Humility - Key Constituent in Devotional service

When Krishna mentions about Knowledge in BG 13.8 - 12 , the first thing he mentions is humility.

"Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; ...... — all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance"

So first comes humility , then nonviolence and tolerance. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mentions about this in his sikshastakam too. 

was trying to figure out as to how this is the edifice on which all the other services are built. The key to becoming a good devotee is to be humble. Prabhupada brought the system of calling other gentleman as Prabhus and ladies as matajis. Prabhus literally means master . You can call someone as master only when you are humble. 

Here comes the question where should we be humble only with our Guru or with all devotees. was going through vedabase (Hari Sauri Prabhus diary) and came up with some interesting conversations highlighting this aspect

Sri Dhama Mayapur

 

January 28th, 1976

* * *

After lunch this afternoon Prabhupada sat at the end of the veranda, enjoying the view of the Ganga. Suddenly loud shouts and the slam of a door broke his tranquillity. He sent me to investigate.

I found Tamal Krishna Maharaja sitting in his room before a plate of prasadam, clearly upset. He had just had an argument with Harikesa over who should get the remnants of Srila Prabhupada's prasadam. As I stood, Harikesa came back in and began berating him again.

Several days ago Tamal Krishna had asked Prabhupada if he could eat the extra that was cooked for him because he found the kind of rice the devotees eat here in Mayapur too coarse for his digestion. Prabhupada had approved.

However, Harikesa had previously received instructions from Srila Prabhupada while we were in Vrndavana that all his remnants could not be monopolized by his immediate servants, but should be distributed to other devotees. As cook, Harikesa resented Tamal Krishna's acquisition of all the leftovers; while Tamal Krishna argued that he was only taking what was left in the pots and not what was left on Prabhupada's plate. Thus the dispute. Tamal Krishna also complained that he should not have been interrupted while he was honoring prasadam.

Prabhupada called them both onto the veranda. After hearing their arguments, he managed to resolve the issue to everyone's satisfaction. Prabhupada said that Harikesa should not have interrupted Tamal Krishna while he was eating. Respecting prasadam is a very important function, and there should be no disturbance. He said that otherwise one's appetite is lost and indigestion results.

He gave his permission for Tamal Krishna to eat what was left in the pots, but also confirmed his desire that his prasadam be distributed.

He told us there is absolutely no difference between what is on the plate and what is in the pot. Whether cooked for guru or Krsna it is all prasadam and all just as spiritually potent. When I mentioned that in the Caitanya-caritamrta there was a distinction made between maha-prasadam, the remnants of the Deity offering, and maha maha-prasadam, which is the spiritual master's remnants, Prabhupada said the distinction was made for reference only. It is all prasadam.

Then he went on to explain that the Vaisnava attitude in dealing with one another is one of humility. He gave the example of the pilgrims that come here to Mayapur. As one man comes along the road, another tries to touch his feet. The former shies away from being so honored because he is thinking, "I am not a Vaisnava, I am just an ordinary man. I am simply trying my best to become a Vaisnava." On the other hand the person who is touching his feet is thinking that unless he gets the dust of a Vaisnava on his head he will not be able to advance.

"Actually," Prabhupada said, "this is a fact. One has to be blessed by a devotee to become a devotee. And he who is the servant of the servant of the servant -- one hundred times removed -- is not worse than one who directly serves the guru. If one thinks, 'Because I am direct servant, I am better than others,' then he is not a Vaisnava. To offer one's respects to Guru and not to his disciples, this is wrong. This is not Vaisnava. One has to be humble and try to serve all Vaisnavas -- not some and not others."

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => TD 1-9: Sri Dhama Mayapur

One more part of  conversation highlighting this between Srila Prabhupada and Father Emmanuel  on June 26, 1974 

German devotee: He believes that to understand God is not a question of intelligence but it is a question of humility.
Prabhupada: Yes. "The humble and meek shall go to the kingdom of God." Is it not? It is Bible statement?
Hamsaduta: "The humble and meek shall inherit the earth."
Prabhupada: So nowadays the rascal philosophy has spread that everyone is God, and therefore nobody is humble and meek. If everyone thinks that he is God, then why he should be humble and meek? So they are being educated how to become humble and meek. In the temple, to God, or to the spiritual master, the God's representative, they offer always respect by offering obeisances. That is humble and meek. They are doing very easily progress, you see, only on account of this humbleness and meekness. Even on the road, if they see me, they immediately fall down flat. Never mind there is dust. This very qualification is pushing them towards spiritual realization. In the Vedic scripture it is said,
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
 [SU 6.23]
Yasya... "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and His representative, the spiritual master, to him only, the purport of the scriptures become revealed." (German)
Pater Emmanuel: (German)
German devotee: He is asking if he should not show this humility, attitude of humility, to all others.
Pater Emmanuel: Exercise upon others.
Prabhupada: But just like special respect and ordinary respect.
Pater Emmanuel: But I think it is a very necessary, this mutual respect.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. This is instructed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that you should offer respect even to a person who has no respect. Amanina manadena. You should not expect any respect for yourself, but you should give respect to others.
Pater Emmanuel: I agree with all my heart.


