Who is a Fanatic?
- One who thinks his way is the only way
- One who thinks one way is the only way
- One who thinks his Guru is the only way
- One who thinks his group is the only way
- One who thinks his well has all the water and does not want to see the ocean
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna does not mention any groups or Gurus nor does He say there is only one way to serve Him, nor does He say there is only one way to attain His abode (the kingdom of God). There are many ways to think of and serve Him, and this is very clearly explained in Chapter 12 which is titled ‘Bhakti-Yoga’, which means devotional service.
Pure devotees are those who have advanced in devotion and they never become fanatic.
Qualities of Pure Devotees
- They see everyone with equal vision.
- They see the good in everyone, and not just the bad.
- They see the good that one is doing, and not what he/she is not doing.
- They always encourage everyone and never discourage anyone.
- They will see themselves as the servant of everyone and not just God.
- They will always serve everyone.
- They will eat simply, travel simply, and dress simply. They will not trouble anyone.
- They will be friendly and merciful to everyone.
- They will work for the well-being of everyone.
- They will be broad minded and never narrow minded.
- They will never be self-centered. They will always thinks of others in all respects.
- They will not care for liberation for themselves, but they will care for the liberation of all others.
- They will see everyone as part of one family of God.
- They will be very appreciative. If someone feeds them one grain of rice, they will never forget them.
- They firmly realize that people are of different abilities, mentalities, and in different situations. Thus people will realize and serve God in different ways.
“My dear Lord, devotees who have fully dedicated their lives unto your lotus feet certainly observe your presence as Paramātmā in each and every being, and as such they do not differentiate between one living being and another. Such persons treat all living entities equally. They never become overwhelmed by anger like animals, who can see nothing without differentiation.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam 4.6.46)
“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] .” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 5.18)
“ ‘I am not a brahmana, I am not a kshatriya, I am not a Vaishya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’ ” (CC Madhya 13.80)
“The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25)
“Those who are beyond the dualities that arise from doubts, whose minds are engaged within, who are always busy working for the welfare of all living beings and who are free from all sins achieve liberation in the Supreme.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 5.25)
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 15.7)
“The highest perfectional brāhmaṇa is the Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava who knows the science of the Absolute Truth but is not able to preach such knowledge to others is described as being in the lower stage, one who not only understands the principles of the science of God but can also preach is in the second stage, and one who not only can preach but who also sees everything in the Absolute Truth and the Absolute Truth in everything is in the highest class of Vaiṣṇavas.” (Swami Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.29.32 purport)
One who sees God (the absolute truth) in everyone never looks down on anyone or anyway.