Gita 3.26

Sadhak: "This feels like endorsing deception. Shouldn't we always share truth? Isn't withholding wisdom a form of lying?"

Guru: "Is it deception when a mathematics teacher doesn't explain calculus to first-graders learning addition? Truth must be proportioned to capacity. A teacher who insists on sharing everything they know regardless of student readiness isn't being honest—they're being thoughtless. True honesty includes honoring where people actually are, not where you think they should be. Wisdom shared at the wrong time isn't wisdom received—it's just words that confuse."

Sadhak: "But how do I know what someone is ready for? I might underestimate them and keep them in darkness unnecessarily."

Guru: "Watch for questions. When someone genuinely asks, they're indicating readiness to receive. Before questions arise, teaching is usually unwelcome. You can also trust the process: if you're living the teaching authentically, your very presence creates questions in those ready to ask. You don't have to strategize about who's ready—life brings the ready ones to you, and they identify themselves through their seeking. Your job is to be available, not to recruit."

Sadhak: "I feel frustrated with people around me who seem stuck in materialistic pursuits. Don't I have a responsibility to wake them up?"

Guru: "Your frustration reveals something about you, not them. Why does their path bother you? Perhaps you're not as secure in your own understanding as you'd like to believe, and their indifference threatens you. Or perhaps your ego wants the satisfaction of 'saving' others. The truly wise feel compassion, not frustration. They understand that materialistic pursuits eventually educate through their own inadequacy. Everyone will discover limitation in their own time. Your responsibility is your own awakening—that itself serves all beings."

Sadhak: "What about genuine harm? If I see someone about to make a terrible mistake, shouldn't I intervene with truth even if they're not ready?"

Guru: "There's a difference between unsolicited philosophical teaching and compassionate warning about immediate danger. If someone's about to touch a hot stove, you don't wait for them to ask about heat physics—you warn them. But even warnings are best delivered in accessible language. You don't lecture about thermodynamics; you simply say 'hot, don't touch.' The verse addresses spiritual teaching, not emergency intervention. And even in emergencies, how you communicate matters—meeting people's understanding rather than overwhelming it."

Sadhak: "This verse seems to justify spiritual elitism—a class of wise people who decide what truth the masses can handle."

Guru: "I understand that concern, but notice: Krishna doesn't say hoard knowledge or create mystery schools for the select few. He says teach through example, inspire through action, and be available when questions arise. That's the opposite of elitism—it's radical accessibility. Anyone who watches and wonders can approach and ask. The 'selection' isn't done by the teacher but by the seeker's own readiness. Elitism would be rejecting questioners; this teaching welcomes them while not forcing itself on the uninterested."

Sadhak: "How do I 'inspire delight in action' when I myself often find action tedious or meaningless?"

Guru: "If action feels tedious, you haven't yet found the freedom the wise person has. That's okay—be honest about where you are. You can't transmit what you don't have. Before trying to inspire others, focus on your own relationship with action. Find the joy in presence, the satisfaction in excellence for its own sake, the peace of working without anxiety about outcomes. As these become real for you, inspiration happens naturally—you don't have to manufacture it. People sense when joy is genuine."

Sadhak: "What if someone directly asks me about non-attachment or higher truths? Then I'm not imposing—they're asking."

Guru: "Then share, proportioned to their capacity to receive. Questions come in levels: a casual question deserves a simple answer; a burning question deserves deeper engagement. Feel into what they actually want. Sometimes people ask philosophical questions but want emotional reassurance. Sometimes they ask practical questions but are really spiritually hungry. Respond to the real question, not just the surface words. And always leave doors open rather than delivering final pronouncements. Good teaching raises further questions."

Sadhak: "This requires great sensitivity. I'm not sure I have it."

Guru: "Sensitivity develops through practice and, more importantly, through genuine care. If you actually love the person in front of you, you naturally attune to what they need. The problem usually isn't lack of sensitivity but lack of love—we're more interested in appearing wise than in actually serving growth. Drop the need to be impressive, and wisdom finds its appropriate expression. Your uncertainty itself is sensitivity—the insensitive person would have no doubt about how to proceed."