Need to continue further deliberations on this.

 

Time and tide wait for no man

The phone has been ringing from morning. Friends and Family have been calling to wish for the year ahead. ( oh yes you guessed it right, its supposed to be the day when i came to this material world :D). Everyone seem to  have their wish list from me  on what i should be doing for the year ahead. Depending on who they are , the wish list varies . 

Reminds me of Bhaktivinod Thakurs line from Gitavali (arunodaya kirtan)

bhajibo boliyā ese saḿsāra-bhitare
bhuliyā rohile tumi avidyāra bhare

 "You have forgotten the way of devotional service and are lost in the world of birth and death." 

So one more day to recommit oneself in the path of devotional service. Have requested the devotees to pray and bless for the same.

With each passing day if we don't reaffirm our commitments in devotional service, we will not be purifying our existence.

(SB 2.3.17)

āyur harati vai puṁsām
udyann astaṁ ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta
uttama-śloka-vārtayā

TRANSLATION

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service. Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values. Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 2.40) the Lord has explained such contact in the following words: "Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled. Nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears." As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear of the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one's complete life for eternity. And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, inasmuch as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease.

Loving Exchange between devotees

Srila Prabhupada said: "You can show your love for me by how you cooperate with one another to spread this mission." This cooperation is the very basis of being a Vaisnava. So often we forget this . The blog of HH Devamrta Swami was very inspiring in this regard. Have marked the blog heading the same as what maharaj has mentioned. 

The discussion between my Guru Maharaj (HH Jayapataka Swami ) and HH Devamrta Swami is so nectarean that have read this blog umpteen times and have been making a sincere effort to practice this 

by HH Devamrita Swami

Krishna's devotees the ultimate yogis, are one another's life and soul. When we want to push past the neophyte level, cherishing the association of devotees, despite differences and even disagreements, is an essential ingredient of spiritual advancement. Just an effort in this department yields so much benefit.
So how do the oldest devotees relate? I'll try to feed you a tasty illustration later in this note. But first . . . more urging.
In our Vaishnava dealings sometimes disappointments and crises afflict us. But at least any quarrels or debates center, more or less, upon serving Krishna.
Observe the world of material relationships—whether family, friendship, or romance. Though full of letdowns and mirages, still, who wants to go it alone? Are hermits everywhere?
In both material and spiritual societies, humans are indeed social creatures, judged by the company they keep, tolerating differences.
My advice to you: keep trying to increase your intimacy with Vaishnavas, through thick and thin.
In case you're curious, here's an example, from my own efforts to execute what I recommend to you.
For the occasion of the vyasa-puja of my Godbrother His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, I sent this letter, glorifying his spiritual exertion despite a stroke that debilitated part of his physical capacity.
Dear Jayapataka Swami,
Please accept my obesiances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
For the celebration of your most auspicious appearance day, let me offer an accurate record of a conversation among three of your Godbrothers, mid-March 2012, in Bali, as they discussed the glories of Srila Prabhupada's devotees.
"Can you fathom Jayapataka Maharaja's bhakti determination!"
"During the Navadvipa parikrama, he visited all seven parties, sometimes eating and sleeping in a car."
"Devotees in the Russian parikrama parties would shed tears upon his arrival, feeling his immense determination to share Mayapur-dhama with them, despite his physical condition."
"I watched him take a full 15 minute just to get out of a car, what to speak of go up some stairs.
Yet, after the intensity of such labored efforts, when his devotee team finally got him to the top of the stairs, where I already was, the first words out of his mouth were: 'How are you feeling? How is your health? Is everything ok for you here in Mayapur?'"
"How soft his heart is, tenderized by genuine love and concern for all!"
In this way Niranjana Swami, Kavicandra Swami, and my lowly self tasted the nectar of devotion.
 your servant,
Devamrita Swami
Then Jayapataka Maharaja surprised me, by having his assistant transcribe a letter to me, sent from his mobile phone. Prepare for a shower of nectar pouring from the heart of an all-weather Vaisnava, whose service never ceases, no matter the circumstances.
My Dear Godbrother Devamrita Maharaj,
 Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a great general (sena-pati) of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He spread Krishna Consciousness to every continent of the world.
In 1968 Srila Prabhupada told me to be  a member of Lord Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu's army. I joined this transcendental army. I got wounded but in spite of this I am still serving in Lord Krishna Caitanya's army, under Srila Prabhupada. We don't use weapons of violence. We should try to give out the mercy of Nitai-Gaurasundar.
I am trying to do this in spite of physical impediments. It would be great spiritual bliss to be able to do anything in service to guru and Gauranga.
You have qualified [commended] me but I can't do anything without blessings of Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. If I do anything, it is only due to their mercy.
I take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt obeisances to you. I am very grateful you remember me. I hope I can have your prayers and blessings to serve our spiritual father with every breath until I breathe my last in this body.
I hope this finds you healthy & blissful in Krishna Consciousness.
 Your servant,
Jayapataka Swami

 

Shape of Soul

Often intrigued by the thought as to what the shape of soul is . 

