Practicing devotees should always feel grateful and obliged to those who assist us in developing our dormant love for Lord Krishna. Material consciousness teaches us to exploit others and it can be summed up in the “use and abuse” culture that pervades modern society. In other words, we use something or somebody temporarily until our senses are satisfied and then throw them away. It is the opposite in spiritual life.
We should always be appreciative to anyone who inspires us in our attempt in practicing devotional service. Ultimately we should be grateful to Lord Krishna and the Vaisnavas [devotees of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna] who help us to develop our love for Lord Krishna. Srila Prabhupada writes in Bhag. 3.31.18, purport,” We should always feel very much obliged to the Personality of Godhead, for He is always anxious to bring us into the happy condition of eternal life. There is no sufficient means to repay the Personality of Godhead for His act of benediction; therefore, we can simply feel gratitude and pray to the Lord with folded hands.”
Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the need to feel obliged and grateful to Krishna and those who give Krishna. This means we have to be grateful to the Vaisnavas. This includes diksha-guru [initiating spiritual master], siksha-gurus [instructing spiritual masters] and all levels of Vaisnavas. This principle of gratitude is extremely important. It could also be explained that gratitude is synonymous with appreciation. Srila Prabhupada has likened the word appreciation to the first stage in spiritual life—sraddha [faith]. We must try to develop our faith, appreciation and gratitude for receiving the holy name, for hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, for eating prasada [food that is offered to Lord Krishna], for having darsana [vision] of the Deities, and for associating with sadhus [devotees].
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