Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 8.74
Do Not Encourage Excess, Then Criticize
“In this way he induces one to eat more than necessary, and then he directly criticizes him, saying, ‘You eat so much. How much money do you have in your treasury?
What the purport teaches
- Rāmacandra Purī induces a person to eat more than necessary. He then directly criticizes that person for eating so much.
- His criticism includes a question about how much money the person has in his treasury.
- He faults the person for the very excess he encouraged. Paramānanda Purī describes this contradiction as part of his criticism of Rāmacandra Purī's conduct.
Try this today
Before criticizing someone's choice today, check whether your own words helped lead them to it.
Ask yourself
Have I ever criticized someone for doing what I encouraged them to do?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.