I watched a nice program ages ago,listening to various bhajans from other religions,and this beautiful,full bearded man talked briefly about devotion.
It went like this.
A man took his children to the market to buy a donkey,
After the purchase, the children spotted a dog for sale,wagging its tail and doing dogy things,like chasing its tail,and the rest.
"Daddy, can we buy the dog,please"
The dog is useless for our needs,was the reply.
But, the children begged and pleaded,so the dog was bought, and included in the family.
The donkey was put to work immediately and was of great value in so many ways.
It worked hard every day,and was tied up,out the back each night with some grass and the occasional carrot on a good day.
Never was it visited by the children or shown any special treatment,just work and rest,alone each night.
Inside the house ,the dog soon found itself a nice warm spot near the fire,and was given a special cushion,plate,and was soon a real entertainment in the family home.
Every one soon came to love it,and would spend large amount of time in playing with it,as people do with dogs.
The donkey stood in the rain each night,completely unnoticed until the next morning.
As the years went by,the donkey began to wonder,"how is it I work so hard each day,and of great value to the family,and this dog,does nothing and gets so much attention"
Finally,at the right time the donkey asked the dog ,why is it this way,I work ,you do nothing,and are treated so differently.
The dog smiled and said,
Its simple I express affection and love.
Donkeys are not able to express in the way I do...
This was a great way to help us understand that love is required to get the blessing, not the work.
As is stated in Bhagavadgita,If one offers me with love and devotion,leaf,flower fruit or water,I will accept.
As Srila Prabhupada has stated many times,it is the love required,the offering with love is accepted.
So,it appears that the important feature of devotional service is to come to the point,of acting with love of Guru and Radha Krshna,and Sri Gaura Nitai.
daso smi
Comments
First class post! You make your point with an easily understood analogy, so personal, really. Pamho!
Dear Prabhu's please pray I never get proud again,and simply try to assist others to take crumbs from the devotees who are mercifully distributing Srila Prabhupada's prashadam.
Thank you for reading what I wrote.
And your comments. With a simple heart,I just try to assist others on the path.
Yes,Prabhu, It made a big change in the way I performed my service.
It seems that a combination of hard work and a loving attitude would be a good combination.
Not too much sentimental affection,and not just endless hard labour.
Ambarisha Maharaja,first engaged his mind in the loving service of the Lord,and all the other senses automatically followed.
For myself,when I actually developed some understanding of what a wonderful thing Srila Prabhupada was doing, and what he had done, I just wanted to tell everyone.
SO, the best way was to distribute his books
Finally,there was hope for the endless parade of miserable faces walking past..
Truthfully, I had fallen in love,for the first time.
Never having experienced such an emotion as pure love,it was strange for me.
Especially when it had nothing to do with pretty face, and the other trappings that are employed to draw the mind of the beloved.
Was I "in love" with a spiritual elder man?
What was the character of devotional loving service?
Such questions went though this fool's mind at the time.
It was deeper, rising from out of the darkness of my heart, into a clear place.
Having found someone who really cared about me, and everyone else.
When some realization of how kind and powerful Srilla Prabhupada was, finally the divine grace opened my inner eyes, after melting the permanent frost from my heart. The feeling was so
beautiful,and I have never lost it.
Once the book bag was on my shoulder, life took on a role that was not about me and my spiritual growth,it was spreading the great news to everyone.
SOMEONE CARES ABOUT US. We have a loving friend, well wisher, father, and a big house he built, that the whole world can fit in.
I fall flat and ask, Please Prabhu, do not let me ever forget how life without Srila Prabhupada was so bad, so cold, and so unfriendly.
Dasosmi