A devotee of the Lord becomes empowered. The theme of empowerment is a very interesting theme in the arrangement of the Supreme Lord. We find in the Adi lila of Caitanya Caritamrita the description of Muli Chaitnaya. Muli chaitanya: Gardener, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu........He has sown the seed of devotional service and He has from that seed sprouted a tree.So this tree is made up of various main elements: the trunk of the tree is Lord Nityananda and Advaita Acharya, who are making up the trunk of this tree, there are many branches and many great personalities are mentioned, great devotees who are all branches of the Chaitanya tree. Therefore in other words we are seeing that the mercy of Lord Chaitanya is spreading everywhere like a tree spreads it’s branches through different people. It is said that Iskcon is also a branch of the Chaitanya tree. Prabhupada said that.
So when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had arranged for the tree of devotional service to manifest then He was personally taking care of this tree. And as He was taking care of this tree in due course of time fruits began to grow and when these fruits were ripe Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I am just one gardener, how can I single handedly harvest all these fruits. I need help. Therefore I order every devotee in the world to help to pick and distribute these fruits.”
So this is a very significant moment because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu makes that statement “How can I alone pick out these fruits!” ......very simple He is the Supreme Lord, what’s the big deal, for Him He has done greater feats than that. So here Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is lying, He is cheating! When He says that, He is not speaking the truth, He can do it....so why is He doing this? Because He wants us to do it. He wants us to do it. So this is the spirit of empowerment . The spirit of empowerment is that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu displays: that which He can do Himself, which He can do Himself better, He does not do, He lets us do...although we are not very good at it!
For what reason? Because He wants us to do. He wants us to become involved in giving out the mercy. This is the point. So this is the spirit of empowerment and we see that Prabhupada also based this movement on the principle of empowerment.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 05/05/2002)
