"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
CAREFUL
In my nearly two decades of being an active member of the preaching engine in ISKCON, I have seen so many people come and go - very few people remain committed, year after year. As responsible members of the organisation, we should see this partly as our fault that, we are not able to create systems to take care of them. We should feel sad for them that they have lost a wonderful opportunity to quickly perfect their life and we should feel sad for ourselves that we couldn't take care nicely of those whom Krishna sent to us. After all, the process of spiritual life is not such an easy one, the amount of tests and diversions are quite a lot. Therefore, constant support and encouragement is needed for one to keep continuing in this process especially if one is relatively new just like a budding sapling needs a lot of attention and care. You see, care is a noun and a verb, a feeling and a function - it is a concern and a system. It is a science of it's own. But, all this begins when one is convinced of the need for care.
CAREFUL
In my nearly two decades of being an active member of the preaching engine in ISKCON, I have seen so many people come and go - very few people remain committed, year after year. As responsible members of the organisation, we should see this partly as our fault that, we are not able to create systems to take care of them. We should feel sad for them that they have lost a wonderful opportunity to quickly perfect their life and we should feel sad for ourselves that we couldn't take care nicely of those whom Krishna sent to us. After all, the process of spiritual life is not such an easy one, the amount of tests and diversions are quite a lot. Therefore, constant support and encouragement is needed for one to keep continuing in this process especially if one is relatively new just like a budding sapling needs a lot of attention and care. You see, care is a noun and a verb, a feeling and a function - it is a concern and a system. It is a science of it's own. But, all this begins when one is convinced of the need for care.
PRAYERFUL
Another important aspect of care is to not give up hope on others - we don't know when they can become devotees. If devotees had given up on us, we wouldn't have been devotees ourselves. We should try in every way we can, to try to connect them to Krishna. And after trying sufficiently, we may give up actively trying to follow up someone but we should never give up praying for them because prayers are very powerful especially when done selflessly for others.
HOPEFUL
In the ultimate sense, no one can be lost in the path of Bhakti, even if it apparently appears that someone is disconnected from Krishna consciousness. Once someone has in anyway been connected to Krishna consciousness, he or she will definitely come back at some point in future - that is the promise of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. He speaks this most hope giving verse in Bhagavad-Gita 2.40 -
nehabhikrama-naso 'sti
pratyavayo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya
trayate mahato bhayat
"In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear."
RESPECTFUL
More importantly, in these years I have realised the value of those devotees who stay put in the movement, year after year - decade after decade. It takes a lot of dedication to keep going on the spiritual path with so many obstacles on the way and with so many reasons to quit. During the initial days of ISKCON in 1967, when everyone who joined the movement was bubbling with new fold enthusiasm and energy, the news of one devotee leaving the movement sent a wave of shock amongst the devotee community. Few of the senior devotees approved Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON and asked him, "How can anyone leave this wonderful movement?" Srila Prabhupada nonchalantly answered them, "Don't be surprised by those who leave, be surprised by those who stay back." Truly, those who stay committed to this process are very rare and are worthy of respect and honour.
More importantly, in these years I have realised the value of those devotees who stay put in the movement, year after year - decade after decade. It takes a lot of dedication to keep going on the spiritual path with so many obstacles on the way and with so many reasons to quit. During the initial days of ISKCON in 1967, when everyone who joined the movement was bubbling with new fold enthusiasm and energy, the news of one devotee leaving the movement sent a wave of shock amongst the devotee community. Few of the senior devotees approved Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON and asked him, "How can anyone leave this wonderful movement?" Srila Prabhupada nonchalantly answered them, "Don't be surprised by those who leave, be surprised by those who stay back." Truly, those who stay committed to this process are very rare and are worthy of respect and honour.
GRATEFUL
And for ourselves, we should also be extremely grateful to the Lord that we are given a chance to serve Him and His movement even though personally we don't have any qualification of our own. Every morning when I look into the mirror to decorate my forehead with the Vaishnava tilak (a mark of being a servant of Lord Krishna), I invariably offer my little prayer of gratitude to the Lord for kindly allowing me the good fortune of being His devotee for yet another day. I am very much convinced that it is not my power that I continue to tread this path - it is only the mercy of the Lord and the blessings of other devotees that make it possible. Otherwise, fighting with Maya's attacks day in and day out is not at an easy task or as they say, "Not a child's play". Minus the mercy factor, we will be lost in oblivion. This awareness keeps me grounded and humble. Gratitude acts like an armour from the negative influences.
In conclusion, let us remember to care for those who come in touch with our movement even for a while and respect those who continue to stay in our movement for a long while, while we continue to be grateful to be part of this wonderful movement.
- Achyut Gopal Das
And for ourselves, we should also be extremely grateful to the Lord that we are given a chance to serve Him and His movement even though personally we don't have any qualification of our own. Every morning when I look into the mirror to decorate my forehead with the Vaishnava tilak (a mark of being a servant of Lord Krishna), I invariably offer my little prayer of gratitude to the Lord for kindly allowing me the good fortune of being His devotee for yet another day. I am very much convinced that it is not my power that I continue to tread this path - it is only the mercy of the Lord and the blessings of other devotees that make it possible. Otherwise, fighting with Maya's attacks day in and day out is not at an easy task or as they say, "Not a child's play". Minus the mercy factor, we will be lost in oblivion. This awareness keeps me grounded and humble. Gratitude acts like an armour from the negative influences.
In conclusion, let us remember to care for those who come in touch with our movement even for a while and respect those who continue to stay in our movement for a long while, while we continue to be grateful to be part of this wonderful movement.
- Achyut Gopal Das
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