Sharanagati

(from lecture of B.K.Tirtha Maharaj, 3 0f September 2006, Sofia)

Now let’s talk for example about pada sevanam. What is pada sevanam? It includes simple menial services. And different other practices also belong here like visiting holly places, pilgrimage – like this. But if we do some practical service in the ashram, in the temple, it is also considered like this.

For example when you wipe the floor of the temple – which is very simple service, it’s not complicated, you don’t have two diplomas for wiping the floor – still there is a know-how, how to do it perfect. Prabhupad himself was ready to show to his disciples how to wipe the floor. Because you know, the westerners don’t know how to make thing correct. He was showing that it’s not just SMEARING with all the nonsense, but wiping means collecting also. So this is the physical know-how – how to wipe the floor. But there is a spiritual know-how – how to wipe the floor of the temple. Because this is also a meditation. If I wipe the floor of the temple, practically I am cleansing my heart. I’m cleansing the temple of my heart. To create a more favorable condition for Krishna to come. Therefore we like cleaning our temples. We like to keep it clean. What is outside, that is inside.

So you might say: “A, Gurudev is maniac on cleaning the floor.” But you get the point? Yes, you should also be maniacs – to have your temple PURE as much as possible. Right? So cleaning the floor is considered very menial service – usually some servants clean. But if we do this as a service to the Lord, with the deep meditation that by wiping this dirt off from the floor I cleanse my heart also – then immediately this little insignificant service is just transformed into pure kind of meditation, an act of self-realization.

So this is the spiritual way to do our everyday activities. Again – this is the quality that we have to come. Then whatever you do, it will be a loving offering to the Lord.

Right? So we can improve on every little element of this bhakti process. Don’t think that there is no next step. O, shravanam, kirtanam – I have heard one million times, so I know everything about it. No, we are at the beginning! We should INTENSIFY our practices.