Our Highest Priority

Dear Vaishnavas, Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva. Sometime back I came across an interesting statement that read thus: "Don't give priority to someone in your life, when you are just an option in theirs." 1. This statement speaks volumes on the common aspect which almost all of us suffer from - we give a lot of importance to someone and expect them to reciprocate in the same way. Unfortunately, this material world is designed in such a way that each one of us are caught up in our own whirlpool of sufferings, anxieties, worries and so on and it is not easy for us to manage our own situations. How can we expect another person who is also suffering in his own whirlpool, to spare some time or energy for us? Solution: As much as possible we should try to live independent of other's mercy. 2. Apart from the physical sufferings or anxieties that each one of us face, the wavelength also may not match between two personalities. We cannot expect/force every other person to start liking what we like nor can we artificially try to like what they like. Each soul is independent and requires their own time and space. Solution: We should try to be generous in giving the personal time and space for others and let the relationship grow naturally on its own. 3. We nurture false hopes that if I help him today, he will help me tomorrow when I am in trouble. Helping others when they are in trouble is ok, but expecting them to return the favor will spoil the relationship. It may not be that the soul does not want to help, but it may be as simple as he may not be in a position to help. Solution: We should depend only on Guru and Krishna for everything and should not nurture any undue expectations on other living entities. 4. Last but not the least, we should not make any mental concoction about a person if they don't match our expectations and start being judgmental about them. Our Guru Maharaj once made a very interesting statement, "If someone is not coming to the programs/temple, then we should just think that they are doing devotional service wherever they are." Our mind will tell lot of reasons to concoct about this person, that he might have gone to cinema, he is lazy about coming to the programs etc, but all these negative thoughts create a bad image of that person in our minds and when we meet him next time, we don't smile at him, rather we show an angry face. This attitude totally spoils the relationship and ultimately our own mental and physical health. Solution: Having a pleasing attitude towards everyone is a must for the upliftment of our material as well as spiritual well-being. We should stop thinking ourselves as the center of everything and keep Krishna as the center of all existence. If we reverse the original statement we get the other side of it - "Don't keep someone as an option in your life, when you are a priority in theirs." We forget that there are at least two persons, for whom we are the highest priority in their lives and we are keeping them as option in ours. They areGuru and Krishna. The only reason our spiritual master accepted us as his disciple is because he wants us to become sincere devotees and he wants to take us back home, back to Godhead in this lifetime itself. We are his highest priority. Whereas we hardly think about him even once in a day. Every day we sing 'dhyaayan stuvams tasya yashas tri-sandhyam', but we hardly meditate on his glories even while singing this line what to speak of remembering him three times a day? The shastras say that the Guru suffers for all the wrong doings of the disciple. But we take comfort of this fact. We don't realize that he has taken such a huge risk in promising Krishna that this soul will behave alright and I take responsibility for his behavior. Srila Prabhupada thought of all of us and all our future generations too as his highest priority. That is why he had toiled so hard to write all those transcendental books. But, for us he is only an option. His books stay in the cupboard as it is, for decoration. Our mind does not give any chance to take it out and read it seriously. Again for Krishna too, we are the highest priority. Every moment He is breaking His head constantly thinking how to engage these souls in devotional service. Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to SB 1.2.17, "The Lord is more anxious to take us back into His kingdom than we can desire." For this, He descends to this world in His various incarnations, sends so many of His messengers like Srila Prabhupada, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya etc, gives instructions through scriptures, especially Srimad Bhagavat-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, descends in the form of Deities, Holy-name and Prasadam, reminds us time and again through the Seven-fold miseries that this world is duhkhalayam. Inspite of all these, Krishna is only an option in our life. Studying Bhagavatam/Bhagavat-gita has to be forced upon us, and even then it is only 'tolerance time'. Performing Mangala arati early in the morning is even more difficult. We think, it would be better if only this were not part of the regulations for devotion. Going to temples is only for a change of air, not for remembering the Lord/offering some prayers to Him and taking darshan of His transcendental murti. With all these, we still want highest reciprocation from Him. We can see what Krishna says to Durvasa Muni (SB 9.4.63-64) about the level of importance He shows to His unflinching devotees. sri bhagavan uvaca aham bhakta-paraadhino / hy asvatantra iva dvija saadhubhir grasta-hrdayo / bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyah The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brahmana: "I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me." naaham aatmaanam aashaase / mad-bhaktaih saadhubhir vinaa shriyam caatyantikim brahman / yeshaam gatim aham paraa "O best of the brahmanas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences." On hearing these above transcendental words spoken by the Lord filled with love for His unflinching devotees, we can come to a conclusion as to whom should we give priority in our life and whom should we keep as option. Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Kalacakra Krsna das