We Keep On Trying!

Kadamba Kanana swami really encourages the devotees at New Radha Kunda, Sweden, August 2010:
"We keep on trying!"

Devotional service is so powerful it will always act and therefore gradually that devotional service will take over, there is no doubt about it. So we are not worried that 'this process will not work for some.'
Just like a medicine you don't know if it's going to work, it works for some people but doesn't work for others- but devotional service is not likethat. Devotional service, it's not that it works for some but doesn't work for others – we may be the exception: ' it doesn't work for me'

No, devotional service works for everyone, it always works, it never fails to act. As soon as one somehow or other connects to devotional service one will be purified.
Srila Prabhupada had this great conviction and on the strength of that he was ready to approach anyone and everyone. He wasn't considering, wasn't considering who was qualified and who was not qualified, because he had this strong faith that this would act. But we don't have this faith and particularly in relation to ourselves, we often times think that this is not going to work:
'it's not working'..not even that it's not going to work : 'it's not working...we are experiencing, it's not working'

So that is the illusory energy where we think that our maya is so strong that it can not be overcome, where we think the rahu, the rahu in our astrological chart that is lasting for such a long time is stronger than anything else!
"What can I do I am in my rahu period'! There's nothing I can do about it and it is going to last for another nineteen years – and for nineteen years my spiritual life is going to be a total mess. Three astrologers have confirmed it , even the Brigu reader in India has said it you know. I am doomed and that's the way it is. For 19 years I'll be doomed and there is nothing I can do, and I just have to ride it out. But then after I go to the Jupiter period then it will be very nice, when I am forty seven and then suddenly everything will go very nice in my spiritual life'

What rubbish, what garbage, what nonsense! Material considerations have nothing to do with bhakti. Because it is explained that the bhakti creeper is not dependent. Bhakti lata, it is a creeper. So generally when a creeper is growing, it needs support, it grows on a tree, it grows on a wall. But this bhakti lata does not need any support. No support at all. Bhakti therefore is not dependant on anything. Nothing at all.
In the Caitanya Caritamrita Madya Lila, chapter fifteen text 108 it is said that bhakti does not even depend on initiation. Is says the Holy Name is not depending on intiation. Even that, because the Holy Name can produce all results, all the results. There is no material contamination that needs another solution. This medicine is always effective. It always works.

The only problem is if we don't take it. If we don't take it then it is a little difficult to work. Right? …….
….Knowledge can increase our eagerness in devotional service. So the more knowledge we develop about the potency of the Holy Name, the potency of devotional service, the more eager we will be to perform it, the more eager we will be to take advantage because then we realise it's not impossible. Although emotionally at present spiritual life feels: 'It's too difficult' 'It's nice, it's good, it's the truth but it's too difficult'
This tendency to think that 'Yes, I believe in Krishna consciousness, yes yes I believe in bhakti yoga, yes yes I believe that it is the truth. Yes yes but I don't believe in myself. I don't belive that I can do it'

That is a more subtle form of faithlessness. People that say I have no faith in devotional service, well we can say that is unfortunate but if we just study the argument and the logic then many of us can accept ..'yes, why would God not be ever fresh, why would He not be all powerful, why would He not be all knowing, why would He not be the most famous person, why not, why would He not be a person, if everywhere there is a person, if everything has personality, then why not Him if He is the origin, shouldn't the creation reflect the nature of the creator? Logical'
Like that one can hear all the arguments and accept the system of belief of Krishna consciousness. It makes sense , it gives a complete picture. But then what? Then we have no self confidence:
'I've never been successful in my life, I know my limitations, I just can't do it, what can I say, and I've already tried I couldn't do it. I tried to follow the four regulative principles but I couldn't do it therefore bhakti yoga is too difficult for me, what can I do now? Maybe I'll do hatha yoga now!'

Totally missing the point! Success is not measured whether we can follow the regulative principles or not. In the preliminary stages or the early stages of Krishna consciousness we may not be able to follow the four regulative principles. That doesn't matter, we keep on trying. Prabhupada often said:
'Failure is the pillar of success'
Prabhupada said just like children, it is natural for a child to walk. It takes a certain amount of effort and in the beginning the child will fall and fall and fall and again and again and one day it will walk. So in the same way in the beginning we may struggle, we may not be able to follow:
'Yeah but me it's not just the beginning I've been like this for the last thirty five years!!!'
Well, then it's a beginning of thirty five years. Even that's not so long.
'Not so long!!! That's half my life!!! Half a life time at least!!'
Yeah but that's not so much, you still have the other half to be Krishna conscious!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Radha Kunda August 2010)

 

 

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