Volunteer

 

 

 

 

Answers from

A Maha Bhagavata

How to Avoid Differentiating between Services ?

 

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)



HERE ENDS YOUR

SpiritualQuest

Read more blogs (English/Hindi)

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,


Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.


In a recent conversation HG Devakinandan prabhuji was telling us how we should not be caught up with the externals and always be happy in sitting down to read Srimad Bhagavatam. This pacifying point that Prabhuji had brought up, reminded us of the divine instructions of our eternal spiritual master HDG Mahavishnu Goswami Gurudev.


We remember asking Maharaj on how not to differentiate between the services that we perform, and how to always perform our devotional service without agitation. We were admitting to Maharaj on how sometimes we were enthused in service and sometimes we were not. It was my habit to perform seva in such a state, and so Maharaj corrected me as follows.


Answer: "Yes these things come. But they are all concoctions. There is no such thing as high and low in service. It is all just your mind. There is no low in Krishna. The thing is these different mindsets show our motivations in service. We are not doing to please Lord, we are doing it to please our own senses. So we feel down. This is sense gratification. Devotional service never causes agitation; if it does then you are doing only to satisfy your pride. You are doing work, not service. It is your immaturity which is the cause.

Maharaj went on to quote from Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.21:


hantaasmin janmani bhavaan / maa maam drashtum ihaarhati
avipakva-kashaayaan aam / durdarsho 'ham kuyoginaam

 

SYNONYMS

hanta — O Narada; asmin — this; janmani — duration of life; bhavaan — yourself; maa — not; maam — Me; drashtum — to see;iha — here; arhati — deserve; avipakva — immature; kashaayaanaam — material dirt; durdarshah — difficult to be seen; aham— I; kuyoginaam — incomplete in service.


"O Narada [the Lord spoke], I regret that during this lifetime you will not be able to see Me anymore. Those who are incomplete in service and who are not completely free from all material taints can hardly see Me."

In this word for word, if you see Prabhupada tells that avipakva is immature. Because of this immaturity no matter how hard you knock, bhakti is not coming. You cannot see the real thing anymore. This is a regretful condition. Big seva, small seva, these are all signs of immaturity.


More Seva and less Seva is just a perception of your mind. Seva is Seva. If you have so much Seva and you do it with your motivated thoughts then that whole bunch is useless. If you have one seva and you do it sincerely to please Lord then that one Seva will bring you closer to Lord. Shri Advaita prabhu brought the Supreme Lord to this world with leaf and water. So what is less and what is more? You are saying so much seva, but still bhakti is not there. Do you see the point ?


The main thing is if you are not pleased with the service which is available within the four walls then you will never be pleased with anything. Mangla arati is there, Japa is there. 16 rounds minimum we have to do. Endless Bhagavatam is there. Where is the question of less Seva? We want people to see. When people see our mind accepts as seva. But what is not seen, we see as less. This is the thing. If you are satisfied to sit anywhere and read Bhagavatam then you will never be disturbed. Ambarish Maharaj performed nine types of seva, but Prahlad only remembered Krishna, only one. And you will see that nowhere in Bhagavatam it is written that since Ambarish Maharaj did nine so he is greater than Prahlad. Bhagavatam does not see these things. It is free from cheating, but you are cheating.


You see, some seva may come and go, but Bhagavatam and The names will never go. You may feel that physical work built this temple. But the real reason is because we are constantly attached to these names, to Bhagavatam, that is why the temple is coming from Krishna. So you please be satisfied in improving your study of these scriptures and the chanting. Whatever service this chanting and study gives you, you do to your best. Don't leave any stones unturned. Always do your best in whatever seva is entrusted to you. More or less doesn't matter. Leave the rest to Krishna. Please, I don't know how to make it clear to you; you should develop some feeling for this Bhagavatam and The names. May Lord bless you son. The question is relevant, but please learn from it. Don't do these things again. You see no one can disturb us if we understand these things. No one can stop us from taking to Mahamantra and Bhagavatam. Everything else may go, but this Krishna Himself has reserved for us. Remember, what we do in the temple we should also do at home. This is not a show."


The fallen condition of my mind cannot be comprehended by anyone. Through the questions I had raised to Maharaj devotees may come to know my true fallen condition. But no matter how fallen I was Guru Maharaj always took the time to give me the right remedy. This was his greatness. Prabhus and mathajis please kindly pray that I may one day be able to act in a way that I please Guru Maharaj. Kindly pray.


Thank you very much.

Your servant,
Madan Mohan das,
Singapore.


Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.

 

 

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!

Join ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT