If we are extroverts how can we be invisible while doing our services?

Podcast:

Question: If we have an extroverted nature, how can we serve invisibly, like salt that brings taste but isn’t noticeable in food?

Answer: We need to be very clear about our purpose, which is to serve Krishna. If our service requires us to be visible, then an aversion to visibility actually becomes an impediment to our service.

For example, and with no disrespect intended towards any devotee, some devotees, when asked to give a class, might say, “I can’t sit on the vyasasana (the elevated seat for the speaker); I’m not pure enough.” So, they might sit on the ground and give class. While we cannot know what is in their hearts and should not judge, from a practical perspective, the entire audience has to strain their necks to see and hear them. If one is performing a service that requires visibility, why make it more difficult for others to benefit from that service?

Srila Prabhupada very aptly defined humility as “not being anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others.” He did not say humility means refusing to be honored by others, nor does it mean refusing to feel satisfied when honored. True humility is the lack of anxiety for that satisfaction. Sometimes, certain services naturally bring honor, attention, or appreciation. As human beings, we may feel satisfied and honored by this. This satisfaction isn’t always ego-driven; sometimes, it’s simply natural human reciprocation—we offer something, people appreciate it, and we feel content. The key is not to be anxious for that satisfaction.

So, the important principle is to do whatever is required for our service to Krishna. While metaphors like “salt in food” are inspiring and contain a kernel of truth, their literal application may not be universally possible. Consider Yudhishthira Maharaj, who performed the elaborate Rajasuya Yajna. If he had sought to be “like salt in water,” how could he have achieved his purpose? It was because he performed the Rajasuya Yajna that he could make his grand offering to Krishna. Sometimes, to bring Krishna to a central position, we ourselves may need to take a central, visible position.

This concept ties into the role of the guru, and even the mood of Krishna Himself as described in shastras. One of Krishna’s qualities, mentioned in Sanskrit, is Ishwara-bhava (the mood of the controller, or a controlling mentality). Some individuals naturally possess this disposition. Society needs to be controlled and guided, and if those with leadership qualities do not guide, who will? Someone has to fulfill that role.

Take a sports team, for instance. Does everyone on a team want to be the captain? Many do desire that position of leadership and control. However, after some time, some may find the burden too great and prefer to simply play without the responsibility. They are not “made for” that role. For some, captaincy enhances their performance, while for others, it might hinder it, leading them to prefer being a team member without the captain’s mantle. Ishwara-bhava is essential for the functioning of society; leaders are needed, and someone must step up. This applies both in material society and in spiritual movements.

If someone has a nature suitable for a visible service, they should perform it. What’s crucial is that we periodically appreciate those who perform less visible services, and we must not presume that visible service automatically equates to spiritual advancement. If we take these precautions, then taking initiative to serve Krishna is highly commendable.

Essentially, we aim to channel our nature, not be controlled by it, for Krishna’s service. An extrovert naturally attracts attention. The question then becomes: do they direct that attention towards Krishna? In the Bhagavad-gita (18.59-62), Krishna explains how each of us is bound by our nature and cannot go against it. “Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.” However, Krishna then states, “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” He then advises: “Surrender unto Him completely… By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.”

What Krishna is saying is that while you cannot fundamentally change your inherent nature—trying to repress it will only lead to it controlling you—you can link with the Lord, the master of nature. By staying connected with the Lord, your nature will not mislead or control you. Instead, you will be able to channel that nature in His service.

For example, Kshatriyas naturally have a tendency to fight. While there’s a danger of becoming excessively angry or disproportionately violent, does this mean a Kshatriya should never fight? No. Society needs protectors, and they must fulfill that role. If they maintain a service attitude, their nature will not control them; instead, they will be able to channel it constructively. As I recently wrote in an article, we don’t truly choose our interests; our interests often choose us. We might consciously try to cultivate interest in a subject or service, and some conscious effort can increase it. But there are also things that spontaneously attract us—music, philosophy, devotional service. This “spontaneity” here refers not necessarily to spontaneous devotional service at the transcendental level, but to natural inclinations based on our body-mind complex. Whatever interests are harmonizable and usable in Krishna’s service, we should utilize them. That is how we grow in our bhakti.