Seva and Sadhna are both very important. If we only keep doing seva like cooking,washing vessels and so on but are not able to fulfill our sadhna like hearing, chanting all rounds early in the morning , book reading then we will become very weak spiritually and then what help we will do to others when we ourselves have become weak. So in general circumstances our personal sadhna should be maintained strong until and unless there is an emergency. Even in that case, our hearing and reading can go down in terms of schedule but the minimum of chanting 16 rounds should never be compromised. Hearing and reading can be postponed to the next day but not chanting , it has to be finished that very day , come what may, even if the sky falls down, we should complete our rounds that day. There is something called time, place and circumstances. Suppose, you have something urgent and important, then you can delay hearing,reading cuz hearing and reading are important but not urgent. so classify your schedule in terms of urgent and important and so on. Then you will be able to decide which is to be given priority in your life. Also seva is also important as devotees will be very pleased by your seva. But we must understand that we cannot please everyone and if our sadhna is going too weak and we are feeling our Krsna consciousness will go down then we can go to higher authorities to request for a break or change from rigorous seva schedule.

Thank you so much for your wonderful question.

I hope this will help

your servant

rakesh roshan

Volunteer

Mohini Madhavi > rakesh roshan June 9, 2012 at 3:59pm

yes You are correct Rakesh Roshan Prabhu, both are important. But even though in the lecture of Radhanatha Swami Maharaj i heard that we do our own sadhana in order to do our service to others well.

In this way Sadhana is prior.

Maharaj told that once or twice we can hinder our sadhana by taking less sleep or skipping Managala Arati but not everyday. But sometimes for the sake of important service we can do so BUT NOT EVERYDAY.

Because this body needs enough food, rest, also food for soul which is very important then only we will be able to serve qualitatively.

Sometimes senior Devotees not knowing that we have already tasks to do in a particular times they request us to do some services. But we have to use our intelligence. If as a result we will take less rest, skip our chanting...then we have to explain nicely that we are not able to take this service now we have another one.

We can not please everyone. We have to know our own service which we get from our counselors and to try to perform that in a perfect way. And know times to say "no" also.

Your servant,
- Volunteer
  
  rakesh roshan > Mohini Madhavi June 10, 2012 at 12:08pm
  
  Hare Krsna Maral mataji
  
  most humble obeisances
  
  Suppose there is a situation that we have to take a devotee to hospital and we have to attend Bhagavatam class, then what would you do if you were the authority of the medical in charge who is supposed to take the person to the hospital... The devotee met with an accident the previous day and has taken some painkillers but has not seen a doctor till now... His waist is stiff and he remains in a bent position all the time , even while walking... He feels it is urgent and important..I say this cuz I have seen this and the devotee who met accident is a very close friend of mine.... What will you tell the medical in charge- to cater to the devotee or to attend Bhagavatam class? I just wish to know your opinion..I heard in one lecture that everyone of us has to face a situation in life when we have to decide what is the higher dharma- transcendental dharma to please Krsna, So when I put myself in the situation of the authority, I feel I should go and take care of that devotee or at least arrange some one who can immediately take care, even if the medical in charge cannot go.
  
  Sadhna is very important and we should maintain it but at the end of the day , all we have are devotees, if we don't take care of devotees, and devotees are not happy... I heard in Gauranga p's lecture that a devotee who is happy stays. if devotees are happy in Krsna consciousness, they will stay..this was told to him by HH Radhanath Swamy Mahraj.. I feel Time, Place and Circumstances are very important in deciding some cases. Of course, generally, we should maintain strong sadhna ( very strong morning program and chanting, hearing, reading) but then there are emergency situations... No offenses meant mataji.. I just asked...
  Please do not take any offense and forgive me if my words hurt..
  
  your servant
  - Suresh K Aiyar > rakesh roshan June 10, 2012 at 4:31pm
    
    harE krishnA || my humble pranAms to bhagavAn and bhAgavathAs
    
    sevA is a task done to benefit or please someone. krishna-sevA means to please krishnA. By krishna-sevA krishnA is not benefitted as He is already having/owns everything. However, if we help a living entity in times of need, the living being is benefitted. krishnA is the paramAtma. If that service is not in violation of shastrAs/dharmA, krishnA also gets pleased as he is the yagnA-bhoktha and all yagnAs are intented to satisfy Him. So if we get a chance to please krishnA, we should certainly do it.
    
    sAdhanA is a regular practice of a task and has a longer time period. It is done with discipline to cultivate or nurture something else. The nine methods, described by sudhipta roy prabhu was taught by bhaktha prahlAd mahArAj to develop devotion and please lord narAyanA. sAdhanA is usually done everyday so that the plant of devotion grows steadily.
    
