Detachment is within. It’s nothing external; it’s all internal. However, for aspiring devotees, for all of us who are in sadhana bhakti (the stage of devotional practice), it is dangerous for us to surround ourselves with luxury and with so many material things because we are not at the bhav bhakti (the stage of devotional ecstasy) stage, what to speak of being God-realized.
चन्दन विष व्यापे नहीं, लिपटे रहत भुजंग ।
Chandan viṣh vyāpe nahīṁ, lipaṭe rahat bhujaṅg.
Saint Rahim has said that the sandalwood tree is very special. Poisonous, venomous snakes make that tree their home, but the tree is not at all affected by the poison. But every tree is not a sandalwood tree.
We are not spiritually so advanced that we can be living in luxury and not be affected by it. We are affected by the clothes we wear. We wear fancy clothes, and we feel really good. We feel very high and mighty,
“I look beautiful!”
We wear simple clothes and wear Radhe Shyami and we start feeling a little humble, devotional. We’ve all experienced it. We eat fancy food, and we feel different. We eat salad, and we feel different. We are different with people who want to talk to us about politics and movies, and we feel differently when we are with aspiring devotees, with sadhaks (spiritual practitioners). But advanced devotees are not affected. They remain as they are. They’re not adversely affected, but we are sadhaks. We are in the sadhana bhakti stage, so we are going to be affected. But we’re talking about bhav bhakti, the next stage. So in bhav bhakti, the devotee feels very detached. I mean, he eats food. He may be eating a rasgulla (a traditional Indian sweet).
Two people are eating a rasgulla, and we look at them. Both of them are really enjoying the rasgulla. Both of them, their eyes are wide open, and they look very happy. Ah, two worldly people eating rasgullas! No. One is a worldly man who is very happy eating the rasgulla, the material rasgulla. He’s tasting the sweetness of the sugar. He’s tasting the ingredients of that rasgulla, and he’s really enjoying that taste. The other man is tasting the grace of Shree Krishna. He is thinking,
“This is Shree Krishna’s prasad (sanctified food offering), and I am fortunate to be receiving it!”
Both of them seem to be enjoying the rasgulla in the same way, but there is a world of difference. One is very attached to the rasgulla. The other is attached to Shree Krishna, and he’s eating the prasad.
Uddhav Ji says to Shree Krishna:
त्वयोपभुक्तस्रग्गन्धवासोऽलंकारचर्चिताः
उच्छिष्टभोजिनो दासास्तव मायां जयेम हि ॥Tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vāso-’laṅkāra-charchitāḥ
ucchiṣhṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayem hi.- Bhagawatam 11.6.46
“O Krishna, I will eat the food that You have eaten! I will eat the food remnants. I will wear the clothes that You have worn! I will wear the ornaments that You have worn! I will use the itra (perfume) that has been used by You! And Maharaj, by using these prasadis (sanctified remnants) of Yours, I shall challenge Your maya (material illusion). I shall say to maya,
“Maya, you cannot do anything to me because I am protected by my Lord’s prasadis.’”
