Who Cares for Those Who Care?
Our efforts to serve Vaishnavas are noticed.
If we genuinely care for Kṛṣṇa's devotees, then Kṛṣṇa will make sure we know we're cared for too.
Some think that by achieving some status in the Vaishnava community, they'll be respected and be able to benefit others with their assumed wisdom. It really comes down to a state of the heart, though. There's not a lot we can do for others on our own merits, but we can sincerely exemplify what it means to be conscious of how much we're blessed. It's humbling.
If we want to serve in this capacity, it doesn’t rely on any social adjustment. Just like Kṛṣṇa doesn’t have any impediment to his displays of affection. If he wants someone to feel loved, it’s going to happen. There’s no level of ignorance he can’t penetrate.
So, wherever we are, turning our hearts towards the service of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees opens things up and attracts Kṛṣṇa to us. Serving devotees is his business. He’s very interested in us assisting him in that. We can do this at any station in life too, even if we’re still harassed by bad habits and mundane attraction.
Kṛṣṇa states in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.63):
अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज
साधुभिर्ग्रस्तहृदयो भक्तैर्भक्तजनप्रियः ॥६३॥
ahaṁ bhakta-parādhīno
hy asvatantra iva dvija
sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo
bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥI 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.
We may not be “the door” to enlightenment, but we can aspire to be a good window.
Suburban Mysticism is free, but if you feel inspired and want to return some love, consider helping Ekendra to care for cows, or share the article with others.