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Persistency Leads to Consistency Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis

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Persistency Leads to Consistency Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis Persistency Leads to Consistency Date: 2012-05-27 Author: Sudarshana devi dasi Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev. Few days ago a senior devotee told a very instructive point that everyday we should persistently pray to Lord sincerely, "Please use me in Your service." Then we will be able to serve Him consistently. When we are alloted some service, by senior devotees or the spiritual master, initially we will be very enthusiastic in doing the service and will be meticulous in doing the service. But after a period of time, being subjected to modes, if we become callous, then we take even the service also for granted and start thinking, "Anyways 'I' will have to do this service." When we foolishly think that, 'we are the doers', then immediately we fall down and lose the opportunity to serve. Whether we are doing arati for the Lord, speaking His glories, cooking for Him or engaged in any service for Him, it is simply because of His causeless mercy. The moment He decides to withdraw His mercy, we will not be able to even lift or move our hands. We must always remember that Supreme Lord is svayambhuvam, self-satisfied. He is not in need of any of our service. In Brahma Samhita, while glorifying the Supreme Lord, Lord Brahma says, 'lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama- sevyamānaṁ' - "He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakshmis or gopis in the spiritual world." Not knowing His greatness, we sometimes crib and complain while doing service. This is due to our immaturity in devotional service. The moment we start thinking, "I am the one who is doing the service", then we are lost. As our beloved spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj says, the moment 'I and mine' comes, then Krishna vanishes from there. We will be bereft of the service. We may foolishly think that without us, service will also stop. But there will not be any break in service to Lord. Krishna will engage some other sincere soul in that service. Recently HG Vaijayantimala Mataji had nicely shared how transcendental service to Lord never slackens in the offering titled, "Attitude of Service." Whatever service we are doing, is because of the causeless mercy of Supreme Lord. To do that service consistently is also because of His grace. The only endeavour from our side is to sincerely desire to be an instrument in His service. When we serve in this mood, then the Supreme Lord, who is 'samanjas', source of all opportunities, bestows upon us the opportunities to serve Him. Maharaj very nicely mentions how once when Lakshman and Mother Sita in their eagerness to serve Lord Ram, ensured not to include Hanumanji's name in the service-roster and delegated all service amongst themselves. But since Hanumanji was very keen and sincere in serving His dear master and was persistently praying to Lord for service, Lord ensured to give him the service of snapping the fingers for Him whenever He yawns and also kept yawning every now and then thereby kept him engaged in service. So it is not that the authorities are not allowing us to do the service. It is simply due to our own lack of proper attitude to serve Guru and Krishna, we lose the opportunity to serve Them. In Jagannath Puri temple, one of the senior pandas there, while explaining to us the glories of Lord Jagannath, said that how there are 84 pandas (priests) engaged in Lord's service every day. He said that each panda does the service allocated to them. For example, if one of the panda is given the service of doing garland seva for the Lord, then that service is continued by his family members, generation after another. Similarly one of the service there is to hoist the flag on the temple's dome everyday. There is no mechanical lift or ladder to get to the top of the dome. It is such a tall structure. But simply by crawling on the dome, the panda reaches the top and then there is a huge iron chain to reach to Sudarshan chakra on the top of the dome, on top of which the flag pole is situated. So every day they climb on the dome and change the flag. We were simply amazed as to how the panda did the service effortlessly within a few minutes. Then the panda told us how this service which appears so difficult for us even on normal day, has been done every day for the Lord, irrespective of the fact whether it rains or shines. He said few years ago, it was raining very heavily and it was very slippery and dangerous to climb on the dome. The people around who were watching the young panda climb on the dome for that service thought that today there is little chance for him to come down alive. But to their utter surprise, even amidst heavy rains he climbed up, hoisted the flag and came down peacefully. When they inquired out of amazement as to how it was possible for him to perform this amazing service in the rains, that panda replied, "I didn't do anything. Lord Jagannath only hoisted the flag." Indeed it is this mood of surrender, strong faith and conviction that we are nothing and that Supreme Lord only is enabling or empowering us to the service, is the reason for that devotee to perform the service even amidst so many challenges. After Lord Brahmaji offers excellent prayers to Supreme Lord while praying for creative energy, the Supreme Lord very nicely says in Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.9.38, yac cakarthāṅga mat-stotraṁ mat-kathābhyudayāṅkitam yad vā tapasi te niṣṭhā sa eṣa mad-anugrahaḥ O Brahma, the prayers that you have chanted praising the glories of My transcendental activities, the penances you have undertaken to understand Me, and your firm faith in Me — all these are to be considered My causeless mercy. Srila Prabhupada in his unparalleled purport to the above verse says, "When a living entity desires to serve the Lord in transcendental loving service, the Lord helps the devotee in so many ways as the caitya-guru, or the spiritual master within, and thus the devotee can perform many wonderful activities beyond material estimation. By the mercy of the Lord even a layman can compose prayers of the highest spiritual perfection. Such spiritual perfection is not limited by material qualifications but is developed by dint of one's sincere endeavor to render transcendental service. Voluntary endeavor is the only qualification for spiritual perfection. Material acquisitions of wealth or education are not considered." Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev, Sudarshana devi dasi..
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