Q&A: When someone preaches wrong conclusions, what is the proper course of action?

Q: How should one act when someone, even if a senior devotee, teaches and preaches ideas that are contrary to proper devotional conclusions? Can one correct them, should one keep their company?

A:  The proper course of action depends largely on the relationship between yourself and the person presenting the unfit instructions.

Keeping the company of someone advocating unbefitting doctrines, or persistent in his misconceptions, is a disturbance for a life of bhajan. In keeping such company, the mind will grow restless in constantly contemplating the contrary views it meets with. One should keep the company of the sadachari-sadhus who have embraced the scripture and the teachings of the purva-acharyas, who have no independent message to advocate, and who are always seeking to improve their insight and realization of siddhanta proper.

If someone is established in a relationship where he is respected in the capacity of a person of whom the contrary devotee would take advice, it is appropriate for him to attempt to rectify the situation by appealing to him with proper evidence of the correct conclusion, and with the appropriate devotional spirit of care and compassion.

If someone does not have such a relationship, he should not make unsolicited attempts to correct another. He should rather, if he truly feels that something must be done to rectify the situation, submit the matter to someone in an appropriate situation and with the power to remedy the situation. Unfit attempts to correct another are in breach of proper devotional conduct and will merely create agitation in everyone involved. If one in such a situation wishes to clarify the matter, he should present his views in the form of a question laced with proper evidences and call for a comment, rather than making a direct statement of the inappropriety of another's view.

If one is confronted with such a situation on a public arena and the matter is directly addressed to oneself, then one may, if he feels so inclined, and with due awareness of the entanglement it may create, respond in a befitting manner. Otherwise, in an assembly of Vaishnavas, if the matter is not directly addressed to oneself, or if one's response is otherwise not expected, he would do well to first allow his seniors to address the matter for the welfare of all concerned.

One should not disrespect another or delve on his faults. Contemplation on the shortcomings of others, as well as discussions featuring critique of the same, when not undertaken with a realistic and sincere spirit of offering aid for the confused party, are detrimental for devotional progress. They occupy the mind and scatter it all across the universe, they create inner tension with the medium of negative emotional responses. In the worst case scenario, if undertaken with feelings of pride, they cripple the creeper of devotion and make one revert to a situation nondifferent from the object of the critique; thus the Lord teaches us of our dependence on sadhu-kripa.

Given all the complications involved with such situations, one would do well to stay afar from contrary company and instead seek the company of those, who are endowed with a similar spirit to oneself, who are affectionate in extending their friendship, and who are farther ahead on the path of devotion. In such company, the mind will remain focused on bhajan.