Mataji (1): What one should do if one feels that she or he, one has no one to turn to, that she's been so much disappointed that she can find no one to trust and no one to turn to for advice...
HH BVPS Maharaja: The Deities. Like that. They are always there, They never go away, you can always talk to Them, even if They are not there, if you are in your house, you can still talk to Them. And the more you find you talk with Them, the more you find that the other things aren't a problem. You know what I am saying? They are people, you can talk to Them. Right?
Mataji (1): So will it come to an end, at the point that these problems will cease at one point and that is there a hope that [indistinct] ... that faith?
HH BVPS Maharaja: Yes, and at the same time is, if you develop that relationship with Krishna, then it makes the most permanent solution. Because if you go back to Godhead, everybody is nice over there. You can trust them, they won't let you down, they are not going to go away. You know what I am saying? Like that, so it's good. So, that's the real solution. All the other things are actually trying to get you to do that anyway, but it's not direct. In other words, you are seeing it, you are seeing the energies through a particular external medium, so you are indirectly seeing Krishna. But this way then you directly see, so it's ultimately a better solution. Is that okay?
Mataji (2): So if someone is not able to deal nicely with devotees or deal properly with devotees, that person would not be able to be a proper person living in the spiritual world, because they are all devotees?
HH BVPS Maharaja: No. Without Vaishnava etiquette you can't go back to Godhead. I think there is a Caitanya Caritamrta verse like that. Lord Caitanya makes that point, is that you may follow the sadhana perfectly, but if you don't develop Vaishnava-achara, you won't go back to Godhead. We don't mean putting mustard oil and some spices and that kind of... We mean, etiquette. Is that okay? So that's why it's worth learning how to deal with people. Does that make sense?
But that's different from what she was talking about. Yeah, means, in other words, "I can't behave with anybody," that's different where "I haven't found people who I can relate to" or "they are not behaving nicely with me."
(From Man Woman Interaction seminar, 7th Aug 2007, Eger, Hungary)
Lecture audio, this passage starting 01:44:30
Photo: Mayapur.com