When we approach Srimati Radharani, all we can say is 'please, throw some mercy my way.' She is the one who can give us the mercy of pure devotional service.

                                                            (Kadamba Kanana Maharaja, 6 September 2011, Berlin)

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Berlin, September 2011)

It is often said that the devotee is not desiring anything in return for his service, and that is a fact.  The devotee is not asking for any reward from his service.  It's not that we are doing this service so that we can eternally enjoy in the spiritual world – that we do the service as an austerity and are waiting for the reward.  We chant Hare Krsna and then we will be showered with the mercy.  No, the chanting of Hare Krsna is the mercy, as we just experienced for the week, the never-ending chanting of Hare Krsna.

So in this way, the service just carries on.  But the devotee does have a desire.  In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said that a devotee is selfless.  He can simply serve, life after life, in the material world, but Krsna still takes him back to Godhead.  Because Krsna knows that in his heart of hearts, the devotee has a desire to go back to the spiritual world.  Krsna knows that in his heart of hearts, the devotee has the desire, the desire to see a spark of pleasure in the eyes of Krsna in response to his service rendered.

Some recognition – that is the greatest ecstasy.  If we make offerings to Krsna and Krsna appreciates or relishes that service, what greater ecstasy could there be?

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Finland, 2011)

We should not fall into a comfort zone where we think:

"Well, I've only been a devotee for five years, so you cannot expect much from me. I mean in the future maybe, but now I'm struggling with material desires and that's normal, because I've only been around for ten years. Everybody after ten years are struggling with material desires… so I am normal….but no! I am not! I am crazy! I am mad! Because I am struggling with material desires…. I am diseased….I'm conditioned I'm:

'Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti' [Bhāg. 5.5.4]

I am 'pramattaḥ' – I am into sense gratification…. I am completely mad…. 'pramattaḥ' – raving mad".

That' s the translation.So this is Bhagavatam, and we should just think:

"Why am I into sense gratification? What's the point? It's foolish!"

We are not speaking about that you cannot enjoy. There is some enjoyment in the material world, but it doesn't satisfy the heart completely and it binds us to the material energy! Once you get some drops of enjoyment in the material world, then you become addicted and you want more!

So therefore, in one purport, Srila Prabhupada explains that:

"When we are enjoying in the material – that is worse than we are suffering! Because when you enjoy in the material world, you become more bound to the material energy….that's a trap…it's a trap, and we really get into trouble".

All right so at least one should not just think:

"Well, What can I do…I have material desires. It's natural".

No! I should think that it's unnatural and I should give them up!