Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.34 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyReplace Envy With Joy and Compassion
“Every man should act like this: when he meets a person more qualified than himself, he should be very pleased; when he meets someone less qualified than himself, he should be compassionate toward him; and when he meets someone equal to himself, he should make friendship with him. In this way one is never affected by the threefold miseries of this material world.”
What the purport teaches
- Instead of envying someone more qualified, a devotee should be pleased to receive that person.
- Instead of oppressing someone less qualified, one should show compassion and help that person improve. An equal should be treated as a friend, not as someone before whom to display pride.
- We should also have compassion for people suffering from forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. These ways of relating to others bring happiness within this material world.
Try this today
Offer sincere appreciation today to someone whose abilities you might otherwise envy.
Ask yourself
Which response do I most need to cultivate: appreciation, compassion, or friendship?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.