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The corruptive power of ulterior motives 鈥� Two types of donors: one motivated, the other sincere and selfless 鈥� The worst fate for the 蝉腻诲丑补办补 is to be cheated of guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉鈥� mercy 鈥� Wholehearted service versus the logic of 笔补诲尘腻

啶多�嵿ぐ啷� 啶多�嵿ぐ啷� 啶椸�佮ぐ啷�-啶椸�屶ぐ啶距�權�嵿�椸�� 啶溹く啶む��

艣谤墨 艣谤墨 guru-gaur膩峁単au jayata岣�

艢谤墨 狈墨濒腻肠补濒补 骋补耻岣嵞珁补 惭补峁环补 Gourbatsahi, Swargadwar (笔耻谤墨) 24/9/1976

厂苍别丑腻蝉辫补诲腻蝉耻鈥�

M膩 Um膩! Even a modest donation for service is not negligible but ample and cause to be proud. There are those who make a show of offering financial support and donations, hoping for some gain, adoration, or prestige. Their tactic of sacrifice is referred to as [or illustrated by the proverbs] 鈥�By膩峁単er 膧dhuli^[1]鈥� and 鈥�Karm墨r K膩峁嚹乲a岣峣^[2]鈥�. Any devious desires (补苍测腻产丑颈濒腻峁�a) that remain in the heart make way for 辫谤腻办峁泃补-karma-箩补岣峚-惫腻诲补 (the materialistic dogma of fruitive work), and that is definitely not favourable for rendering service [to 碍峁涐梗峁嘺]. Inner inclination and intention must be taken into consideration. 

That is why 艢谤墨man 惭补丑腻辫谤补产丑耻 said: 

啶掂た啶粪く啷�啶� 啶呧え啷嵿え 啶栢ぞ啶囙げ啷� 啶�啶侧た啶ㄠ�� 啶灌く 啶�啶�, 啶�啶侧た啶ㄠ�� 啶�啶� 啶灌�堗げ啷� 啶ㄠす啷� 啶曕�冟し啷嵿ぃ啷囙�� 啶膏�嵿ぎ啶班��

vi峁�ay墨ra anna kh膩ile malin haya mana, malin mana haile nahe k峁涐梗峁噀ra 蝉尘补谤补峁嘺^[3] 

鈥淚f one eats food cooked by those engrossed in material enjoyment, one鈥檚 mind becomes contaminated, and once the mind is contaminated, one will not remember 碍峁涐梗峁嘺.鈥� 

The reason 鈥�svacchanda vana-箩腻迟补 艣腻办补鈥搘颈濒诲 forest greens鈥� are recommended is because no one鈥檚 consciousness enters into them. Therefore, they are 苍颈谤驳耻峁嘺 (beyond the modes of material nature) and the real means of subsistence.

There are many donors who immediately after giving just a small donation to the 艢谤墨 骋补耻岣嵞珁补 惭补峁环补 mission or to our 艢谤墨 骋补耻岣嵞珁补 痴别诲腻苍迟补 Samiti have compelled management to put up nameplates for display to the public, even prior to the completion of the temple and residences. Which category these donations fall into has been surely ascertained by 艢谤墨 Hari, guru, and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉. The strong ethics they propound and their clear statements have been published in more than one article and collection of letters. The tattva-蝉颈诲诲丑腻苍迟补 of the negative aspects of charity has been established therein.

Then again, 

啶む�嬥ぎ啶距�� 啶оえ 啶む�嬥ぎ啶距�� 啶︵た啶�啷� 啶む�嬥ぎ啶距�� 啶灌く啷� 啶班��

tom膩ra dhana tom膩ya diye tom膩ra haye rai

鈥淚 give Your wealth to You and I too come to belong to You.鈥� 

This attitude has also been preserved alongside that [negative aspect]. One donor, when asked to acquire the land for 艢谤墨 骋补耻岣嵞珁补

惭补峁环补 in Baghbazar, said: 

鈥淰颈苍辞诲补 叠腻产奴, I have given you the plate, and I will give you the meal too.鈥� 

In other words, in addition to donating the land, he accepted responsibility for constructing the temple and other facilities, thereby gaining the blessings of 艣谤墨 guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉. If one cannot become sincere and free from worldly attachments, one cannot become a sevaka or 蝉别惫颈办腻 at heart. Donations of wealth certainly constitute service. 