    So both sevA and sadhanA have their goals.
    
    In your specific case of helping a devotee in times of medical need, IMHO it would be more appropriate to help the devotee become better in preference to the bhAgavatham class. That way you are helping a devotee become better so that he continues in his devotional tasks. At the same time when he is attended by doctors, you can chant the mahA mantra (remember we can please krishnA in any of the nine ways of which offenseless chanting is the simplest and most pleasing!).
    
    If krishnA feels that you will benefit by listening to that particular bhAgavatham class, trust Him that He will sure give a chance again to listen to that topic. krishnA loves his devotees more than the devotees love krishnA. That's His nature.
    
    ||shri krishnah sharanam mama||
    - Volunteer
      
      Mohini Madhavi > Suresh K Aiyar June 11, 2012 at 9:35am
      
      my humble obeisances dear Devotees,
      
      there are 4 types of things in our life:
      
      1. urgent and important
      
      2. important but not urgent
      
      3. urgent but not important
      
      4. not important and not urgent
      
      In the case of Devotee having car crash OF COURSE ONLY HEARTLESS FOOL can think that "no, it is maya and no need to help".
      
      Usually we do urgent and important things first then comes important but not urgent things.
      
      We have to use our intelligence. And act according to time, place and circumstances.
      
      For example, i read an example from grihastha life of Devotees.
      
      Husband requests wife to prepare his lunch and breakfast in the early morning before 6 because the next day he is having important meeting and he has to leave to his job early. But wife says no tomorrow is Disappearance day of Bhaktivind Thakur and i have to go for Mangala Arati. And she does it.
      
      Husband wakes up, goes to his job hungry plus on the way he drops his son to the school...
      
      In this way wife's action was fully fanatic. She acted as a kanishtha adhikari.
      
      After this it is very difficult that husband will like to be Krishna Conscious.
      
      -----------
      
      At the same time sadhana is also important. Because if we do not take enough rest we won't be able to serve to Devotees nicely. If we do not eat on time we get angry and won't be able to help to Devotees. If we preach about arising to the mode of goodness by waking up early in the morning, eating on time, regulating life...but if we ourselves do not follow it then it is also useless preaching.
      
      Please try to read attentively Rakesh Roshan Prabhu, i did not told that service is the second thing. I told that both of them are equally important but with using our intelligence.
      
      Your servant,

Volunteer

Sudipta Roy June 2, 2012 at 5:38pm

Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Dandavat Pranam. All glories To Srila Prabhupada

Seva is a form of Sadhana, Seva is non-different from Sadhana. Sadhana consists of 9 processes in Bhakti marg as stated below:

1. HEARING (sravanam)

2. CHANTING (kirtanam)

3. REMEMBERING( visnu smaranam)

4. SERVING THE LORD'S LOTUS FEET (pada sevanam)

5. DEITY-WORSHIP (arcanam)

6.PRAYING (vandanam)

7. EXECUTING ORDERS (dasyam).

8. SERVING AS A FRIEND (sakhyam)

9. COMPLETE SURRENDER (atma nivedanam)

Now if we carefully analyze, the above mentioned 9 processes of Sadhana-Bhakti is nothing but Service only to the lotus feet of the Lord. Seva or Service means excuting order in favour to Lord to please him, that is what we do in devotional service, that is what our sadhana is, and the achievement of Sadhana is also to become a sevak and to do eternal service in Vaikuntha.

and among all the sevas CHANTING is the biggest Seva..................................Do Chant always

Hope this will help

your aspiring servant

Hari Bol

Forum

what is Important Seva Ya Sadhana ?

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