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My
dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be
understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen
directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My
understanding. (b.gita 11.54)
Srila Prabhupada states in his
purport to this verse that Krishna can be understood only by
undivided devotional service and that there are so many activities
that can help us reach the platform of unalloyed devotion. Srila
Prabhupada writes, “as far as charity is concerned, it is plain that
charity should be given to the devotees of Krishna who are engaged
in … service to spread … Krishna consciousness throughout the
world…. So if one gives some amount of his money to persons involved
in distributing Krishna consciousness, that charity… is the greatest
charity in the world.”
Srila Prabhupada speaks here of the
“dadami principle” or the principal of offering our mind, words,
works, and deeds to Krishna. Not just in Krishna consciousness or
the Vedic understanding of spiritual life, but in all religious
traditions the idea of offering our energy to the service of God is
considered to be one of the principles of spiritual life. For most
of us who are not in the renounced order of life, but are working in
the world, raising our families, and taking advantage of the
spiritual oasis offered by New Goloka Dhama, the best way we can use
our energy to serve Krishna is to help by giving in charity.
When we give in charity we can see
this act in many different ways. It can be seen as duty, as
sacrifice, or even as an imposition. But according to all spiritual
authorities, whether from the Vedic, Christian, or Islamic
traditions, giving in charity is actually a way to express our
gratitude for the surplus and abundance in our lives. And who can
deny that we as devotees are blessed with so much mercy from
Krishna? We may not all be financially wealthy, but we have a
wealth of Krishna’s mercy coming to us in the form of devotee
association, the beautiful forms of Sri-Sri Radha Golokananda, Srila
Prabhupada’s books, and more.
In Srila Prabhupada’s words,
“charity is service”. In any tradition, charity is about helping
others and moving beyond our self centered focus. By financially
supporting the devotees who are actively preaching Lord Caitanya’s
message we are doing the greatest good for the conditioned souls
suffering in Kali Yuga. Not only that, by giving in charity to help
spread Krishna consciousness, we opening up ourselves to higher
levels of Krishna consciousness. “This voluntary service to the
cause of Krishna consciousness will help one rise to a higher state
of love of God, whereupon one becomes perfect.” (b.gita 12.10
purport)
Practically speaking, all of
us who worship at New Goloka Dhama can do our part to help spread
Krishna consciousness by making it a habit to make a monthly
financial contribution to the temple. Our small donation of $20,
$50, or $150 per month may not seem like much, but when all of us
join together to meet the needs of our temple then
wonderful things can happen. Maintenance
projects like a new roof for the pavilion will be completed. Deity
worship will be more opulent. Preaching programs in Chapel Hill,
Durham and elsewhere will reach more people. We may be too busy to
take part directly in the many projects that spread Krishna
consciousness in North Carolina, but by making a financial
commitment every month we will ensure that these projects will
flourish.
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