How entitlement can become an obstacle to our spiritual progress

If we perform devotional service as some kind of career plan, expecting to attain a certain status or position after a certain time, we may be frustrated.

Often, devotees who served for many years are not properly respected or treated in our movement. Sometimes, one may have difficulties in maintaining spiritual principles at some point and start being seen as “fallen” after staying away for some time. Sometimes, one may clash with local authorities and end up being ostracized by them despite their previous contributions, or it may be that one just served for many years in a humble capacity, being taken for granted. The reasons can be many, but the practical result is often similar: such mistreatment leads to bitterness and resentment, and gives a bad example for future generations. If devotees who served for such a long time and sacrificed so much are not properly treated, why should I do the same?

This exposes a structural problem in material institutions (religious or not) that is often also present in our movement. Institutions are made by people who share a common cause, be it propagating a particular faith, reducing the use of plastics, saving the whales, or any other mundane or spiritual cause. The problem is that apart from sharing this common goal, they often don’t really have much in common, and don’t care much about each other. In our movement, it is supposed to be different, but we often inherit this same fault, especially in new groups that haven’t yet had time to develop a true spiritual culture. When we are affected by this material attitude, we may treat people according to how useful they are for the cause we are pursuing, and not as individuals. This can make us extraordinarily callous in dealing with people, including even devotees who served for many years.

It’s difficult to avoid such situations because they demand a change in the whole group, but we can start by understanding the problem and changing our personal attitude. If we start caring for devotees when they have difficulties instead of turning our backs on them, we can start promoting a different culture in our local group and creating change.

There is, however, another side to it, that we should also be aware of, which is when we personally start expecting or demanding special respect and privileges after practicing and contributing for a number of years. This can also be a problem.

Vaiṣnava culture is based on offering respect to higher persons. This is the whole foundation of the paramparā system that is supposed to bring us back to Godhead. We follow the steps of the spiritual master and others who are ahead on the path, and as a result, we also progress. All of this works well when we put ourselves in the position of followers and offer respect to others, but it can become a trap when we start seeing ourselves as seniors and start demanding respect and service. That’s the trap of entitlement, which can destroy the service attitude that is the very essence of our spiritual life.

By definition, devotional service is supposed to be performed without expectation of return. All the service we do is performed to Krsna, as an offering to Him. If we perform devotional service as some kind of career plan, expecting to attain a certain status or position after a certain time, we may be frustrated. In the Gītā, Krsna mentions that charity performed with the expectation of return or in a grudging mood is charity in the mode of passion. This passage is also relevant when discussing devotional service, because we often sacrifice more than we are prepared to, expecting a particular result, and become disappointed when we don’t attain what we expected. It works much better when we just give what we are prepared to offer in a happy mood, and let Krsna decide what he wants to do with it. Even if someone misuses it upstream, we can still be peaceful, understanding that we did our part and Krsna Himself will deal with the wrongdoers.

Understandably, we may be uncomfortable in seeing godbrothers and others who were previously considered at the same level, or even juniors, being elevated over time to positions of leadership and enjoying privileges and respect of followers. Because we know them from the past, we often have experience of their shortcomings, and thus seeing them in positions where they receive respect and honor while we are pushed to the sidelines can feel unfair. This often leads to bitterness, which may result in patterns of behavior that are not positive for anyone.

One point to keep in mind in such cases is that the mental image we have of them usually reflects their struggles in the beginning, when they were not yet properly fixed in the process, often ignoring their struggles and the progress they have achieved since then. Apart from that, practicing spiritual life means to gradually surrender to Krsna, accepting whatever path He reserves for us, believing He knows what He is doing. Many are elevated to positions of leadership because of genuine spiritual advancement, while others may reach these positions simply because of whatever faults they may have; they are still the best people available. Others may attain elevated positions and privileges as a result of previous pious activities, and there are even cases of ambitious people who may be allowed in high positions for other motives. The reasons may be many, but surrendering to Krsna implies accepting that He is in control, even if we may not understand what His plan is.

Above all, it’s important to understand that seeing privileges as something desirable is the fruit of a material understanding. From the perspective of a pure devotee, honor and privileges are not something desirable at all, because these things distract us from the goal of developing love for Krsna, and make us instead more attached to a comfortable position in this world. A pure devotee may accept the position of a spiritual leader or guru only reluctantly, accepting the worship of his disciples and followers only as a means to direct it to Krsna. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that if one becomes a guru, he stops being a Vaiṣnava, meaning that if one sees himself as superior to others, and the object of worship, he stops being a servant of Krsna and becomes instead a rival god. A pure devotee can accept the position of a spiritual leader or worshipable guru and not be contaminated by it, passing all the honor upwards, to his own spiritual master, but for one who is not so enlightened, this position is poisonous.

There is thus nothing to envy. If we believe one is a pure devotee, then we can admire how he or she is accepting such a dangerous position just to help their followers, and if we believe one is a fluke, then we can feel pity in how he is destroying his spiritual life by maintaining such an act. In any case, there is nothing to envy.

From the perspective of our personal spiritual advancement, the best position is actually when no one recognizes us as advanced devotees, or even as exalted people by material calculation. If no one gives us honor or takes us as a role model, we are free to cultivate our own practice and develop our attitude of service. We can see that many great Vaiṣnavas would intentionally do things that would seem questionable by others, exactly to avoid attention, like Śrīla Gaurakīśora Dāsa Bābājī chanting in the toilets, for example.

Therefore, if Krsna kindly allows us to remain in an anonymous position, despite all contributions we may have made in the past, this should be seen as a plus, not as a minus. This means He is clearing the path for us to perfect our spiritual practice and go back to Godhead at the end of this life.

And if, on the other hand, Krsna desires to engage us in some position of leadership, or as a role model for a group of followers, we need to be very careful in properly engaging others in the service of the Lord, and not exploit them using the position to our benefit. We should not allow their praise to nourish our ego, understanding that this is the very path that will keep us bound to this material world.

You can also donate using Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, Wise, Revolut, or bank transfers. There is a separate page with all the links. This helps me enormously to have time to write instead of doing other things to make a living. Thanks!

Read also: