If we are attracted by faults, that will come to us, and we shall have to pay for that. It is a practical thing. And it is also based on reason and scriptural advices. We must be careful. We are also warned in Vaishnava literature to be careful about Vaishnava aparadha. It comes from jealousy, the spirit of competition or jealousy. — Srila Sridhar Maharaja

We go to judge in the case of others, why should he receive causeless mercy? He has got so many defects; so many, very anti-attitude; disqualification; why should he be accepted or given any chance? But for us we want that, “don’t come to judge; then I have no hope my Lord.” So jñana-sunya bhakti; if you come to judge, I have got no hope. “Please grant grace, then I can hope to approach you, to offer myself, to make progress towards you. Please be very lenient and not find fault with me.” At the same time, in the same breath, we ask why should this man—disqualified—get any grace? Why! Why will he get some mercy, affection. That is hypocritical in us. And that causes a great deal of difficulty within us. Suicidal; it is suicidal.

So Vaishnava ninda, Vaishnava aparadha. One who is accepted by Him—gradually he will be purified—but we are very eager to point out fault in him (Vaishnava aparadha). That is more dangerous for our own progress. Suicidal.

These are the realities of the experience in this line: that if I mark especially the fault of another devotee, that will be transferred to me. It happens. From our experience and also from the shastra, we have seen this. So we must be very careful not to make any remark, generally, about the practices and activities of another Vaishnava.

In my case, I want something higher, but in the case of others, I can’t tolerate the same behavior of the Lord. That is very difficult position. Generally that is the basis of Vaishnava aparadha. Who has been accepted by the Lord, who is gradually purifying him, we give much attention to the difficulty that is still left in him; very particularly that comes to our attention. And then the result is that it will be transferred to me. These are the realities of the experience in this line: that if I mark especially the fault of another devotee, that will be transferred to me. It happens. From our experience and also from the shastra, we have seen this. So we must be very careful not to make any remark, generally, about the practices and activities of another Vaishnava.

Only in the case when one is empowered by the Supreme, as in the case of his disciples; to correct his disciples, with a guardian’s sympathetic eye, he can detect, he can mark the defects, and will help him to remove. There must be some affectionate heart within. Not jealousy or anything of that type. But with good will he wants to remove—from the affectionate guardian i.e., siksha-guru or diksha-guru. From that position one may detect the fault of the students of this line and help them sincerely to get out of that.

If we make too much either in opposition or any other way, that will be transferred—I am devouring—my mind is coming in touch with that fault and devouring it as food. It contaminates the critic. Somehow it enters into the mental system of the critic. And it must get its satisfaction from there—as reaction… These are the trade secrets of devotional life.

But otherwise if we are attracted by those faults, that will come to us, and we shall have to pay for that. It is a practical thing. And it is also based on reason and scriptural advices. We must be careful. We are also warned in the Vaishnava literature that you must be careful about Vaishnava aparadha. It comes from jealousy; the spirit of competition or jealousy. That is very detrimental to our spiritual life. So we all must be very careful—not specially attracted by any defect. If it comes to my eye, I may refer to the higher authority. I doubt that this is the case with that gentleman. But If we make too much either in opposition or any other way, that will be transferred—I am devouring—my mind is coming in touch with that fault and devouring it as food. It contaminates the critic. Somehow it enters into the mental system of the critic. And it must get its satisfaction from there—as reaction.

These are like trade secrets. These are the trade secrets of our devotional life. We must be aware and very careful about these practical difficulties on the path of our life. So we have been recommended, tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano the faculty of judgement has been discouraged. Your standard of measuring things won’t stand there; so jñana-sunya bhakti; you have to learn a new alphabet here. In the devotional school, you have to come in connection with a new alphabet; the old alphabet won’t do. jñana-sunya bhakti give up all the pride of your past experience. Your knowledge, out of experience of the mortal world, won’t do here, won’t be applied here. This is in the case of Infinite, Autocrat, Goodness—all these things. In our mouth we speak, we pronounce all these big things—Absolute Good; Absolute Truth—all these things. But we do not know about the characteristic of that—revealing Himself—we must carefully note His nature. So jñana-sunya give up the pride of your old experience—on the basis of that you will go to judge things—but it is not like that; a new law here in the land of Autocrat and Goodness—we have to think.

So jñana-sunya bhakti is the first step: to give up all the pride of our previous experience and to begin a new life jñana-sunya bhakti, the Laws of the Infinite, not the laws of this finite world; that as a subject I acquired. I shall have to enter that domain as an object of the Subject. He is the Subject and I am the object here, possessing a particle of the spirit there. And that is also at His sweet will; at any time it may be dispossessed. It is not like the democratic government but in the mad monarchy or some dictatorship! To live in the land of dictatorship, not under democracy and law.

So jñane prayasam udapasya namanta eva and to try our best to find mercy, grace, kindness, pity—everywhere. Everywhere. Because whatever the dictator is doing, it is all good. We have to be trained like that. He is the highest dictator, without fault; so you may, or may not understand. It must be helpful for us—whatever is commanded by the dictator. So no law on which we shall base our judgement and give remarks. Such remarks are not only useless but faulty, injurious. Such consciousness we have to acquire and it is not unreasonable.

— Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami