Hare Krsna
One may ask, " One is certainly attached to family life, but if one gives up family life to be attached to the service of the Lord, one must undergo the same endeavor and trouble. Therefore, what is the benefit of taking the trouble to engage in the service of the Lord ? "
Replies
Hare Krishna,
In this world we cannot please anyone. Everyone here is selfish. All they do is take ur services.. go behind you and talk bad about you.
If anyone say good about you today.. Surely second minute they will change their version.
When things are favorable all going according to their expectations ... a family member or members are pleased with you... Similarly any nation.. ( when two countries are exhanging goods and having win win benefits.. they support each other.. as soon as things become unfavorable they turn their backs. ..
But Krishna is the one who just is pleased by our simple offering.. all he requires is it offered with love or not.
We try to please others and offer something to others like a gift.. they see the price tag of it.. is this expensive or not.. huh She/he gave us such cheap gifts.. they wont see the love behind that.
they just see how much is their gift worth of.
So........Pleasing Krishna is easy very very easy. All he needs is just love ... even if you have nothing to offer.. He doesn't care for your offering also. Krishna will think... Atleast .. they wanted to offer ME something even Manaasi seva is accepted by Lord...HE looks the bHaava behind offering.
One should not offer with the intent that one might get benefit out of it.
We must offer with love.
Krishna is seeking love.
In love there is no selfish interest of benefit seeking.
Let me say my own example. As a housewife and a mother.. I am making food for my family. I try to offer best food and prepare with lots of care so that my family eats healthy food and get nourshiment required. I am not having any selfish interest in that. Haann.......My family .. ( My husband, My son My family) it is all attached to me so I am having feeling I must do with love.
If I extend this love for next family and whole country and nations and universe... It becomes offering to Vishwam without selfish interest.
Well... Seeing Allah as Vishnu means ..
Seeing whole community and nations and whole brahmada as a Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. I am belonging to Krishna all are part and parcel of Krishna ..
Extended view. If all belong to Krishna's family. ( OKAY Mr. Krishna's family is Huge :-) .... I must do every activity for (every person .. plant. animal, water... rocks, birds.. everything included in Krishna's family) selflessly.
It is not impossible but this is mayanagri. We give and take here.. If all get the knowledge of Vishnu and all become aware of that they are part and parcel .. how nice it would be but it rarely happens in this world.
So.. We just offer to Sri Krishna.. who is the main SROT( start of all root of all ... cause of all causes) and offering to Krishna is easier also...
As we cannot be serving... each and every part of Universe with selfless love..
Aisa toh harr patte mein bhagwan dekhoge aur harr cheeti ( ant) mein bhagwan dekho ge toh road pe chal bhi nahi sakte ( we cannot even walk on the ground we may step on an ant or insect....)... kahi humare pair unko hurt karega toh?
As it is practically not so easy . .. Easier is to offer to Narayan or Vishnu as He is Bhokta and ultimate beneficiary to all being.. offering Him pleases all charachar shristhi.
Bg. 5.29
सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥ २९ ॥
Tough hai prem dena kisi ko bina expectation ke.
Prem is tough not as easy as it seems to be. Anyways
Hare Krsna Mataji
Your response is very nicely echoing/matching with the explanation given by Srila Prabupada in complete essence.
" The Supreme Lord, Narayana, is the seed-giving father of all living entities because the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. As there is no difficulty in establishing the intimate relationship between a father and son, there is no difficulty in reestablishing the natural, intimate relationship between Narayana and the living entities.
Therefore, pleasing Narayana does not require as much endeavor as pleasing one's family, community and nation which is extremely difficult.
One's duty is to revive one's relationship with Narayana. A slight endeavor in this direction will make the attempt successful, whereas one will never be successful in pleasing his so-called family, society and nation, even if one endeavors to sacrifice his life. "
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.19 Purport
Hari Bol
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
One who considers the physical body—composed of the three elements (mucus, bile, and air)—to be the self, who regards wife, family, and material possessions as eternally his own, who worships earthly idols or places without understanding their deeper significance, and who fails to recognize or seek wisdom from spiritually enlightened souls—such a person is no better than a cow or a donkey. (SB)
As I mentioned earlier, while fulfilling worldly duties is essential for living in the material realm, we must also prioritise spiritual growth and devoting ourselves to pleasing Lord Nārāyaṇa and seeking higher truth.
Yes Prabhu,
That is a very valid quote with respect to this discussion.
Read Mataji's reply also. It is amazing! She caught the spirit of the question!
Hari Bol
because it has benefit whereas the materialistic endeavour to please family etc does not have any benefit.
Hare Krsna Prabhu
The question is what is easier?
To please Narayana or family members, community and nation?