It is stated in Sri Bhakti ratnakara, fifth wave
bhakta-sthane sabadhana habe sarva-mate
yena kona akausala nahe tan’ra cite
akausala ha-ile saba haya antaraya
prasanga paiya kichu kahiye ethaya
"Always be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill feelings in their hearts. Creating ill feelings with the devotees will create impediments on one's path."
In this regard, a past time is described
One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi and observing a wonderful pastime of the Sri Sri Radha Krishna where Krishna Playfully Leaves Radha to Cling on Tree and he laughed blissfully.
At that time a lame Vaishnava had come to meet him. When Rupa Goswami laughed, the Vaishnava thought that he was laughing at his disability. Feeling sorrowful, he went to Sri Sanatan Goswami and told him that he was unable to understand why Sri Rupa Goswami behaved in that manner. When Sanatana Goswami explained him the the true reason for Rupa Goswami's laughter, the Vaishnava became repentant at heart. He regretted for his offence and became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.
Meanwhile, when the Vaishnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord's pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna's pastimes. "I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offence." Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami's place. There both Sri Rupa and Vaishnava offered obeisances to each other and asked for forgivance. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.
General
https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Ability
There is a great lesson for us in this wonderful pastime.
We tend to think that we should not offend only a pure devotee and we start analyzing and questioning who is a pure devotee and we justify our offences.
Srila Prabhupada said ,
"Anyone other than you is a pure devotee."
This makes us realize how much careful and conscious we should be in our dealings with other living entities so that we may not hurt them. This also gives answer to the question as to why we are unable to have any taste for devotional service even after so many years.
In his purport to SB 4.9.23, Srila Prabhupada writes,
'An offence at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava is the greatest offence in this world. Because of having insulted Dhruva Maharaja, Suruci would become mad upon the death of her son and would enter a forest fire, and thus her life would be ended. This was specifically mentioned by the Lord to Dhruva because he was determined for revenge against her. When Suruci insulted Dhruva Maharaja, he was just a child. She of course did not know that Dhruva was a great recognized Vaishnava, and so her offence was committed unknowingly.
From this we should take the lesson that we should never try to insult a Vaishnava. Not only should we not insult a Vaishnava, but we should not insult anyone unnecessarily.
bhakta-sthane sabadhana habe sarva-mate
yena kona akausala nahe tan’ra cite
akausala ha-ile saba haya antaraya
prasanga paiya kichu kahiye ethaya
"Always be careful in your dealings with devotees and never create any ill feelings in their hearts. Creating ill feelings with the devotees will create impediments on one's path."
In this regard, a past time is described
One day in Vrindavan Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada sat rapt in meditation, feeling great bliss in his heart. While he was sitting in his samadhi and observing a wonderful pastime of the Sri Sri Radha Krishna where Krishna Playfully Leaves Radha to Cling on Tree and he laughed blissfully.
At that time a lame Vaishnava had come to meet him. When Rupa Goswami laughed, the Vaishnava thought that he was laughing at his disability. Feeling sorrowful, he went to Sri Sanatan Goswami and told him that he was unable to understand why Sri Rupa Goswami behaved in that manner. When Sanatana Goswami explained him the the true reason for Rupa Goswami's laughter, the Vaishnava became repentant at heart. He regretted for his offence and became very agitated. Sanatan Goswami pacified him and made him peaceful again.
Meanwhile, when the Vaishnava had felt offended, Srila Rupa Goswami suddenly lost his vision of the Lord's pastimes. He became very disturbed and looked everywhere. Considering the situation carefully, he concluded that someone must have come to see him while he was absorbed in seeing Krishna's pastimes. "I did not honor the person that came, and thereby I committed an offence." Thinking in this way, Rupa also went to Sanatan Goswami's place. There both Sri Rupa and Vaishnava offered obeisances to each other and asked for forgivance. Forgiving each other, they both became peaceful. The two of them then went to Srila Sanatan Goswami. For a long time they all plunged into relishing nectarean topics of Lord Krishna. When everyone heard about this incident they all became filled with wonder.
General
https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Ability
There is a great lesson for us in this wonderful pastime.
We tend to think that we should not offend only a pure devotee and we start analyzing and questioning who is a pure devotee and we justify our offences.
Srila Prabhupada said ,
"Anyone other than you is a pure devotee."
This makes us realize how much careful and conscious we should be in our dealings with other living entities so that we may not hurt them. This also gives answer to the question as to why we are unable to have any taste for devotional service even after so many years.
In his purport to SB 4.9.23, Srila Prabhupada writes,
'An offence at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava is the greatest offence in this world. Because of having insulted Dhruva Maharaja, Suruci would become mad upon the death of her son and would enter a forest fire, and thus her life would be ended. This was specifically mentioned by the Lord to Dhruva because he was determined for revenge against her. When Suruci insulted Dhruva Maharaja, he was just a child. She of course did not know that Dhruva was a great recognized Vaishnava, and so her offence was committed unknowingly.
From this we should take the lesson that we should never try to insult a Vaishnava. Not only should we not insult a Vaishnava, but we should not insult anyone unnecessarily.
- When one serves a Vaishnava unknowingly, one still gets the good result, and if one unknowingly insults a Vaishnava, one suffers the bad result.
- A Vaishnava is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pleasing him or displeasing him directly affects the pleasure and displeasure of the Supreme Lord.
