“Blood,Sweat and Tears” is often used to describe an extraordinary achievement under difficult conditions.
We all know how Srila Prabhupada , after a lifetime of preparation, journeyed west at a very advanced age and tolerated many physical inconviences and after much struggle and hardship established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
From his initial meeting with his beloved spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada treasured the instruction to preach in the western world in the core of his heart and his life thereafter was a constant meditation on the fulfillment of that divine desire. It is indeed a marvel and a miracle what Srila Prabhupada achieved in the short span of ten years. He humbly attributed all of his success and achievements as the mercy of his beloved Gurudeva.
From this statement of Srila Prabhupada we can appreciate and understand that advancement in Krishna Consciousness is cent percent dependent on the mercy of the spiritual master. The secret of success in spiritual life is an open one…………how to please sri guru and become a receipient of his mercy (for one who has implicit faith in the words of the spiritual master,all the imports of vedic knowledge are revealed unto him).
ISKCON’s initial growth was indeed inspirational and phenomenal and it is due to this pioneering spirit that many, if not all of us, are devotees today. Of course, in the early days and the recent past, ISKCON was an ashram based society with all of its members living in the temple. As the Society grew, more and more devotees began to live outside the temple and thus our congregation began to morph from un-initiated and favourably disposed persons to initiated devotees living with their families and holding regular jobs. Many of these “new congregants” were able to maintain a high level of Krishna Consciousness due to the invaluable training and discipline received in the temple and maintaining meaningful relationships forged over years of comradrie whilst living in the temple.
As the Society continues to expand, thousands of people embrace the process of Krishna Consciousness and endeavor to make a success of their lives. Many devotees, prior to initiation are very enthusiastic to serve and are very fired up and once initiated they begin to lose that enthusiasm like a balloon that has been pierced by a pin. Unfortunately, many devotees see initiation as the culmination of their spiritual journey and not the beginning and thus they cheat themselves of the nectar of devotion. Sadhana bhakti means devotional service in practice and if we don’t engage in service how will we learn how to serve? How will we learn what it means to surrender? How will we learn what it means to be dependent on guru and Krishna? How will we learn to serve in the association of fellow devotees and how will we learn to appreciate other devotees?
Devotional service is a shoreless ocean of nectar and we should take every opportunity to dive deep into that ocean. We don’t want to be religious Hare Krishna’s and follow and practice in a ritualistic way like the born again Christians. How are we going to attract the attention of guru? How are we going to attract the attention of Srimati Radharani?
Many of us are parents and all of us were children at one stage. Did we cry as babies? Do our young children cry? “Of course” we reply. Imagine having a baby that does not cry. We will never know when the child is hungry, when it is in pain, when it is sick, when it wants attention, etc. By crying, the child attracts the attention of the parents. Similarly devotional service is the devotee crying for Krishna and it attracts the attention of Krishna. Preaching Krishna Consciousness is a challenge on many levels but most importantly we learn to depend on Krishna and we learn how to surrender. We learn the art of crying for Krishna.
The danger of not being engaged in devotional service is that we will become completely immersed in serving the material energy. Then the practice of Krishna Consciousness becomes a challenge…………….we lose the taste for chanting, we don’t appreciate the association of devotees, we don’t go to the temple and we lose faith in guru and again place our faith in the material energy and we begin to appreciate the non devotees. Srila Prabhupada said that if we don’t preach we will become envious……..envious of the devotees, envious of the non-devotees and eventually envious of Krishna.
That ISKCON is a preaching movement is no accident. It is the embodiment of Radharani’s love for Syamasundar and Syamasundar’s love for Radharani and that love took on the most compassionate form of Gauranga. Just as Srila Prabhupada showered us with compassion, we have to shower all of those that we come into with, with the same shower of compassion. Then we can become eligible recepients of mercy. We don’t realize the position and potency of sri guru and thus we take that association very cheaply. But the scriptures say “oh beloved gurudeva, you are always in the presence of the beautiful cowherd girl, Sri Radha, the daughter of king Vrishabanu. Please grant me service at you divine lotus feet which are the proprietors of devotional service. Please place me in the ocean of joy by bestowing upon me happiness in the mellows of service of Sri Radha in the groves of Vraja dhama”.
Locally there are more than 300 initiated devotees in Gauteng. Let us all come together and combine our resources, intelligence, time and energy in the glorification of Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Hari and Their dear devotee Srila Prabhupada. Let us celebrate our being members of this glorious Society by making every word a song , every step a dance and every deed an act of love. Let ‘s celebrate Krishna consciousness and make every day a festival.
If you are interested please let me know
Your servant
Nanda Kumar das
nandakumardasagtsp@gmail.com
PS :This article is not meant to offend anyone but a humble appeal by one who wants to be a recipient of mercy. Please forgive me for my arrogance and impudence.