Lelki üzemanyag 23

Heart-melting association

A proper Guru or Vaiṣṇava has no self-interest or self-satisfying tendency. Such a real devotee has no interest in being served. Rather he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. If we follow the service-order and guidance of a proper Vaiṣṇava to engage in service of Kṛṣṇa or His devotees, then our action will enter the category of devotion through that proper Vaiṣṇava’s qualification. Devotion begins by offering ourselves to Kṛṣṇa by taking a vow that we will not do anything that is not in service to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, and we cannot offer anything to Him directly. We do not have that capacity or qualification. We must offer our service to Kṛṣṇa through Guru–Vaiṣṇava—through the devotees who have the capacity to directly serve Kṛṣṇa. When you serve Kṛṣṇa under their guidance all responsibility for Kṛṣṇa’s service goes to them, and all the proper results of service come to you. Kṛṣṇa knows you are serving Guru–Vaiṣṇava for His satisfaction, not for their personal interest, so Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied with you.

Sometimes we may be going on in our practising life but feel that we are not progressing. We may be engaged in service and chanting the Lord’s Holy Name but feel that our faith is not becoming stronger, joy is not coming into our heart, and our mind is not becoming fulfilled by our devotional mood. At that time we must try to get the association of a good Vaiṣṇava. We must search for a real practitioner who is practising Kṛṣṇa consciousness twenty-four hours a day and get his association.

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti guhyam ākhyāti pṛchchhati
bhuṅkte bhojayate chaiva ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
(Śrī Upadeśāmṛta: 4)

Sādhu-saṅga means associating with the sādhu like he is our own relative, associating with him in an affectionate, regardful way. This means giving him gifts (materials for service), feeding him, asking him questions, taking his advice, and so on. Through this type of affectionate association with the sādhu we will be able to understand and feel why we are not inspired in our practising life. If there is any offensive mood within us, the good association of the sādhu will wash it away. The association of a great sādhu can melt our hard heart and inspire us with a mood of real dedication. When we see the sādhu engaged in the Lord’s service twenty-four hours a day, our hearts will become joyful. We will feel much inspiration to follow him and connect with the devotional plane ourselves.

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
(Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: Pūrva-vibhāga, 2.234)

Devotion is so sweet, and gradually in the finest, most affectionate, and lovely way it will reveal itself in our heart by the grace of the Lord’s devotee. Through the service and grace of the Lord’s devotees we will see the Lord’s divine play expressed everywhere. Through our tendency to serve, and our service to Guru–Vaiṣṇava, we will be cleanly and clearly qualified. Nowhere will we not see the sweet, affectionate, and lovely movements of the Lord’s transcendental service world.

(Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj: Revealed Truth - Serving Under Proper Guidance)

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Lelki üzemanyag 22

Hope for the hopeless

There is another expression of the devotees’ mood:

parama-kāruṇiko na bhavat-paraḥ
parama-śochyatamo na cha mat-paraḥ
iti vichintya hare mayi pāmare
yad uchitaṁ yadu-nātha tad āchara
(Padyāvalī: Bhaktānām-māhātmyam, 66)

“O Kṛṣṇa, I do not know my position, but You know who I am. I am feeling I am in an insignificant, unqualified, ignorant, lamentable, and sad position. I have no quality or qualification, and I feel I cannot actually do anything. Your position is Supreme. You are the supremely merciful rescuer of the fallen souls. You have promised that You will give special attention to the ignorant fallen souls who are in need, and rescue those who take shelter at Your lotus feet. I do not know if I can take full shelter of You or not, but I am offering myself to You with my all and everything. You can see me present before You, so please give me Your merciful glance.

“You are the supreme rescuer of the fallen souls, Patita Pāvan, and I am a super-conditioned soul (patita), so please do the needful. I will not tell You what to do. You can see everything perfectly. I only pray that You do what is necessary for me. I do not see any soul who is more fallen than myself; You bestow Your mercy upon the most fallen souls first, so I am very hopeful You will do the needful and rescue me.”

There are so many songs and expressions of prayer to the Lord which explain our position and the Lord’s position. We can see that everywhere the jīva-souls are in both a hopeless position and a hopeful position. Alone they must be hopeless, but in connection with the Lord they must be hopeful. So lastly, through the Lord’s grace, the jīva-souls can always be hopeful, and that is the mood of a devotee.

(Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj: Revealed Truth - The Transcendental Vibration Form of the Lord)

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Lelki üzemanyag 21

Revelation of the Infinite

Our Guru Mahārāj, Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj, once visited a group called the Arya Samaj in West India. A man from this group challenged him, “You say that Kṛṣṇa is infinite, but you also say you can understand Kṛṣṇa and you have knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. You are finite. So how can Kṛṣṇa be infinite? If the finite can know the infinite, then how can it be infinite?” Śrīla Guru Mahārāj quickly responded, “You are right. It is not possible for the finite to know the infinite by its own power. But if Kṛṣṇa cannot make Himself known to the finite, then He is not infinite. The Infinite must also be able to reveal Himself to the finite, otherwise He is not infinite.” That man could not argue with this and was very happily defeated by Śrīla Guru Mahārāj. There is no question whether Kṛṣṇa can reveal Himself to us.

The Lord is not powerless. He has the capacity to reveal Himself, and He is merciful. By His mercy Kṛṣṇa descends to this world to fulfil our prayers in so many different forms. Sometimes He Himself comes with His full transcendental paraphernalia, sometimes He sends His Avatārs, and sometimes He sends divinely empowered souls. In all these forms He descends to this world to bestow His affection and divine connection upon the fortunate jīva-souls.

(Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj: Revealed Truth - Āmnāya)

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