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A pure devotee of Krishna is satisfied to do any service for Krishna, however menial it may appear to be. The brahmacari is trained like that—to do whatever is asked of him. Even if he is highly qualified, a brahmacari is always ready and willing to do the needful in Krishna’s service, including all kinds of humble services. The ideal brahmacari performs all kinds of services quickly, efficiently, and cheerfully.
In the traditional gurukula system, young children are strictly disciplined. As they grow older, the guru engages them according to the propensities he has observed in them. Similarly, when a young man joins ISKCON, ideally he will take up any service he is asked to do. (Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would have new men wash pots, even if they were highly educated, just to test their sincerity.) But after some time, if he is not suitably engaged according to his psychophysical propensities, he may become dissatisfied. Indeed, if a brahmacari is not absorbed in a devotional engagement, he will soon end up with another engagement that will keep him fully busy for many years—namely, a marriage engagement.
Begging for the guru is a traditional duty of brahmacaris. “A brahmacari is trained up from the very beginning how to become a sannyasi at the end of life. He is trained up by collecting alms for the guru.” (Lecture, 05/04/74)
Fund raising for temple projects and maintenance is not the same as traditional brahmacari begging, and some devotees opine that brahmacaris should not be engaged thus. However, Shrila Prabhupada personally engaged brahmacaris in collecting large sums of money. By begging alms, a brahmacari learns humility. By offering all he collects to the guru, he fortifies the mood of slavery to the spiritual master. He practices sacrifice and detachment, and practically applies the maxim that “nothing belongs to me.”
Although traditional-style begging is not always practical in the modern world, the ISKCON brahmacari’s alms collecting has been dovetailed with preaching through the most ingenious transcendental plan ever devised: book distribution.
By book distribution, the spiritual master, Lord Chaitanya, Krishna, and the whole parampara are satisfied. The karmis are benedicted, the book distributor is blessed, the Krishna consciousness movement expands, and lakshmi is liberated for Krishna’s service. Book distribution is the ideal service for a brahmacari. Once when it was suggested that a leading brahmacari book distributor be awarded sannyasa, Shrila Prabhupada replied that it was not necessary because “He is doing more than any sannyasi by personally distributing hundreds of books day after day and inspiring others to follow.” (Letter, 05/06/74)
“Book distribution is definitely excellent training. One remains detached from material life by constantly seeing the temporary, miserable nature of the material world, while at the same time developing his faith in Krishna consciousness by daily witnessing the extraordinary mercy of Lord Chaitanya upon the fallen conditioned souls. And by having to defeat opposing arguments and convince others to take up spiritual life, one becomes a capable preacher.” (Indradyumna Swami)
To go on a sankirtana party is a great fortune for a brahmacari. It is an intense, one-pointed mission—to pass out as many of Shrila Prabhupada’s books as possible to the conditioned souls, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Such highly surrendered sankirtana soldiers become powerful in austerity and concentration, and develop a solid, fixed-up foundation in Krishna consciousness. It is recommended that new devotees in Krishna consciousness spend at least their first two to four years in the movement engaged in sankirtana, especially traveling sankirtana. Whatever they may do after that, their standing in Krishna consciousness will have been fixed, and it will help them to go on remembering Krishna throughout their lives.
However, not every brahmacari will go daily for book distribution. Some devotees just won’t be able to adjust to it. But that is not a disqualification; there are plenty of other services that devotees can be happily engaged in. For instance, Shrila Prabhupada wrote, “Brahmana brahmacaris are very nice for Deity worship.” (Letter, 12/01/74)
But if brahmacaris can preach, that is best. Preaching gives a taste and realization in Krishna consciousness which brahmacaris especially need to maintain the high level of renunciation which their ashrama requires. Ultimately, every service is preaching, because the whole Krishna consciousness movement is meant for preaching. But book distribution, harinama sankirtana, college programs, and so on bring us directly into contact with nondevotees, giving them Krishna consciousness. This enables us to directly experience the shower of Lord Chaitanya’s mercy.
No one should get a superiority complex, however, for pride comes before a fall. It is not necessarily true that a brahmacari out distributing books is more advanced than another staying back cleaning the floor. In the absolute sense, all services are equal. Krishna accepts the service attitude of the devotee, not exactly the service externally performed.
Brahmacaris are engaged in service by the guru or his representative. A sensitive guru or temple president will deal personally with the brahmacari under his command, understanding that all are on different levels of advancement and surrender. Junior devotees especially need encouragement and guidance. Ours is a pushing movement, so pressure must be there. But the best leaders inspire enthusiasm in their followers. Force will not always stand. It is better to command respect rather than demand it.
As much as possible, brahmacaris should be engaged so as to have as little dealings with women as possible. Outside of India, service in temple management brings brahmacaris in contact with women in such a way that their brahmacari principles are almost always compromised. Similarly, business is not at all a suitable engagement for brahmacaris. Wheeling and dealing breeds the profit/loss mentality and makes for materialistic dealings with nondevotees and women. Devotees who get into moneymaking too often end up selling their souls. If anyone has to do business, let the grihasthas do it.
Ultimately, whatever engagement we are awarded, we can be happy to get the chance to do something for Krishna. Devotional service is, after all, a privilege—it’s not that we have anything wonderful to offer to Krishna. But one way or another we have to keep busy in Krishna’s service, for an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. There is always something to do. If not, a devotee should find something to do. He can help another devotee, read, chant, learn a shloka, or whatever. Devotees: do not be dull. Keep busy! Be alert! Be alive! Be Krishna conscious! Keeping busy with mind, body, and words in Krishna’s service is the sure way to keep out of maya.