We have the tendency to adjust to the common denominator, call it the herd priociple, call it the particular type of animal that looks at his neighbour, looka at the other neighbour and does and then says: ‘Baaaaaaaaaaa’ call it what you will. This is the situation, the herd syndrome. It goes very deep.
So the vaishnava has to be a hero or a heroin, heroic. A vaishnava has to be brave, enough to be different, to be different from others, to say:
‘No, I’m not going to be like everyone else!’ ...
Every vaishnava has the opportunity, the scripture offers us this oppurtnity, to become pure devotees:‘Nobody is doing it, Prabhu, don’t be so fanatic, nobody is fanatic like you! Just be normal.’
These kind of philosophies may prevail.
But no, we see exactly in the examples of the great devotees that they were heroic, they took the instruction from the scripture cent per cent. They took it whole heartedly, they took it fully and they became exceptional, they became extraordinary, they became worshipped by all.
Immediately the other detvotees, took that and raised them on a very high seat and:
‘Oh ,you are pure devotees, and we are ordinary mortals, we can never reach such a high level’
It is not a fact, not a fact – everyone can attain pure devotional service. Yesterday a question was asked about Krishna prema, it is not reserved for a few.
‘namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah’
Lord Chaitanya came to distribute, which was never freely accessible but now as the most munificent lord, he came to distribute this love of Godhead to all, that’s the idea….to ALL! No exceptions!Sastra says out of :
‘Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.’
So there it says Krishna prema is very rare, very rarely attained. But all that has been changed, now that doesn’t apply. Now that verse is not the same in front of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu because he gives that Krishna prema freely even to those who are not deserving.
How to obtain it?
Somehow or other we must go deeper into our devotional service, following in the footsteps we take the examples of those heroic devotees.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 6th October 2010, Melbourne)
