Lord Caitanya exhibited the mode of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī when She was contacted from Dvārakā by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such transcendental love is not possible for any common man; therefore one should not imitate the highest perfectional stage exhibited by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If, however, one desires to be in that association, he may follow in the footsteps of the gopīs. In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that just as Rādhārāṇī is dear to Kṛṣṇa, similarly the kuṇḍa known as Rādhākuṇḍa is also very dear to Him. Rādhārāṇī is the only gopī who is dearer to Kṛṣṇa than all the other gopīs. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.30.28) it is also stated that Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs render the highest perfectional loving service to the Lord and that the Lord is so pleased with them that He does not wish to leave the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
Highest service
Expressions researched:
"highest perfection of service"
|"highest perfectional loving service"
|"highest platform of service"
|"highest quality of service"
|"highest service"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The resolute purpose of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on knowledge. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone—namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by one's actions, then everyone will be satisfied.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Only the brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs are authorized to accept charity from the householders. In all the different occasions of saṁskāras, especially during the time of birth, marriage and death, wealth is distributed to the brāhmaṇas because the brāhmaṇas give the highest quality of service in regard to the prime necessity of humankind. The charity was substantial in the shape of gold, land, villages, horses, elephants and food grains, with other materials for cooking complete foodstuff. The brāhmaṇas were not, therefore, poor in the actual sense of the term. On the contrary, because they possessed gold, land, villages, horses, elephants and sufficient grains, they had nothing to earn for themselves. They would simply devote themselves to the well-being of the entire society.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The passive relationship is simply realizing, "Oh, how God is great". God is great. One is thunderstruck with the greatness of God. That is passive relationship: "God, God is great." When that relationship is enhanced a little, more the next stage is that "If God is great why not give Him some service?" just like we are accustomed to give some service to some person who is greater than me. That is the laws of nature. Just like the animals. The animals are giving service to the man, because the man is supposed to be greater than the animal. Similarly, one man is greater than the other, so the smaller man is giving service to the greater man. That is the law of nature. So when this sense comes, "If God is so great," not that "God is great; therefore exact from God the things of my sense gratification." No. The real love is that "God is great, God is supplying us so many things, all of our necessities, why not render some service to God?" This consciousness is part of development. The next developmen is to give service to God as friend, just like Arjuna is giving. And the next development is to render service to God as parents. And the highest platform of service rendering to God is conjugal love. So there are different stages. That is explained.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
I have repeatedly explained that if somebody has no master to serve, he voluntarily accepts a cat or dog as his master to serve. The nice name is pet dog, but it is serving. The mother serves the child. So one who has no child, he takes the cat as her child and serves. So the service mood is going on everywhere. But the highest perfection of service is when we learn to serve the Supreme Absolute Lord. That is called bhakti. And that bhakti execution of service to the Lord is ahaitukī. Just like we have got some little examples. This mother is serving the child not with any expectation. She loves to serve the child. She wants to see the child is in comfort, the child does not feel any discomfiture. That is her pleasure. There is no reason why she is loving. That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.
General Lectures
Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
7) Sri Krishna is the Personality of Godhead and is the Summum Bonum Cause of all Causes proved by fact and figures in the statement of Bhagavad-gita, but He reserves the right of not being exposed to the sensual speculations of the empiric philosophers.
8) One should therefore surrender unto Him if one wants to know Him as He is and that is the real process to approach the Infinite by the infinitesimals.
9) Sri Krishna is easily available by the religion of love i.e. by love and service as conceived by the damsels of Vraja who had practically no education whatsoever and much less any claim for high class birth right.
10) The highest service that can be rendered to the mankind is, therefore, to preach the philosophy and religion of Bhagavad-gita for all the times, all the places and all the people.
1972 Correspondence
I am very pleased that you are keeping to a very strict schedule and are reading my literature daily. If you continue in this manner you will grow up to be a first class preacher of Krsna consciousness. And this is the highest service that you can perform. I am looking forward to visiting Gurukula in Dallas when I return to the U.S. in the spring.
One thing more, if we are successful in this program then my dreamt mission of life to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world will be fulfilled. I wish to speak on the great philosophy of Bhagavata Dharma at least once in a week on Television, so if arrangement is made by you for this, then you will be doing the highest service for Krishna.
