How not to share spirituality – Suppose a blind person is out in the cold, covered only by a thin, torn sheet. Wanting to give them a thick, intact comforter, we try to pull the sheet off them. Not seeing what we want to offer them, they resist fiercely. Changing our approach, we simply put the comforter around them. Once they experience how cozy it is, they themselves cast the sheet aside. 

We need a similar approach when sharing spirituality with others. Mundane existence, despite its glamorous allurements, eventually leaves people feeling cold and empty. Seeking some warmth, some meaning, some depth in their lives, they explore various spiritual paths. When a path gives them some higher experience, they latch on to it. Their experiences may be feeble when compared with the eternal love for the all-attractive Divine relishable through bhakti-yoga. Put metaphorically, their experiences may be like the sheet’s warmth, whereas bhakti experiences may be like the comforter’s warmth. 

Still, they can’t perceive what we are offering them. That’s why they resist when we try to pull the sheet off them — that is, when we try to invalidate their spiritual experiences by, say, intellectually challenging their underlying conceptions. Instead, we can focus on helping them experience bhakti’s sweetness and richness. How? First and foremost, by our cultured and loving conduct. Second, by connecting them to those devotional stimuli that they are likely to find appealing. Third, by explaining non-critically the coherence of bhakti wisdom. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (03.26) urges us to elevate people, not agitate them. 

When they thus relish devotional experiences, they will naturally embrace bhakti for ultimate spiritual enrichment. 

One-sentence summary:

To help others grow spiritually, focus on enriching their experiences, not on invalidating their experiences. 

Think it over:

  • How is mundane existence like being out in the cold?
  • Why do people resist our attempts to challenge their spiritual conceptions?
  • How can we make it easier for them to accept bhakti spirituality?

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03.26: So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Krishna consciousness].

How not to share spirituality