12.11 – Krishna accommodates even those who can’t accommodate him
It is relatively easy to accommodate those who accommodate us. It is much more difficult to accommodate those who don’t accommodate us.
The Bhagavad-gita reveals how Krishna is supremely accommodating. Therein, Krishna outlines various spiritual paths custom-made for people with varying inclinations, thereby expressing his desire to get everyone to start off on their spiritual journey.
Among these paths, he does establish bhakti-yoga as the best path for that journey. But even within bhakti-yoga, he offers a ladder of varying levels of practice, as delineated in the Gita (12.08-12.11). In this ladder’s lowest rung as conveyed in 12.11, Krishna accommodates even those who can’t accommodate him – even those who have neither any external cultural connection with him, nor any internal conceptual consciousness of him.
Krishna being one who sees beyond the surface to the substance appreciates those who are ready to develop the virtue of selflessness. After all, the whole spiritual journey spans the territory from self-absorption to selfless Krishna-absorption. Full absorption in Krishna is the greatest selflessness because it enables those thus absorbed to become instruments for the supremely selfless and benevolent person, Krishna.
What takes us along our spiritual journey is the gradual increment in our selflessness as we become less obsessed with ourselves, and become more conscious of Krishna and of how to serve everyone as his servants. In its pre-initial state, this journey begins with a selflessness that may not be explicitly devotional. For those who can’t directly connect with him due to social, cultural or other circumstantial obstacles, Krishna recommends the gradual development of selflessness by sacrificing the fruits of their work for a good cause. This selfless sacrificing spirit, when eventually spiritualized by saintly association, paves the way for their progression towards him.
Thus does Krishna accommodate even those who can’t accommodate him.
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