In the purport of Bhagavad Gita 2.17, Srila Prabhupada mentions about the size of soul 

"When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul."  -  Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9)

how about shape ?? Do souls of animals and human beings have different shapes ? Do the souls in material world and spiritual world have different shape ? Do Souls have shape at all ? Do soul require a body to have a shape ? blah blah blah so many questions.. 

one at a time then , first the answer to the last question

A body without a soul is called “dead.” Souls can live on their own, without bodies. Only in this world do we see souls stuck inside bodies. Spiritual beings are meant to live in a spiritual—rather than a material—world.

For the other questions , Srila Prabhupada ( as usual ) is our saviour .

In question time, a devotee asked whether the soul in an animal's body would have a different shape to the soul in a human body. Prabhupada explained further.

"The shape has been taken according to his desire. Every animal has got these four things. Just like a bird, it has got two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs. And the man has got two hands and two legs. So the same parts of the body are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there."

The questions continued in the same vein. Yasomatinandana asked whether the eternal form of the spirit soul was human.

"Yes," Prabhupada replied. "Human form. God is also human form. 'Man is made after the shape of God.' I think there is in the Bible, is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."

But Hari-sauri had a doubt. "How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"

"Yes," explained Srila Prabhupada. "They are more covered. Just like if you cover your body with blankets, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."

Hari-sauri wondered whether they were covered in the spiritual world.

"Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary. Some devotees want to serve Krsna as flowers; they become flowers there. If he wants that 'As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna', he becomes a flower, voluntarily. And he can change his form, from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as a cow, he serves Krsna as a cow, as a calf, as a flower, as a plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, mother, friend, beloved, anything. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. That is Krsna's all-powerfulness."

 Prem se Bolo Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai

GOD s 3 answers to our prayers

Was passing through a church (Bethel A G Church ) on bannerghatta road and saw an inspirational quote in front of the church.  felt it was very Krishna conscious or Christo conscious.. whatever you call it ..

Krishna only grants us whatever is required and he always has something better in mind for us.

How true

Why did Bharat Maharaj get the body of a deer ?

 Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of death, would be forced to accept the body of a deer due to his attraction for the deer. In this regard, a question may be raised. How can a devotee be affected by his past misconduct and vicious activities? In Brahma-saḿhitā (5.54) it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: "For those engaged in devotional service, bhakti-bhajana, the results of past deeds are indemnified." According to this, Bharata Mahārāja could not be punished for his past misdeeds. The conclusion must be that Mahārāja Bharata purposefully became over-addicted to the deer and neglected his spiritual advancement. To immediately rectify his mistake, for a short time he was awarded the body of a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature devotional service. Although Bharata Mahārāja was awarded the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously happened due to his purposeful mistake. He was very anxious to get out of his deer body, and this indicates that his affection for devotional service was intensified, so much so that he was quickly to attain perfection in a brāhmaṇa body in the next life. It is with this conviction that we declare in our Back to Godhead magazine that devotees like the gosvāmīs living in Vṛndāvana who purposely commit some sinful activity are born in the bodies of dogs, monkeys and tortoises in that holy land. Thus they take on these lower life forms for a short while. and after they give up those animal bodies, they are again promoted to the spiritual world. Such punishment is only for a short period, and it is not due to past karma. It may appear to be due to past karma, but it is offered to rectify the devotee and bring him to pure devotional service.
SB 5.8.26 purport.
Srila Prabhupada explains such an important philosophy in such a simple way. 
reminds me of the stanza HH JPS GM has written glorifying SP

gita-bhagavata caitanya carita
premamrta rasasara |
kata na sundara sarala kariya
ke bujhaita ara ||

Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta contain the essence
of the nectarean mellows of love of Godhead. Who else would have explained
these scriptures so clearly and beautifully?

Detachment and Attachment both required

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad used to say "This material world is not fit for living for any gentleman." Many a times while getting frustrated with the material world , we too feel the truth of this statement and second it. Have been giving it a thought, but just feeling frustrated with this material world will not give us the visa to stay in the beautiful spiritual world. If one has to stay in a different country, then (s)he has to become the citizen of that particular country. Having a tourist visa or any other variety of visa entitles you to stay there for a certain amount of time only. Beyond that , you need to return back to your base country. If you want to stay there permanently , one needs to become a citizen of that place, you need to follow the rules etc of that particular place. Just by feeling frustrated with your base country will not help you , you need to get adjusted to the place you want to get settled.
Similarly just by getting frustrated with the material world will not help. we need to develop attachment for spiritual world and get accustomed to the activities and what a better way to do that than  doing loving devotional services.
In the purport of BG 15.1 , SP mentions  "Now, the basic principle of devotional service is detachment from material activities and attachment to the transcendental service of the Lord."

how true.. we need to get attached to the transcendental service of the Lord and his pure devotees. .. That is the only way..