A True Servant鈥擜 True Master
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2021 | 174,865 words
This page relates 鈥楢dopting the temple as one鈥檚 own,...鈥� of book鈥�"A True Servant, A True Master" which offers a collection of 128 handwritten letters by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja鈥攁 revered figure in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. This book showcases the profound spiritual insights and practical guidance on executing devotional service and addresses both Sadhakas (male practitioners) and Sadhikas (female practitioners) with equal respect.
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Letter 58 - Adopting the temple as one鈥檚 own,...
Adopting the temple as one鈥檚 own 鈥� A comparative analysis of 驳辞峁ａ弓丑腻苍补苍诲墨蝉 and 产丑补箩补苍腻苍补苍诲墨蝉 鈥� There is life in giving oneself to service and preaching 鈥� The importance of guidance and expertise in frugality in service
啶多啶班 啶多啶班 啶椸啶班-啶椸啶班ぞ啶權啶椸 啶溹く啶む
艣r墨 艣r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) Orissa 7/8/1980
厂苍别丑腻蝉辫补诲别峁鈥�
Today I received your letter dated 5/8/80. As soon as you went there, 艢谤墨 狈峁泂颈峁僪补 came here. You are new there, so it is natural for you to experience some inconvenience. Practice performing arcana of the deity properly. Learn that well from Harijana 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补. If he shows you for a few days, you will be able to grasp it well yourself.
Besides deity worship, do as many small, miscellaneous services as you think possible for you. If you cannot adopt the 尘补峁环补-mandira as your own, then you cannot execute your service properly. When that pull and attachment comes for every object in the 尘补峁环补, then only will you be worthy of the title of sevaka. The dharma of the sevaka is not just to fulfil his duties. That [mentality] has a 谤腻箩补蝉颈办补 mood to it and the give-and-take of this earthly realm. Real service is the work the sevaka sets his mind to in the 尘补峁环补 of his own will for the pleasure of Hari, guru, and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉. There is life in that. To make his life about 蝉别惫腻 constitutes the main characteristic of a sevaka.
True sevakas are of two kinds: the first lives in the 尘补峁环补-mandira and takes direct responsibility for the service of guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉, while the second kind bears the responsibility for preaching bhagavat-产丑腻驳补惫补迟-尘补丑颈尘腻 (the glories of the Lord and His devotees) from door to door throughout the world. It is a difficult task to determine which of these two types of sevakas is greater and which is lesser. According to the impartial view of scripture, 产丑补箩补苍腻苍补苍诲墨蝉 and 驳辞峁ａ弓丑腻苍补苍诲墨蝉 are both equally engaged in benefiting others. 笔谤补丑濒腻诲补 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补 has noted that the latter of these two is more empathetic and magnanimous, and he has pointed out that the first group is comparatively less magnanimous in their dedication to the benefit of others. From the perspective of 蝉腻诲丑补苍补-产丑补箩补苍补, neither of these is less than the other. Hence, comparatively speaking, 腻肠腻谤补 (practice) and 辫谤补肠腻谤补 (preaching) are said to be part of the same category.
Jagad-guru 艢谤墨la Prabhup膩da has explained:
啶啶班ぞ啶� 啶嗋啷� 啶むぞ啶�, 啶膏 啶灌啶む 啶啶班啶距ぐ, 啶啶班い啶苦し啷嵿啶距ざ啶�-啶灌啶� 啶曕啶粪啶�-啶椸ぞ啶ムぞ 啶膏が
pr膩峁嘺 膩che t膩ra, se hetu 辫谤补肠腻谤补, prati峁ａ弓h膩艣膩-h墨na k峁涐梗峁嘺-g膩th膩 saba[1]
鈥淏ecause they [the 痴谤补箩补惫腻蝉墨蝉] are infused with life, they preach. They have no desire for mundane prestige in their glorification of 碍峁涐梗峁嘺.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
艢谤墨la 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨 has also written:
啶嗋啶距ぐ 啶啶班啶距ぐ 啶ㄠぞ啶啶班 啶曕ぐ啶灌 啶︵啶� 啶曕ぞ啶班啶�, 啶む啶た 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ 啶椸啶班 啶む啶た 啶溹啶む啶� 啶嗋ぐ啷嵿く
腻肠腻谤补 辫谤补肠腻谤补 n膩mer karaho dui k膩rya, tumi sarva guru tumi jagatera 膩rya[2]
鈥淵ou practice and preach the holy name, so you are a world teacher, venerable for all the world.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
A reconciliation of both sides of all these various considerations can be determined.
Stay near 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补 as if you were a young boy and learn how to serve as in an apprenticeship. Then, later on, your expertise in the tasks of service will reveal itself. 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补-dharma is the dharma of being under guidance.
If you have the guidance of 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉, then everything is yours, and if you are bereft of that guidance, then鈥�
啶多啶ㄠ啶� 啶椸啶班え啷嵿ぅ啶� 啶呧啷嵿啶侧 啶え啷嵿ぇ啶�
艣奴nya granthi a帽cale bandhana
鈥淵ou have simply tied empty knots in your shawl.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
If you can act according to the 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉鈥� wishes, you will gain the true welfare of the soul. The ability to continue service expertly even amid scarcity and poverty is characteristic of intelligence. The service of feeding and decorating the deities has to be done as prescribed, because 蝉别惫腻 is established with the central focus of service to 艣r墨 guru, 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉, and the deities. The 蝉别惫补办补鈥檚 skill reveals itself in doing the service nicely with little money. The sevaka must pay special attention so that nothing that is used in the service of the 尘补峁环补 is wasted.
When you cannot understand the right thing to do in any given service, then ask in a calm and collected manner and find out. Take my affectionate blessings. Iti鈥�
Your eternal well-wisher,
艢谤墨 Bhaktived膩nta 痴腻尘补苍补