How can we decide when to give up one service and take up some other service?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, Misa Sarkar shows that we should never give up, we should keep persevering in our service to Krishna. But then we see that Prabhupada was doing his business and then at one particular point he decided to just stop it and focus on direct service to Krishna. So, at what point can we decide that this is enough, it’s not for me and I should do something else.
There is the the intention to serve and there is the form of service. So, for a devotee the form of service can change according to time and place circumstances. The intention to serve doesn’t change.
So, Shri Prabhupada writes in a purport that a devotee may be perplexed but a devotee is never discouraged. Perplexed means that I don’t know what to do. Should I be continuing with this service or should I do some other service? That kind of indecision that is perplexity.
But discouragement means I don’t want to do anything. I just don’t want to serve Krishna. I don’t want to do anything.
So, devotee is never discouraged. Devotee’s intention to serve Krishna never wavers. That is only his stroke.
Specifically, how we serve Krishna that has to be determined by time and circumstance. The example is Kunti Maharaj says Gange vaugham udanvadi Ganga flows towards the ocean matir madhupate sakrata te madhubhata dangdha She says that toi me ananya nishaya Just let my mind constantly flow towards you. See, the Ganga flows towards the ocean.
Now, the Gangas flow towards the ocean. It’s not always straight. If we look at a topographical map of India and we see Ganga it’s not always a straight line.
Like this, like this, like this, like this. It’s a winding journey. Because the topography at a particular place may not be conducive for the river flow.
Then the river will move that way. So, its intention is to keep moving towards the ocean. But exactly how it moves towards the ocean that will be shaped by the territory around it.
So, like that our goal is always to serve Krishna. But how specifically we serve Krishna whether a particular ashram is served or a particular service we do a particular preaching program we do taking a particular responsibility a particular department Should I continue in that? Should I do something else? That’s something which we have to decide based on time, place and circumstance. This is called Vatra.
So, such decisions should be taken in the mode of goodness. Not in the mode of passion or ignorance. That means say if I have experienced frustration in a service and I have tried and I just again and again there have been obstacles and I have not been able to do it.
Then if I give up the service because of frustration then sometimes that kind of giving up of a particular effort may be in the mode of ignorance. So, now yes, it’s possible that this particular service requires a particular frame of mind or a particular nature or a particular talent which I don’t have. So, it may be best that I don’t do the service somebody else does that service.
But that recognition need not be born primarily out of frustration. That recognition can also be born from reflection. So, if I am in frustration I give it up because I can’t do it.
And I start feeling that I am worthless I am good for nothing. But when I am in the mode of goodness before taking any major decision in our life we pray, we chant, we get ourselves in a calm reflective state of mind and then we objectively analyze the various parameters. If I do this, this is the advantage, this is the disadvantage.
If I do this, this is the advantage, this is the disadvantage. And then based on that then we arrive at a decision. Then that that decision is based on not because I can’t do this I give it up but because there are other things which I can do and I will be better able to contribute to other things.
So, that’s why I give this up. There is a difference between say frustration and renunciation. Frustration is because I can’t do this I give it up.
Renunciation means because I have something higher to do that’s why I give this up. So, the focus is very different in the two cases. So, as devotees we need to do due reflection and we can of course consult senior devotees.
They will also give us a different perspective on things. And generally it’s best not to take this decision kind of decision instantaneously. Maybe we can gradually say if the thoughts are in the mind get them out, write them down.
When we write things down the thoughts are inside the mind they just create congestion. Should I do this? Should I not do this? And the constant the mind is in an auto loop. Do this, do this, do this, don’t do this, don’t do this, don’t do this.
I just don’t get anywhere. So, get the thoughts out of the mind. Write them down.
And then just the distance between us and the thoughts it gives some objective. Yeah, this makes sense. This is not really valid.
This I need to get more information about this. This I have to consult someone else. And then basically when we write things down we get a snapshot of our mind.
A picture of our mind. And of our mental state basically. And if we decide that this is a major decision in my life.
I am not going to take it one day. Let me do reflection on this for the next six months. Then we don’t constantly keep thinking about it.
Because see, serious issues, life changing decisions they cannot be a result of background thinking. That means, you know, I am doing this job. I am doing this.
And at that time I start thinking of this. Major issues if you start thinking that way that sort of thinking simply drains us. It doesn’t illuminance.
It just confuses us more. So, when the thought of should I do this, should I not do this that thought comes in the mind. Then instead of we decide every week maybe this is important, one hour I will sit and think about this.
So, write everything down. And if in the week, course of the week any new thought comes, new idea comes just note it down. Don’t think too much about it.
And then at the end of a week when we have some time then add that and think about it once again. And then what I have written earlier I will be able to bring reflection back to it. This is a value point.
I didn’t think about this. I didn’t think about this. And then if you do it for a persistent period of time basically what are we doing by this? You know, by this we are making our intelligence the counselor of our mind.
You know, the mind is saying this but then how valid is it? I have to use my intelligence to validate it. So, I use my intelligence this is a value point, this is not a value point. And then if we find if we keep doing this regular reflection for a few months after six months I find that the way, overall way I was thinking at the start of six months is the same as I am thinking right now after six months.
That means, this is not just some passing desire that has been born from circumstantial frustration. This is something which is a which is a lasting inclination enduring inclination within me. This is something which I strongly want to do.
So then, when we have done this due reflection then after that whatever decision we take we will take it with confidence and we will execute it with conviction. Otherwise, we take some decision on the on the impulse on the force of the moment and afterwards when we are doing something we may have taken the right decision but we are second guessing ourselves maybe I should not have done this maybe I should have done this. So then, even the right decision will not be executed rightly because we are half-hearted.
So, it is best that we take major decisions when we are in the mode of goodness and do due reflection in the mode of goodness and then we take decisions like this. So, it is not that one form of service is right and another is wrong. You have to see what is right for me.
Now, the devotees who are associated with this form of service they may tell me, you know, you should do this service only. Devotees who are associated with that form of service they say, you should do this, come here. So, we can’t let ourselves be buffeted around by opinions of others.
We take input from others’ opinions but ultimately it is we who have to do ourselves. So, it is we who have to live the life. You know, it is even our spiritual master even our spiritual master cannot live our life for us.
I have to live my life. My spiritual master will guide me and the instructions are very important but I have to live my life. So, then we have to be ourselves convinced about the course of action.
We consult others but it is based on our conviction that we make the decision. And then whatever decision we make basically what is uncool for our bhakti what is temperamental we do that and we may either continue the same form of service or we may change over to a different form of service. Does this answer your question? Thank you.