But even if we sometimes blunder or fail along the way, it is not defeat. We may sometimes lose a battle, but we will definitely win the war. On the principle of "Failure is the pillar of success" we capitalize on mistakes utilizing them to their fullest advantage. We carefully note how we erred so that we will not make the same mistake again.
When our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, was struggling in India to print the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, he would sometimes go without eating in order to be able to purchase paper for printing his books. The printer, Mr. Surendra Kumar Jain, would feel so sorry for Srila Prabhupada that he feed him breakfast. Mr. Jain, seeing what he thought was such a hopeless situation for a poor old Swami who was working so hard without any followers and with practically no money would implore him, "Swamiji, why don't you stop this?" Srila Prabhupada replied, "No. It is my mission. And one day you will see, Surendra Kumar, that I will succeed in my mission."
So this is the kind of determination we must have to purifying our consciousness and to spread this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. Even if it appears completely hopeless and impossible, we must never give up our faith that we can become pure devotees and that this Krishna consciousness movement will indeed inundate the world. Global Krishnization will surely come to pass in due course of time because it has been predicted in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita. The author, Krishna Das Kaviraja, is a fully self-realized soul and is thus a perfect knower of past, present, and future. In that sweetest of all scriptures he states:
saj-jana, durjana, pangu, jada, andha-gana
prema-vanyaya dubaila jagatera jana
"The Krishnna consciousness movement will inundate the entire world and drown everyone, whether one be a gentleman, a rogue or even lame, invalid or blind."---Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, 7.26
Our spiritual master has given us a mission, to become pure devotees and make the entire world Krishna conscious. From the material point of view it sometimes seems hopeless to become pure because we are so entangled in material consciousness. Considering the present world situation it also seems hopeless that the entire world could become Krishna conscious. After all the entire world is tightly enwrapped and entwined in material sense gratification. Practically no one has any interest in Krishna consciousness and we are often persecuted. But the expansion of the Krishna consciousness movement does not depend on the material energy. It depends on the spiritual energy.
Within the scope of the spiritual energy anything is possible. Even those things that are materially impossible can easily become possible within the divine energy, the spiritual energy. So we must always stay connected with the spiritual energy. This is the key.
At every minute we must remain "online" with Krishna, connected with Him by always being engaged in at least one of the nine activities of devotional service, which are listed as follows in Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
1. Hearing about the Lord.
2. Chanting His glories.
3. Remembering Him.
4. Serving the Lord's lotus feet.
5. Worshipping the Lord.
6. Praying to the Lord.
7. Executing the orders of the Lord.
8. Befriending the Lord.
9. Surrendering everything unto the Lord.
If we can always hold fast to at least one of these nine times, especially the first one because it is the easiest, then our perfection will be guaranteed and Lord Caitanya will utilize us as His instruments for awakening the dormant Krishna consciousness lying there within the hearts of all.
There is no such as defeat if we always keep the pleasure of Guru and Krishna as the goal of our existence. They are always pleased by the sincerity of our endeavor, whether the results of our actions are externally quantifiable or not. Of course, when the endeavor is sincere it is sure and certain that in due course of time that results will be there as guaranteed by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita:
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
"Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." Bhagavad-gita 3.21
There is no greater, more blissful, more glorious, more fulfilling life than a life fully dedicated to the service of Lord Sri Krishna. Always depending on Him and doing everything for His pleasure we are blessed with the opportunity to live the ideal life of excitement and adventure.
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