If someone gets a special service that we long for, how can we see that devotionally?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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so if somebody is given a special service and we are longing for that service but we are not getting it somebody else is getting it how do we see it at that time yeah it’s a difficult situation we have to know also that the advancement doesn’t come only by doing the service it also comes by our consciousness somebody may be doing a service and they are proud see I did so much service then actually their consciousness may not go closer to Krishna by that their consciousness may actually may go simply towards their ego and their ego may grow by that when somebody is not able to do the service but they are longing for Krishna I am so unqualified, I am so sinful that’s why I am not getting the service please allow me to get the service and our longing for serving Krishna increases we may still make spiritual advancement so the spiritual advancement doesn’t depend only on doing the service spiritual advancement is not necessary if we do the service spiritual advancement is not blocked if we don’t do the service it’s more a matter of consciousness now having said that it’s not only consciousness service is also important and then if somebody is getting a particular service and somebody is not getting we can ourselves see ok what can I do to get this service rather than thinking that this devotee is getting service, I am not getting service you can think ok maybe this what is this devotee doing, how can I become a more resourceful instrument in the hands of Guru and Krishna maybe I can learn this, I can do this, I can do this then I may get the service so rather than thinking that if that devotee goes up, I can’t go up it’s not like that’s fine, that’s fine that’s fine, I understand what I am saying is that even if you don’t get any particular service rather than thinking that sometimes if you have an elevator it can only accommodate one person and that person gets into the elevator, I can’t get into the elevator but here we can see that each one of us has a personal relationship with Krishna and each one of us has our own way in which we can express our relationship with Krishna so rather than thinking ok this devotee has got a service, I have not got it you can think ok how can I become more resourceful, maybe I can learn some more skills maybe I can get some more resources I can make some more friends, whatever it takes by which we can ourselves move forward in our relationship with Krishna and sometimes because certain things are finite that certain things are finite means that say there is a past time when Krishna was in Mathura and Shrutadev and Bahulashi, both of them invited him to their houses the Brahmin and the King and Krishna expanded into and went to both houses now in today’s world we can’t do that so because it’s finite sometimes some people may just get service, sometimes we may not get so that’s ok, what we should see is that if I just keep doing well whatever service I am doing there are two aspects in Bhakti that one is desiring and the other is demanding Prabhupada says that a devotee always desires to see Krishna but a devotee never demands to see Krishna if we don’t desire to have darshan of Krishna then where is our devotion naturally as a devotee we want to see Krishna but if it’s our demanding then how is that a service we are putting ourselves in an authoritative position Krishna has to obey me Krishna has to fulfill my desire Krishna is not our order carrier so therefore we can certainly desire but we don’t demand and sometimes we may express our desire also to seniors, to whoever the authority is and we don’t make it into a demand but we desire so by the desiring we will move forward and in due course Krishna will see that desire Krishna will reciprocate we don’t have to give up the desire just because the desire is not manifesting but we shouldn’t think that just because the desire is not manifesting that doesn’t mean my spiritual advancement is blocked spiritual advancement is possible in many different ways including just the strengthening of the desire also sometimes somebody may get so much service once I was giving a seminar on chanting one devotee told me I am afraid of chanting I said why he said chanting means we pray to Krishna Krishna please engage me in your service I already have too much service so sometimes if you are doing some service and that time you start feeling when will this service end then that’s not a very healthy consciousness it may happen sometimes because just too much things are there but if that sort is happening regularly then that’s also not healthy Krishna says we should be able to do service in an affectionate way in a way that is pleasing to Krishna and to the devotees