That is why 艢谤墨mad-Bh膩gavatam has said, 

鈥淎n intelligent person will seek the ultimate good through his vital energy, wealth, intelligence and words, for this is the success of life.鈥�

In the Eleventh Canto [11.38], it is stated: 

啶�啶�啶距ぐ啷嵿�氞��-啶膏�嵿ぅ啶距お啶ㄠ�� 啶多�嵿ぐ啶︵�嵿ぇ啶� 啶膏�嵿さ啶む�� 啶膏�傕す啶む�嵿く 啶氞�嬥う啷嵿く啶�啶�, 啶夃う啷嵿く啶距え啷嬥お啶掂え啶距�曕�冟�堗��-啶�啷佮��-啶�啶ㄠ�嵿う啶苦ぐ-啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぎ啶距ぃ啶�

mam膩rc膩-sth膩pane 艣raddh膩 svata岣� sa峁僪atya codyama岣�, udy膩nopavan膩k峁浤�岣峚-pura-mandira-karm膩峁噄 

鈥淓xpressing love and attachment for the establishment of My deity form entails concerted efforts, both individually and collectively, in constructing flower gardens, orchards, playgrounds, fields, residential areas, temples and so on, as well as sincerely cleaning them, coating the grounds with cow dung, watering the vegetation and painting 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 designs. One should serve the house of the Lord thus.鈥�

It is only from mutual connection and proper knowledge of the relationship between the 腻艣谤补测补 (refuge) and the 腻艣谤颈迟补 (refugee) that qualification and eagerness for the path of bhajana increases. Besides the grace of guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉, there is no other alternative arrangement to progress on our path in life; there cannot be. To be cheated of their grace and to deviate from bhajana is the same thing. This alone is the ultimate misfortune, the worst fate for the 蝉腻诲丑补办补 or 蝉腻诲丑颈办腻. Guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉鈥� multitude of transcendental qualities and supramundane status are beyond the comprehension of material knowledge and awareness. 

In that context, it is said: 

啶�啶�啷� 啶忇さ啷堗し 啶掂�冟ぃ啷佮い啷� 啶む�囙�� 啶侧き啷嵿く啶�

yam evai峁�a v峁涐箛ute tena labhya岣�^[4]  

鈥淭he Supreme Lord is attained only by one He accepts.鈥�

This is the only measure of qualification. Both 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 and His bhakta are affectionate to those who take shelter of them. There is no doubt about that.

The inclination to serve is the exclusive ornament or decoration of the surrendered soul. To utilize one鈥檚 all-in-all in service is called full 腻迟尘补-蝉补尘补谤辫补峁嘺 (offering of the self). A truly surrendered soul, or one who has fully offered himself, has no other focus and no ulterior desires or fancies. In that state, there can be no commercial interest or business of materialistic giving and taking. If one thinks to keep track of a percentage for oneself, one succumbs to the logic of 笔补诲尘腻^[5]. 

That is not an attitude of service and will end up being but a limb of mundane karma.

鈥淚 am less than an insect or bacteria. I am vile and sinful.鈥�

If this sort of notion appears, then there is a possibility of auspiciousness. And if, instead, one鈥檚 motives are to gain prestige and advertise one鈥檚 good fortune, that same activity will act as a poison. 

By the causeless mercy of guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉, even the impossible is made possible: 

啶曕ぞ啶曕�囙ぐ啷� 啶椸ぐ啷佮ぁ 啶曕ぐ啷� 啶愢�涏�� 啶︵く啶距ぎ啶�

k膩kere garu岣峚 kare aiche day膩maya^[6]

鈥淭hey are so merciful that they can turn a crow into 骋补谤耻岣峚.鈥�

I understand that your mother鈥檚 health is not good. Please convey to her my request that she stay at home in this advanced age and perform 办墨谤迟补苍补 and 蝉尘补谤补峁嘺 of 艣谤墨 苍腻尘补. Tell her to stay in Chunchura and meditate on the 艣谤墨 ma峁環a鈥�s deities: 艢谤墨 艢谤墨 Gaura-狈颈迟测腻苍补苍诲补 Prabhu, 艢谤墨 艢谤墨 搁腻诲丑腻-骋辞辫墨苍腻迟丑补-j墨u, and 闯补驳补苍苍腻迟丑补-deva. 

Tell her to sing this song of the 尘补丑腻箩补苍补蝉: 

啶嗋�溹�嵿�炧�� 啶︵た啶侧ぞ 啶�啷嬥ぐ啷�

膩j帽膩 dil膩 more, ei vraje bosi鈥� hari苍腻尘补 karo g膩na^[7]

鈥淸Guru] instructed me to sit here in this land of Vraja and sing the name of Hari.鈥� 

I know that she does not want to give you all any trouble. Nevertheless, you should all take responsibility for taking care of her at all times. In both realms, social and spiritual, she is your 艣颈办峁Ｄ�-驳耻谤耻. She should stay at home and continually serve 艢谤墨 骋辞辫腻濒补-deva, from which she will reap the fruit of visiting the 诲丑腻尘补蝉 of 惭补迟丑耻谤腻-痴峁沶诲腻惫补苍补, 狈补惫补诲惫墨辫补, and 笔耻谤墨. Because of her sickness, it is proper that she avoid contact with people. Do explain all these things to her properly.

