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Bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores

Expressions researched:
"bee always is attracted by the honey and flies go to the open sores" |"bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores" |"bees will never come to the stool. And the ordinary flies, they never go to collect honey" |"flies seek sores whereas honeybees seek honey" |"flies, they are finding out where is sore, and the bees, they are finding out where there is honey"

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

A Vaiṣṇava, a sober man, accepts only a man's glories and not his faults, for flies seek sores whereas honeybees seek honey.
CC Adi 8.62, Translation and Purport:

He always accepted the good qualities of Vaiṣṇavas and never found fault in them. He engaged his heart and soul only to satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas.

It is a qualification of a Vaiṣṇava that he is adoṣa-darśī: he never sees others' faults. Of course, every human being has both good qualities and faults. Therefore it is said, saj-janā guṇam icchanti doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ: everyone has a combination of faults and glories. But a Vaiṣṇava, a sober man, accepts only a man's glories and not his faults, for flies seek sores whereas honeybees seek honey. Haridāsa Paṇḍita never found fault with a Vaiṣṇava but considered only his good qualities.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The bees will never come to the stool. And the ordinary flies, they never go to collect honey. Similarly, there are divisions in the birds, divisions in the beasts, divisions in human society. So you cannot expect that ordinary person will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see? Because they have been trained to become flies, they will taste stool.
Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

There are different classes of men. Just like in our Hayagrīva's library we find so many philosophical books. But if you go to ordinary man you'll find some nonsensical literature, fiction, and sex psychology, this, that. According to taste. According to taste, different taste. Because there are different classes of men. That will be explained in the next verse. He says, Nārada Muni,

na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo
jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit
tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā
na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ
(SB 1.5.10)

So he is comparing all the books written by Vyāsadeva, including the Vedānta philosophy. He says that this is vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Vāyasam means crows. And the crows, and their place of pleasure. Have you seen crows? In India we have got many crows. In your country crows are not very... But in India the crows, they take pleasure in all nasty things. The crows. You'll find they will take pleasure in a place where all nasty things are thrown, garbage. They'll pick out the garbage, find out where there is mucus, where there is pus. Just like flies. They'll sit down on the stool. Mākṣikaṁ bhramarā icchanti. And the bees, they will try to take honey. Even in the animals you'll see. The honey... The bees will never come to the stool. And the ordinary flies, they never go to collect honey. Similarly, there are divisions in the birds, divisions in the beasts, divisions in human society. So you cannot expect that ordinary person will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see? Because they have been trained to become flies, they will taste stool. You see? The modern education is to teach people to become flies, only stool. Not here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you make it a honeycomb. Those who are after, seeking after honey, they will find, "Here is something." You see? Don't make it a stool society. You see? Make it a honey society. At least, give chance, those who are seeking after honey. Don't cheat people. So they'll come.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like the flies, they are finding out where is sore, and the bees, they are finding out where there is honey.
Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Fault-finding, that is another fault, that... vraṇam icchanti, makṣikā vraṇam icchanti, madhum icchanti(?) Just like the flies, they are finding out where is sore, and the bees, they are finding out where there is honey. So two animals, they have got two business: fault-finding and collecting the good things. These are two... Just like creature. They are two classes. Similarly, there are many rascals who are simply fault-finding.

Correspondence

1971 Correspondence

The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee is this, just like the bee and the fly: the bee always is attracted by the honey and flies go to the open sores.
Letter to Badarinarayana -- Delhi 18 November, 1971:

Regarding your second point, I am pleased to hear that you are concerned for the development of your neophyte godbrothers and godsisters. So just try to help them by giving them Krishna Consciousness and the best way to do this is to set the example by being very enthusiastic to do anything and everything to please Krishna, even we may have to make sacrifice. Follow the regulative principles very strictly, and be ready to tolerate all kind of setbacks and disappointments. The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee is this, just like the bee and the fly: the bee always is attracted by the honey and flies go to the open sores. So the devotee is only attracted by the good qualities in other people and does not see their faults. He is friend to everyone and in this way he finds his life sublime. Of course we are not ourselves perfect, so sometimes there may be something, and we may lose our enthusiasm to do something—but these things come and go and you should not bother very much with them. Just be attached to Krishna and try always to think how to please Him, and He will personally rescue His devotee from all kinds of unfavorable situations.

1974 Correspondence

This kind of criticism and counter-criticism is not good. Those who are advanced devotees try to see only the good that other devotees are doing, just as bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores.
Letter to Ramesvara -- India 10 April, 1974:

Please accept my blessings. I have received a letter from Yasodanandana Maharaja in Japan dated March 31 in which he writes that he has become very disturbed by reports he says you are making that he and Gurukrpa Maharaja are not authorized by me, and so many criticisms he alleges you are making against them.

This kind of criticism and counter-criticism is not good. Those who are advanced devotees try to see only the good that other devotees are doing, just as bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores. Gurukrpa Maharaja and Yasodanandana Maharaja have gone to Tokyo with my full knowledge for sankirtana and collecting funds for our projects in India. In the past they have collected very nicely and sent $40,000 to India. So let them work peacefully, and you engage yourself fully in Los Angeles and BBT matters. You have great responsibilities in that connection. Let us try to work cooperatively, otherwise the fighting spirit will ruin our great movement.

Page Title:Bees are attracted to honey, while flies are attracted to sores
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:24 of Oct, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=2
No. of Quotes:5