One by one, the Vaishnavas of yore have departed from this world, thereby indicating to us to be more attentive in our search for our ultimate goal of life (paramartha). Our lifespan is extremely limited and yet, in spite of having the opportunity, facility, and knowledge of the path to Sri Krishna's Holy Feet, we are not endeavoring to fully immerse ourselves in bhajana. Under the impressions of many, many past lives we have forgotten our own identity. Instead, this body and all that is related to it by maya has come to be our own; our everything. The result of this is that we have deprived ourselves of the attainment of our actual dearmost—Sri Krishna, the embodiment of all delightful mellows (akhila-rasamrita-mürti). Without transforming the ego, it is not possible to begin the search for Sri Krishna. What the mundane ego prompts us to do will inevitably be mundane and gross. Without transcending this barrier of maya, the search for paramartha cannot begin. When one understands his origin in Vaikuntha—the spiritual kingdom transcendental to maya—then automatically, one's greed for and sense of habitual duty towards the objects of the material world disappear. "I am an eternal servitor of Sri Bhagavan"—when this awareness awakens, then love for Sri Krishna, His personal associates, and anything connected with Sri Krishna automatically surges forth. To serve Sri Krishna and His devotees, knowing one's relationship with them (sambandha-jïana), is known as hari-bhajana. The real fact is that without being established in knowledge of the Self (atma), one cannot practice actual vaikuntha-bhajana. It would be foolish to waste this precious human birth in chasing the mundane and ordinary under the regular course of affairs. In fact, we should make the best use of a bad bargain.
Hare Krishna!!!
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