Whenever we become good at anything, our ego tempts us to feel superior to those who are not that good. This same temptation lures us in spiritual life when we become better than others at self-mastery.

The practice of yoga, specifically bhakti-yoga, is meant to connect us with Krishna, the all-attractive Lord of our heart. When we connect with him through bhakti practice and therein relish higher happiness, we become detached from gross worldly pleasures. Such detachment is meant to help us increase our absorption in Krishna. Indeed, the Bhagavad-gita (07.01) states that such absorption is the perfection of yoga.

But that very detachment can increase our pride if we stay fixated on the world instead of focusing on Krishna. Materialists fixate on the world to enjoy it through their senses, whereas we may fixate on the world to enjoy our detachment, to delight in the pride of feeling superior to those who are attached.

When we stay fixated on the world, we miss the nectar of absorption in Krishna. Worse still, our pride in our detachment makes us disrespect and offend sincere devotees who may not yet be as detached as we are. Such offensiveness displeases Krishna, thereby taking away our taste for remembering him. Thereafter, our innate need for pleasure makes us relapse to the same worldly indulgences that we had proudly looked down upon. Thus, the pride of detachment comes before the fall of attachment.

To avoid such a fall, we need to conscientiously focus on Krishna, by reminding ourselves repeatedly that he alone is our goal, and by cherishing the association of those focused on him.

By such devotional focus, we rise towards absorption in him and, by our example of absorption in him, inspire others to rise too.

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