Fwd: [granthraj] Sincerity in Devotional Service
Dr Satish Gosain (Sri Krishna Hari Das)
From: Saikumar AR <jayk...@hotmail.com>
Date: 2012/2/3
Subject: [granthraj] Sincerity in Devotional Service
To: bhagavatham srimad <gran...@yahoogroups.com>
Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!
Sincerity in endeavors assures perfection and success. The very word "sincere" includes so many things and if we remember and try to follow them, the sincere attempt to do so is very much appreciated by the Lord.
S – Simple
I - Initiating daily
N – No expectation
C - Control of Senses including mind
E - Equipoised in all circumstances
R - Resolute in Determination
E - Eagerness
S - Simple: Our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj always says that devotional service is very simple and we should never complicate it. The moment we complicate, then we cannot be sincere. Once at New Dwarka, while Srila Prabhupada was staying in a nice quarters, he said to one of his followers, "Do you remember my place in Radha Damodara? I am simply longing to go back to live there. But that would be sense-gratification for me because my Guru Maharaj wants me to preach to the world." In those day early seventies, his place at Radha Damodar temple was very very simple, just like a cave. Though he was simply happy to stay back there, he was accepting jet airplanes, nice quarters, beautiful quarters, nice garlands and Vyasa Pujas offered by his disciples all over the world, just to follow the instruction of his spiritual master. But he was longing to be at Radha Damodara temple where he can just with all simplicity, just be chanting Harinaam and worshipping Sri Radha Damodara. Simplicity! Actually he was accepting facilities for our sake. He had no duplicity. This simplicity is referred to as aarjavam. Srila Prabhupada did not put so many complicated things to attract devotees and with simple kartal and Srimad Bhagavatam, he attracted so many living entities just by his simplicity and purity. Simplicity attracts the mercy of Krishna.
I - Initiating daily: Maharaj says, "Initiation does not mean, '10 years ago, I took initiation' and then finish it off. Daily we have initiate. Daily we change and wash the kurta because it becomes dirty and so our mind becomes dirty every hour and every second. We have to initiate every day. Daily we have to chant, study and do all devotional service. This is a must. We read again and again the same things, but even then it does not sink into our minds. We may be able to stop the gross activities but the subtle mind is working. Mind is the reservoir of different ideas and hankerings of millions of lifetimes. Because our devotional service was not complete, we had to take the subtle body with us. So mind is our constant companion and again ego is there and that spoils the whole thing. We should try to get rid of the bad tendencies and this is the necessity of the present chaos. Day by day chaos is increasing. So we should be able to digest these things and present it according to time and circumstances. That is what initiation means. We have to take bath in Srimad Bhagavatam. Dirty body can be cleansed by water. Dirty consciousness cannot be cleansed by water. So wash your consciousness always. Try to spend as much time as possible with Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Caitanya Caritamrita. This daily initiation shows our sincerity of purpose."
N - No expectation: Expectation kills the devotional service. We expect everyone to behave in some way. Everybody has different mentalities and when we start expecting, it leads to disappointment and frustration which completely makes us restless and disturbed. Maharaj insists, "No expectation is the best expectation." When we expect things to happen in a certain way, we can never be sincere.
C - Control of Senses including mind: Maharaj says, "Somehow or other due to our previous pious works in devotional service, we have come to this point. Now it is our duty to regulate our life, according to the instructions of the scriptures. If you do that, your life will be successful. Even if this life is not successful and the whole thing is not completed during this life, then at least you will take the right tendency to the next life. In Bhagavad Gita it is said those who cannot complete the devotional service in this life, they are atleast guaranteed to have a birth in very rich family or a very learned family. So they will get a very good chance, at least human birth will be guaranteed. So for that also this process is to be done. And the main thing is 'niyamya' or regulation. If you can regulate your life, then your flickering and unsteady mind will come under control. Then you will be able to control the mind, instead of being controlled by the mind." Regulation ensures sincerity.
E - Equipoised in all circumstances: This is the most difficult aspect of devotional service. We are always dragged by lower modes and bouts of ignorance are always there. We want to be in goodness and if something is affecting our ego then immediately we go down to ignorance and we don't even see who it is we start screaming and shouting. We have to be satisfied in any condition of life. Maharaj says, "There is no real happiness in this material world, only untold misery at every turn and junction of life. This is the real realizing force behind our acceleration of spiritual quest and the answer is in Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. That is why we have to be a worm of these scriptures." A person who is equipoised is sincere in all circumstances.
R - Resolute in Determination: Resoluteness in performance of devotional service is a sure sign of sincerity. Lord Krishna calls it 'vyasayaaamika buddhi', single minded intelligence. There will be so many distractions, but we are careful that we are following the instructions of spiritual master.
E - Eagerness: We should nourish our eagerness that in this life time, today only we should be liberated. That is how we should be eager. This eagerness naturally makes us sincere. This eagerness is awakened by the association of devotees. Srila Rupa Goswami says
krsna bhakti rasa bhaavitaa matih
kriyataam yadi kuto pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam
janma koti sukrtair na labhyate
Once we become sincere, the natural by product is purity and then purity will automatically give us pure devotional service. Let us constantly pray to Krishna and Guru for making us sincere and serious in devotional service.
Thank you very much,
Your servant,
Sajjanapriya Krishna das,
Abu Dhabi.
--
Yours Servant
Sri Krishna Hari Das
(Dr Satish Gosain MBBS DNB i Med)
Congregational Preacher, ISKCON, Delhi, NCR & Gurgaon.
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