I have shown the ornaments, eating plates, fabric, and outfits you sent as gifts for the deities to the sevakas here, and they were very delighted, wishing you all spiritual good fortune and praising you. There surely is a hole in 艢谤墨mat墨 搁腻诲丑腻r膩峁嚹�鈥檚 nose, even if it cannot be seen with material eyes. There will not be any inconvenience in that regard. The nose-ring your mother has wanted to offer can be affixed and 艢谤墨mat墨 will surely accept it. Iti鈥�

Your eternal well-wisher,
艢谤墨 Bhaktived膩nta 痴腻尘补苍补

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

A frog once lived in a pond. One day he happened to dig up an eight-anna coin. As soon as the frog found the coin, he said to himself vainly: 鈥淲ho is wealthier than I? This time when the king鈥檚 elephant comes to drink water, I will stop him and not let him to drink.鈥� Saying this, the frog went and sat on the coin on the steps of the pond. Just then, the mahout brought the elephant down to the pond. The frog quickly leapt off his coin, landing at the elephant鈥檚 feet, underneath which he perished the very next moment. In this world, the resources of those who pride themselves as great heroes of fruitive work are as trivial as the frog鈥檚 penny. The 办补谤尘墨鈥檚prowess can be pulverized at any moment by the wheel of material existence, as that prowess is but an effect of the material energy. 骋墨迟腻 (3.27) has thus stated: 鈥�prak峁泃e岣� kriyam膩峁嚹乶i gu峁嘺i岣� karm膩峁噄 sarva艣a岣�, 补丑补峁卥腻谤补-vim奴岣峢膩tm膩 kart膩ham iti manyate鈥濃�撯�渙ut of false pride, the living entity indulges in the egotism of 鈥業 am the doer鈥� and thinks that he has accomplished the functions that are in fact produced by the modes of material nature.鈥� Such conceited people imagine that they are masters of the pleasures of this world and want to exert their reign upon the Earth. They cannot understand that at any moment the goddess of material nature can smash their huge mansion of pride to the ground. The Earth does not care if you are independent or dependent. Someone who is king today becomes a beggar on the wayside tomorrow; and likewise, the person who is a beggar today, tomorrow becomes intoxicated with the conceit of destructible opulences.

[2]:

Karm墨sare of two types: su-办补谤尘墨and ku-办补谤尘墨. The su-办补谤尘墨engages in pious work and waits for the results; and the ku-办补谤尘墨does evil work because he wants quick profit. When, with use, the su-办补谤尘墨鈥檚coins get cracks in them, the ku-办补谤尘墨gathers them up. These cracked coins, called 鈥�办腻峁嚹乲补岣峣鈥� (defunct), have no value; they cannot be used in the market. The ku-办补谤尘墨thinks he is a boss with so many coins, that he has lots of money, lots of possessions, lots of women in his collection. He has his storehouse loaded up with such defunct things, as useless as piles of dirt. If a person does not utilize his kanaka (gold), his 办腻尘颈苍墨 (romantic interests), and his 辫谤补迟颈峁ａ弓丑腻 (prestige) in 碍峁涐梗峁嘺鈥檚 service, then all the items in his storehouse are 办腻峁嚹乲补岣峣and he is a ku-办补谤尘墨.鈥�(Excerpts from the Up膩khy膩ne Upade艣aof 艢谤墨la Bhakti蝉颈诲诲丑腻苍迟补 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨 峁琱腻办耻谤补)

[3]:

艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (Antya-濒墨濒腻6.278)

[4]:

碍补峁环补 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲 (23)

[5]:

笔补诲尘腻, or Queen 笔补诲尘腻vat墨, was the wife of Ugrasena and mother of 碍补峁僺补. Her infamous logic, as found in 艢谤墨 B峁沨ad-产丑腻驳补惫补迟腻尘峁泃补尘 (1.6.73鈥�75), assumes that money can compensate regarding matters of the heart: One day, 艢谤墨 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 was utterly heartbroken in separation from the Vrajav膩sis when Grandmother 笔补诲尘腻vat墨, in rather poor taste, attempts to console Him as follows: 鈥淲hy are You grieving? Listen to my advice. You two brothers lived in Vraja in that cowherd Nanda鈥檚 house for eleven years. The Yadu King (Ugrasena) will have Garga Muni calculate every last speck of whatever goods You consumed during that time鈥搘hether or not they gave You something for taking care of their cows鈥揳nd will repay that cowherd king double the amount they are owed, I swear.鈥�

[6]:

艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (Madhya-濒墨濒腻12.182)

[7]:

艢补谤补峁嚹乬补迟颈, Gurudeva! Ba岣峯 碍峁沺腻 Kori鈥� (1) by 艢谤墨la Bhaktivinoda 峁琱腻办耻谤补\