hare krishna all,
i am chanting daily 16 rounds of hare krishna maha mantra since last 1 and half year. in between for 2 months i even chanted 24 rounds daily.
every saturday i go for mangla aarti in ISKCON Temple since last one year with one devotee who is very sincere and pure devotee of lord krishna .i chant my 16 rounds in temple.
he has taken service of vegetable cutting in temple on saturdays morning n help one senior vaishnava in cooking.
he is also doing srila prabhupada dressing evry monday morning.
he doing service in kitchen ( vegetable cutting and doing other things like carrying buckets from one place to other , washing utensils, distributing prasdam sometimes ) since last 7 years.
where ever he sees opportunity to serve , he serves.
but i am little bit lazy person, i have not taken any service in temple yet.
i do no know how to cut vegetables and how to cook also, sometimes i have distributed prsaradam n served senior vasishnavas in temple.
if i see opportunity to distribute prasadam i do it sometimes.
i love to read srila prabhupada books daily n bhagwad geeta also. i am very good in reading n hearing lecture also sometimes.
i know one other devotee who once in a week clean prasdam hall after morning breakfast.
so my question is : is taking any regular service in temple also necessary apart from chanting n reading ??/ only then our bhakti will b called complete n lord krishna will b fully happy then only ???
am i doing less bhakti daily or per week????
what is complete devotional service ??///??????
please reply. Thanks.
HARE KRISHNA
Replies
Hare Krishna, AGTSP,
To add to It
Krishna doesnt want to be treated like a god he wants to be treated as a son, friend,husband lover etc. That is true Bhakti. That is how it is in Golok Vrindavan Everyone has a relationship wit krishna theier swarupa and they think that is it. they dont know that Krishna is God.
From vadya bhakti we need to Go to raganuva Bhakti.
Hari Bol
AGTSP
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Very happy to hear about your sadhana and your query on how to improve.
The nine stages of devotion - adau shraddha, tatau sadhu sanga, then bhajan kriya, then anartha nivritti, ruci, nishtha, asakti, bhava, prema.... In this ladder, devotion starts with shraddha - basic faith, then one attempts to associate with devotees, then bhajan kriya and anartha nivritti. In these stages, one is regularly visiting the temple.
Initially, when we all start going to temple, we just stand and do darshan of the deities and take prasadam and leave. Slowly, we start to notice what everyone else is doing. The next stage is when we feel we can/ should also contribute. This is when we start moving our hands and legs and actually doing some service physically. It is said, I have heard in lectures that when we chant and gradually the purificatory process starts, the visible results are that we want to serve vaishnavas. We develop interest and faith in doing service.
Yes, if it is in your capacity, you must take up some service in the temple on a regular basis like how your friend is doing. It neednt be related to cooking - you can do book distribution, preaching, organising festivals, organising funds....the works. The beauty of service is that each and every one's talent can be used in the lord's service. If you like to talk, then preach or raise funds. If you like to read and write, transcribe lectures or proof read books, become an authority on all the books written by Srila Prabhupada and some senior maharajs, paint, draw.....whatever. Any and every skill or non skill can be used in the service of the lord.
After all, while chanting we are praying na - Oh Lord, Please engage me in your service. That is what you have to do - engage yourself in the lord's service.
Since you go to the temple regularly, maybe you could contact a senior in the temple and ask for guidance on what service you can take up to help the temple and something that suits your temperament and is likely to keep you interested.
One note of caution, pls dont do anything at the cost of your sadhana. You have to do your sadhana at all times.
Complete devotinal service is when you are thinking of the lord every single moment of your life - waking or sleeping, you cannot stay even a moment without thinking of the lord.
Best of luck,
Good going,
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
thanks mata ji for your kind reply. hare krishna