when we do something wrong. If someone owes us money, for example, there is nothing wrong with demanding it to be paid, for example. There is, however, a difference between condemning the attitude or the action and blanket condemnation of the individual himself. In other words, there is a difference between saying “he didn’t pay me” and “he is a dishonest thief.” One points to a particular action; the other defines identity.

Here are a few points that should make us a little careful when condemning others:

The first point is that not everything we hear is true. Often, people misunderstand things or make facts seem much more serious than they are in reality when they tell other people. Even when we directly see something, there is still some possibility that we may misunderstand what happened. There are even cases when someone is accused of a crime by eyewitnesses and later is proven innocent because the witnesses misunderstood what happened. It may seem that someone is trying to kidnap a child when, in reality, he is grabbing the child to protect it from a dog, for example. If we see from afar, we may not be able to notice the whole scene.

Often, we can’t understand the intentions, and this can also make a great difference. Some of the sons of Advaita Acarya misunderstood what they saw and condemned Śrila Nityānanda Prabhu based on His behavior with their father, incapable of understanding what was really happening.

Therefore, when we condemn someone, even if based on proof, there is always some possibility that we may be actually accusing an innocent person, or we may be accusing him of a crime more serious than what he actually committed.

A second point is that a person may have done something sinful or immoral in the past, but he may have since been absolved due to repentance and engagement in devotional service. This is also an invisible process that may be very difficult to notice. This was a mistake committed by the Yamadūtas, for example, when they tried to take Ajāmila to hell due to his long sequence of sins, failing to realize that he had already atoned for these sins by his chanting of the holy name of Narāyana. When the Viṣṇudutas appeared, they argued that the Yamadūtas could not take Ajāmila because he was innocent, leading to the discussion that is registered on the pages of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

There is, however, a third point that is even subtler. Every devotee actually has two identities. One is the ethereal identity, which is connected with the devotional service he or she performs. Another identity is the material, conditioned identity, which is connected with his faults and sins and exists under the three modes of nature. We may see these two things together, but from the point of view of Kṛṣṇa, they are actually separated.

Kṛṣṇa takes into consideration the eternal nature, with little regard for the temporary conditioned nature. Because of this vision, Kṛṣṇa continues to love His devotees even when they commit mistakes. The crimes done by the material identity of the devotee are dealt with by the material energy. Because of this, there is always some danger in condemning a devotee, even when he or she clearly acted wrongly, because Kṛṣṇa will see the devotional service one performed and not the faults.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we should become completely passive and fail to punish people who harm others, but we should do it carefully, leaving a safe margin, condemning the act, but avoiding making it a blanket condemnation of the individual, understanding how Kṛṣṇa sees it.

A final point, however, is that sometimes devotees who did questionable things in the past attain high positions and accept being worshiped as pure devotees. This, understandably, attracts the rage of others who question the justice of it based on their past actions. Usually, people are ready to forget about the mistakes they committed before becoming a devotee, but when one is involved in immoral activities after becoming a member of the devotee community, especially if such actions involve harming others or abusing a position of authority, things become more complicated. This is, however, something that is slowly improving. Before, it was common for leaders to deliberately advertise themselves as pure devotees and divinely empowered, while nowadays it’s more common for devotees to be more humble and modest. Which makes it easier for everyone when mistakes are made. If one positions himself as a human (and not as a divine figure), it is much easier for others to accept when he commits human mistakes.

In this direction, we have the example of Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura, who, as a child, accidentally ate a mango that was meant to be offered to the deity. Although he was at the time just an innocent child, he took it seriously and made a vow never to eat a mango in his life, showing great humility around this incident. During his whole adult life, he claimed to be an offender even though his “offense” was just to have eaten a mango when he was a child. If we take this example to heart and sincerely regret our mistakes, even if not so dramatically, we can surely advance faster.

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