How would you identify a devotee?
Namaste,
As part of his trip in USA, Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami lectured on the topic of 'Sadhu Samaagamam' (benefits of association with devotees) at Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, MA and I had the blessing to visit and listen to the same.
On detailing about the necessity of association with other devotees, Swamiji was narrating how Sri Rama, and Sri Vishnu show the importance of serving other devotees of god. Swamiji said that "if there are 2 superior devotees, one of them being more superior devotee of his and other a mediocre devotee, Sri Vishnu will make the really superior devotee - a devotee of his best devotees while making the mediocre devotee - a devotee of himself".
In really olden days, Brahmanas and other great sadhus existed who could be readily identified as blessed devotees by way of their behavior and singleminded devotion to the Lord. But in these present days where everyone is on a necessity to earn through materialistic means, how do we identify a 'superior devotee' worthy of serving him/her?
We also do not want to wrongly identify those who claim where there is a chance, about "their superior devotion" and "service to Lord" and be able to identify the real bhagawatas.
How would you identify such great devotees? Also would you serve devotees only of your lord (Say Narayana) or be ready to serve just any superior devotee (including devotees of other devatas)?
Secondly, we are all born because of ultimate blemishes in our personality. This makes it really complicated to identify a true devotee - he or she may be blemished by any of the negative traits and still be a devotee, is it not? How to identify a true devotee under such circumstance?
Lastly, a true devotee need not necessarily be someone who prays to god the whole day. I am reminded of the story between a pandit and a poor farmer, who both die and pundit reaches hell but farmer who prays for a quick minute only each day reaches heaven, to indicate sincerity and depth of devotion matter more than length of devotional practice.
So given the above scenarios, how would you identify a true devotee? (And what it means to 'serve one'?)
Thanks,
Viraja
jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar
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