The essential things…
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Arjuna has the painful task of delivering the message of Krsna’s disappearance to Yudhisthira. In this conversation, Arjuna says, “O King! The Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari, who treated me exactly like an intimate friend, has left me alone. Thus my astounding power, which astonished even the demigods, is no longer with me.” (1.15.5)
Srila Prabhupada comments: “The power and energy which were bestowed upon Arjuna were required for fulfillment of the mission of the Lord, but when His mission was fulfilled, the emergency powers were withdrawn from Arjuna because the astounding powers of Arjuna, which were astonishing even to the denizens of heaven, were no longer required, and they were not meant for going back home, back to Godhead.”
Arjuna’s power and energy was given to him by Krsna, and also taken away from him by Krsna when he didn’t require them any longer. Similarly, whatever we are able to do is given to us by Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says He is the skill in everyone. Sometimes, Krsna may withdraw a skill we were given. For example, I used to dance and sing for hours. I can’t do that anymore, I get out of breath and my voice cracks. A certain ability was given to me, and now it’s given to other, young devotees.
Krsna gives skills, and He takes them away. For a materialist, this is very disturbing. Losing skills is the worst nightmare for a materialist. When my father got older and was replaced as the director of the German railway, he was totally struck down. He had nightmares of the new director meeting with his old team: when he tried to join them, everyone laughed at him and as he looked down, he saw he was naked.
How do you respond, when you see that a service you used to do is done by someone else? What if that person is perhaps even doing it better than you ever did? Is this a cause of distress for you? Should it be? Reflect on the profound point Srila Prabhupada makes in his purport to the above: Arjuna had powers that were astonishing even to the demigods, but “they were not meant for going back home, back to Godhead.”
All of our abilities are given to us by Krsna: our knowledge, our ability to sing kirtan, manage projects, distribute many books or collect a lot of money, etc. Someone may be very intelligent, someone may be very austere and sense controlled – all these skills and powers will be taken away, when they’re no longer required. BUT these abilities are not meant to take us back to Godhead.
What takes you back to Godhead is your love, not your position. What brings you back to Krsna are the things that will never be taken away. Krsna might take away your health or ability to remember many verses or new names, but He will never take away your bead bag or the Srimad-Bhagavatam. These are the most important things, my dear devotees!
Remember Hanuman, a hero from the Ramayana. He had incredible skills which enabled him to render amazing services, most importantly he rescued Sita from Ravana. But when Krsna came back as Krsna to reestablish dharma, Hanuman‘s only service was to sit on Arjuna’s flag. He was a symbol! And when Bhima became angry, Hanuman supplied the soundtrack and roared. What a small service. Was Hanuman envious? Disturbed? No, he sat on Arjuna’s flag and roared.
Service opportunities are given by Krsna, and sometimes taken by Krsna. It’s important to learn to hold onto the changeless items in our life. Take good care of the responsibilities you have for the time that they are entrusted to you, but know, eventually they will be taken away again. Cultivate the timeless necessities that you need to go back to Godhead.
We often get it all wrong. We prioritize our looks, achievements, positions, possessions and reputation – and Krsna may fulfill the human needs we have in this regard – but please be aware that these are not essential for your main mission in life: to wake up from the false dream of material existence and go back home, back to Godhead.
Our main problem, my dear devotees, is that we are invested in and attached to making it work with things that aren’t required to become released from central prison, the material world of repeated birth and death. For me this is the genius and purity of Krsna consciousness: Prabhupada and the Bhagavatam repeatedly point us towards the highest goal of human life. That doesn’t mean we don’t have other things to take care of; but first things need to come first.
Let us not get lost in this external world. Let us be like Arjuna who acknowledged that it was Krsna who gave him his powers. Let us acknowledge when Krsna takes things away from us and accept it as our situation. And remember, Krsna will never take away your opportunity to chant, even on your death bed! Learn the art of chanting, purify your consciousness, learn about your constitutional position, and go back to Godhead. Prabhupada says in the same purport to the verse above, “[…] no one should be puffed up for his powers borrowed from the Lord.” All energy and power come from the supreme source, Krsna. They are available for as long as He desires, and cease to function as soon as He withdraws them.
Let us get our priorities right. Otherwise, I’m afraid that our movement will turn into a religion and lose its spiritual quality. Religious people care about holding onto a belief system, and they want to identify with a group of similar believers. This is their source of stability. Spiritual people have a different agenda. They are not so much interested in a belief system. In some ways, they are also not so interested in identifying with a group. Their main interest is to transform their heart, so they become qualified to start their real life. They are interested in things of eternal value. The value of life is going back to Godhead and learning what’s necessary for that.
From a lecture by Sacinandana Swami given on July 6th, 2023 in Prabhupadadesh, Italy and a disciple’s meeting from July 18th, 2023 in Switzerland.
Srila Prabhupada: The Best Friend
Great personalities of the material world are very eager to render welfare service to human society, but actually no one can render better service than one who distributes the knowledge of spiritual realization in relation with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All living entities are within the clutches of the illusory energy. Forgetting their real identity, they hover in material existence, transmigrating from one body to another in search of a peaceful life. Since these living entities have very little knowledge of self-realization, they are not getting any relief, although they are very anxious to attain peace of mind and some substantial happiness. Saintly persons like the Kumaras, Narada, Prahlada, Janaka, Sukadeva Gosvami and Kapiladeva, as well as the followers of such authorities as the Vaisnava acaryas and their servants, can render a valuable service to humanity by disseminating knowledge of the relationship between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity. Such knowledge is the perfect benediction for humanity. Knowledge of Krsna is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor. Therefore Prthu Maharaja requested the Kumaras to be satisfied by their own benevolent activities in delivering souls from the clutches of maya. The King saw that there was no other way to satisfy them for their exalted activities. […] The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original Krsna consciousness.
From Srila Prabhupada commentary to Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.22.27