As you know, I am very eager to devote my full attention to writing my books when I return to Los Angeles. Therefore I am keeping Pradyumna with me and training him personally in Sanskrit work. I wish also that you join me when I return to Los Angeles so that the editing work may go on very efficiently. With both Pradyumna and yourself at my side then the work will go on very speedily. It is my serious desire to devote the fag end of my life to translating Srimad Bhagavatam and so many other Vaisnava literatures so by assisting me in this regards you will be performing the highest service to Krsna. I am anxious to hear from you concerning this proposal so you may send your reply care of our Hawaii branch and I shall receive it there.
Now you have got your child and your responsibility is to raise your child in Krsna consciousness. You and your husband are very sincere devotees, and your husband is a nice boy, and I like him very much, and he is doing the best service to Krsna and humanity by managing the Berlin center so nicely. So never mind there may be some inconvenience in family life for the time being. Your husband is doing the highest service. You may assist your husband very nicely by concentrating all your time and efforts in raising your child in full Krsna consciousness. That will require all of your attention, and in that way you will be giving your husband the best assistance. This spot life is merely a platform for us to make progress toward going back to home, back to Godhead, therefore we should not be too much concerned with family matters. We are never alone in Krsna consciousness; you have got so many wonderful brothers and sisters who are really your family, and besides that the spiritual master is always in his instructions, and Krsna is there within your heart, so you need not feel you are ever alone.
I am very pleased to hear that my rooms have been repaired and painted so nicely, I am looking forward to coming there sometimes around middle of October, I shall let you know. Meanwhile, go on with your work and do not for one moment feel depressed because you are rendering the highest service to Krishna and He appreciates that, know it for certain.
1973 Correspondence
So I am so much pleased upon all of the boys and girls in Los Angeles and all over the world who are understanding and appreciating this unique quality of our transcendental literature and voluntarily they are going out to distribute despite all circumstances of difficulty. By this effort alone they are assured to go back to home, back to Godhead. In order to change this materialistic society and prevent them from gliding to hell, first thing is to educate them. All decent men want to give service to humanity, only thing is they do not have information really what is that service. Hospitals, feeding the poor, Red Cross, these are service to the bodies only, not to the man. Service to humanity means jnana. By giving people knowledge, jnana, that is the highest service to humanity. So we are performing the actual welfare work of society by informing everyone through our literatures who is God, who they are, and what is the relationship. In this way everyone who hears our message gets the opportunity to fulfill his actual position as human entity and become delivered from the clutches of maya. So you may understand it that by disseminating our Krsna consciousness propaganda anywhere and everywhere, by selling books, by making publicity, newspapers, television, so many ways there are to spread Krsna consciousness information, you may know it that by utilizing our energy in this way to give everyone access to the Absolute Truth, that is the real understanding of desire to serve humanity.
A pure devotee always thinks himself as not-devotee. That is a good attitude. If one thinks he is big devotee that is not good, thinking that he is first degree. We should not be puffed up, a devotee avoids it, remaining always in the second degree. A dog is a faithful servant. To become lowest dog is to become on the highest platform of service. Krsna has given everyone something extraordinary and to serve Krsna with one's extraordinary talent means successful life.
Thank you very much for pushing on our book distribution program so enthusiastically. Kindly offer all the devotees there my deepest gratitude for their wonderful service in this connection. I understand from Karandhara that you are one of the most staunch supporters and workers for distributing our books and I assure you that it is the highest service to my Guru Maharaja. Thank you very much.
1977 Correspondence
Regarding your standing in the book distribution as number three in the world, I am very pleased that you have worked so hard to help me in carrying out the order of my Guru Maharaja. Be convinced that you are doing the highest service for your fellow countrymen by distributing books of Krsna Consciousness. Actually in the west there is now no culture, and no brain even for what is the purpose of life. American civilization is finished, except that it can be saved if it takes to Krsna Consciousness. Try to become more convinced of this necessity for Krsna Consciousness and that will enable you to preach even stronger and distribute more books.
| Page Title: | Highest service |
| Compiler: | Rati, Visnu Murti, Matea |
| Created: | 25 of Nov, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=3, Con=0, Let=10 |
| No. of Quotes: | 16 |