Who Is A Devotee?
Milton, Ontario
An early hike in Sawmill Valley, Mississauga, was the main physical activity for Peter from Detroit, Rajasuya, who is accustomed to indoor treadmill walking, and myself. Bumpy hard ice was what constituted the walking surface. You have to hold your traction in order to save yourself from a fall.
For the late morning we drove to the home of a Mauritian family for brunch. The main item, my favorite, is lightly sautéed asparagus, which I consider ideal walking food. A healthy attendance filled up the new home for this home welcoming event. I engaged the gathering in verse memorization. It was 18:68 from the Bhagavat-Gita beginning with, “ya idam paramam guhyam…”
In this profound passage Krishna reveals what really is pleasing to Him. He is impressed by anyone who shares his teachings. As a reward He paves the way for devotion and offers a return to His world for the efforts.
A person in the gathering asked about the term used in the translation of the verse, “It says ‘One who explains this secret to my devotee…..does this mean we should not share the message with the non-devotee?”
In answer to this I suggested to read the purport by Srila Prabupada. There it becomes clear that “devotee” means anyone who is receptive to spiritual subject matter.
Later in the evening a person visiting our temple in Toronto where I finally ended up for the day mentioned that he was not a devotee. In response to this I said, “You are definitely a devotee otherwise you wouldn’t be here. A devotee is one who shows even the slightest trace of devotion.”
9 Km
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