Don’t Lose Track of What Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Actually Is (04/29/01)

Don’t Lose Track of What Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Actually Is. (04/29/01)

M___ Dāsa,

This is good. Ayurveda may be good to attract a sincere class of people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is very good. But even after perfectly practicing that system of medicine for millions of years, one will remain a conditioned soul. The Holy Name however is the medicine to remove the disease of material existence once and for all. I think you understand my point.

You see what happens in many situations is this – devotees take up something to attract non-devotees to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then the devotees themselves become too absorbed in whatever that thing was (yoga, astrology, gemmology, martial arts, music, dance, Ayurveda) and instead of being Kṛṣṇa conscious themselves, they simply become perfect at that ‘thing.’

So yes, I think you should use Ayurveda in the service of Kṛṣṇa, but don’t lose track of what Kṛṣṇa consciousness actually is – the natural, heart felt attempt to satisfy the Supreme Lord’s desire. Love of God is the only goal of our life. Everything else is like dust and sand!

As Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura would say, “We have not come to the mission of Mahāprabhu to become expert brick layers (temple builders) or workers in any other field.” In the same way, we are not interested in becoming doctors, art salesmen, incense salesmen, construction workers, businessmen, or any other thing. We are only out to please Kṛṣṇa. And if Kṛṣṇa wants, then we can do anything for His satisfaction.

I am a sannyāsī by duty, but to please Kṛṣṇa I have even become a smuggler at times and smuggled books into foreign countries where preaching was prohibited. But for our own pleasure, we do not want to do anything. For Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure we can do whatever He desires.

I have said that you should be ready for renunciation and living fully in the āśrama by the time you are fifty-five or so. That’s exactly what I would like to see you do. In the meantime, do what humble service you can offer and when fifty-five rolls around, don’t offer excuses – just be ready!

All of the above and more. Surrender means exactly that – kāmānuga! Ready for whatever the Supreme Lord desires. As Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has said, “I will let you know exactly what Kṛṣṇa wants you to do as soon as I get the indication.” In the meantime, we are to practice humility, submission to guru and the Vaiṣṇavas, service attitude, study of the śāstra, cultivation of a service attitude, taking prasadām, and chanting the Holy Name without offence and a few other thing not mentioned here.

SBGN