How can we come to the level of never expecting from the Lord as mentioned in Shikshashtakam verse 8

This is an AI-generated transcript and it might not be fully accurate:

So, Krishna Shri Ram says that whatever you do my Lord, you are always my Pranama. So, how do we come to that level when we are not expecting? We are ready to do everything for the Lord. See, I think there is a big difference between expecting and say Krishna is above us, there is expecting and then there is accepting.

So, in any relationship it’s natural that there will be expectations. That’s just natural. Say, if you come after the session to ask a question, now if you are asking a question, you will naturally expect the library attention to the question.

So, in the movies for example, when they come to meet Krishna in the forest, when Krishna calls them, they expect to meet Krishna. So, when Krishna left Vrindavan and went to Mathura and Dwarka, did the movies not expect that Krishna come there? They were of course expecting it. So, to have no expectations is just not possible.

Relationship means expectations are there. But the point is, our surrender is not having no expectations. It is not being attached to our expectations.

That’s why we can be expecting, but we also need to be accepting. Yes, Krishna, if I do this, I expect something. Suppose, we do some service, we go out for distributing books or we invite someone to come for a program.

We expect something over there. But we may do our best and nobody may come. That doesn’t mean that we give up our service to Krishna.

It is that, Krishna, I will do my part. But I’ll accept whatever. If the results come or not, I’ll accept that.

But when Prabhupada went to America, in one sense, he was expecting. He said, I can see temples. I can see temples that are filled with devotees, only time is seven days.

But Prabhupada, he also didn’t know how much time it would take. That is one month, six months, one year, two years. Prabhupada tried to accept this.

Nachao, Nachao, Prabhu, Nachao, Siva. As you want to make me dance, make me dance. So, the point is that our expectations or the fulfillment of our expectations does not determine the relationship with Krishna.

So, as devotees, can we have desires? Of course. If we consider, I am here and say, Krishna is here. Now, we all can have desires.

We may have a desire to serve Krishna in a particular way. Now, it can be direct service. Krishna, I want to do this program for you.

It may be indirect service also. Krishna, I want to achieve something in my life and I have that position. I can do some bigger service for you.

So, we all can have desires. Desires are okay. In fact, to the extent we have spiritual desires, to that extent only we will be able to give up material desires.

If we don’t have spiritual desires, how are we going to, we will not be able to replace our material desires. So, what differentiated Siddhaprabhupada from many of the other godbrothers, who were also great souls, what differentiated him from his godbrothers was his strong desire. His strong desire to share the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, to spread the mission of Krishna consciousness.

And that’s what took him abroad all the way. So, desires are fine. But the desires should not become demands.

Krishna, you have to do this. And demands should certainly not become ultimatums. Have you heard this word, ultimatum? Ultimatum means, Krishna, if you don’t do this, I’ll stop chanting your name.

We don’t give an ultimatum to Krishna. So, having desires and having expectations is not a problem. But being attached to the expectations, we are expecting so strongly that we can no longer be accepted.

That is where the problem comes.