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Social involvement

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2 January 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 12.8.46)

It is an art to have to deal with others. For me too! I could be very peacefully chanting Hare Krsna, doing a little worship, lots of nice kirtans and leave it at that. But then, there are these people that have marriage problems, or devotees that fall down or devotees that want to have a sex change, and you think, 'But wasn't the philosophy that we are not the body!?'

So, the amount of complications that we have to get into by social involvement is overwhelming. It is an art that one has to learn to use anger in a very controlled way; a cool anger not hot anger. When you are a teacher, there is always the issue that the students don't want to be controlled; I was one of those rebellious students. But the fact of the matter is that you have the control but you don't have to assert your authority and if people don't co-operate, then okay. So if anyone doesn't co-operate then it is very simple, 'I'll give you a few chances and then you're out. Go speak to the director and good luck!'

Simple as that. There is no discussion about it. Just a few chances and then out. I'm not going to get upset with you… I just lay down the line… very simple… this is it!

I see it with temple presidents who are trying to assert their authority. There's no need, you already got it. You're the temple president, you're the boss, you have the authority! The problem is that people, out of fear, get out of control and start to try to assert their authority. That is when they get under the modes - dealing with such aggression. So, with the mode of goodness you just realize, 'No, I have the authority, I will just stay calm and I'll establish clearly how it is and if they are not co-operating then they are out, after a few warnings.'

So, in the mode of goodness, one is the tortoise who stays in his own goodness and then puts out the legs but not too much, not where you completely and emotionally throw yourself in a material situation!

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A noble mission

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.55)

All of our services are serving that noble mission of that noble Lord. Because the service is noble, it is easy to perform. Because it touches the heart, it is easy to do. If there is a noble cause then we feel called for it. If we can save the whales, then yes, we are ready for it. Let us go and save the whales and knock on the doors and say, 'Please give for the whales.'

But to really save the whales takes more than just a knock on someone's door and collecting some money because the whales have to be saved from themselves. You think that you are going to save him by knocking on the door with a list and say, 'Please give a donation to save the whale?'

You think that money will solve all problems. Prabhupada said, 'It is your Western disease. When you have a problem; you throw some money at it and you think you solved the problem.' But that does not really solve the problem because the problem is deeply rooted in the heart.

The whale is impure; the whale is hard-hearted; the whale is wallowing in selfishness; roaming around in selfishness – that is the nature of the whale. If we really want to take up this mission, to deliver all living beings of the universe, then you got something to do therefore you will never feel a lack devotional service, never!

Even when we have been around for years, we will always struggle deep down in our heart; we will still have resistance until the day comes when we take up this noble mission. Until we appreciate this noble mission, until we really start to think about it – it's really wonderful that Krsna is trying to deliver all the living beings in this in world and that I can also help a little bit in this mission.

That is where devotional service suddenly becomes inspiring. That is the thing that can capture our heart! Nothing else can do it actually. Nothing else can make us into a servant no matter how much we act; yes, we may act like a butler, "Yes Krsna, here is your salt, here is your garland and fresh water with tulasi devi grown for you in the greenhouse with this special warm lamps… for you, for your pleasure Krsna."

But we are still looking for our own pleasure also, again and again. But when we get so absorbed in taking up that noble mission then whatever little bit of comfort we are taking is simply there to keep us going. It is simply there to keep us going in this mission because the mission is so great that one can exhaust all one's energy in this mission!

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The pain of detachment

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.55)

The living being is by nature pleasure seeking and this is so deeply intrinsic to his nature that once he is seeking for pleasure, he can't give up. Once he becomes misdirected, that drive for pleasure is so strong that he just doesn't give up. He keeps on looking because Krsna's material energy is the reflection of the spiritual energy which is endless. So there is so much endless varieties. So he thinks that, 'Well, maybe one of these days, it will work.'

So this is how maya captures the living being, feeding on that fundamental nature of the soul, for the soul is pleasure seeking. So one has to cut (this drive) with intelligence, one cannot wait till the point where one is tired of it! That was Rajneesh, later also known as Osho, who had the philosophy: You just indulge in sense gratification to a point where you become sick of it! But you never really got sick of it, just sick of it for a few days but then you try again.

Srila Prabhupada said, 'If that would be true then the pigs would be the biggest yogis!'

But we have this idea, 'I'll stop when I'm exhausted with material things.'

But we'll never become exhausted but we have to, at one point, on the strength of knowledge say, 'This doesn't make sense, this is not intelligent. I'm going to stop.' You are cutting it now and it is a little painful. So this initial cutting has to be done otherwise we won't take to spiritual life!

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