No hope in what I do-I am too small to make a difference-I give up

[theist 1]

http://www.vrinda.info/nektar/ramacandra.html

 

An excerpt from B.A. Paramadvaiti's web article on Lord Rama accessable from above link.

 

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Every service is important

 

Just when we remember the spider, who is doing the spider service by carrying a few little dust grains and helping to make the bridge to go to Lanka. And Hanuman comes by with these huge rocks and he is just about to step on the spider, who is coming with his little dust. Hanuman said:

"Sorry, little spider. Could you just move out of the way? I am bringing big rocks. You know, this little dust you are bringing... Sorry, you know... Please get out of the way! Don’t stop my service!"

So the spider goes to the side and cries:

"My life is useless. I was trying to do some service for Rama and Hanuman, who is his real devotee, he really showed me that my little dust... What’s the use of it? Forget it ... With these rocks he is carrying..."

And the spider was just crying and crying:

"I am not useful. I cannot do any service."

And Lord Rama came as he was supervising the construction of everything and he saw his little devotee crying there. So he said:

"Please! Why are you crying? You should be happy when you do devotional service. Devotional service is meant to make you happy!"

The spider said:

"Sorry, I don’t want to say anything."

Rama:

"Please tell me now, what made you unhappy! It’s very serious."

The spider said:

"Hanuman told me I am useless, I should get out of the way because I was just carrying a little dust to help. I thought some dust will be helpful also in making this bridge and ..."

“Ohhh” Lord Rama said, "you were helping to make my bridge. Ohhh, I am soo happy with you. I am so grateful you were doing this."

The spider said:

"Really??? Really??? You think that it was worth anything? My little dust I was carrying?"

"Oh, my dear, real devotion comes from the heart."

Lord Rama said:

"HANUMAAAN, please come here!"

And Hanuman was like… "HMMMM, the Lord is calling. It sounds serious."

So he came there and said:

"Yes, my dear Lord Rama?"

"Hanuman, did you ignore the service of little spider brother? Did you say anything which made little spider brother unhappy?"

"Well, I… I… I think so..." Hanuman said.

"You will give your obeisances to him! And you please understand that to me everybody is equally dear doesn’t matter how big the rocks are he carries!", Lord Rama said.

And then Hanuman asked for forgiveness, and the spider could understand that it was just a big misunderstanding and he said:

"Yes, thank you. Now I can go on with my service."

 

Every service is important. It doesn’t matter, what service it is if it is blessed or if it is coming in line of service. I mean I am not saying that a very advanced person is on the same level like someone who is only doing what ever he likes to do and calls it service. No, its not like that. But the true attempt to serve the Lord is always recoginzed by the Lord and he will not make any qualifications, so to speak to disqualify the ones service because of the excellence of another service. That concept is material. It is not spiritual.

 

So the sweet king, the Rama Raj, the governor of Ayodhya Lord Rama was of that type of a king that he wanted to see everybody happy. He could not tolerate that somebody was not happy in his kingdom. These are the teachings we are getting from the Ramayana. This is what is being handed down in our parampara. And this is also which we saw being practiced by Srila Prabhupada. He also could not tolerate if a devotee was unhappy. And if one devotee was making another devotee unhappy, that was very strongly disapproved by Srila Prabhupada. For example, one time a devotee came back after he had been out in maya for some time and this had happened frequently. Then they come back and get nasty comments or not a real welcoming spirit, forgiving welcoming spirit. I am sure; somebody goes away or ignores the service. But a truly soft hearted Vaishnava should always be accommodating and should be so happy to see another brother coming back, because when he comes back he may have totally realized his mistakes, repenting...

 

[Pankaja_Dasa 1]

 

 

What a great post. That spider def had the right idea. Made me smile. It was helping Lord Ramachandra build a bridge. If the Lord was so pleased with this, I wonder how pleased Prabhupada was with all the young devotees who rendered service to him.?

[theist 1]

Or how pleased with Pankraja's web efforts to spread Krishna-katha. Or Bhakta Joe trying to learn how to chant his first round properly on his beads and washing some pots after the temple feast.

 

So on our level we try not to get in the way of Sri Spiderji while he does his valuable service but we have service to do also and we can't give in to debilitating despair.

[theist 1]

The Parable of the Talents

14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

 

21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 

22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

 

23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 

24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

 

26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

 

28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

 

 

 

[Kulapavana 0]

"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."

 

oh... this is SO typical for these people /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

 

 

 

[Pankaja_Dasa 1]

 

 

The problem I have with this service is.. more than often I want some devotees to say 'Good job' ..' that's really good'.. But then I wonder about devotees who clean temples everyday for 10 years, does anybody praise them? I am sure people must do. After all we should encourage one another. But that said my main assocation is internet, so I suppose people must think the praise is coming on this end [Nada]. Sounds attention seeking [it is]. Because I am doing THIS for devotees! And when I get mergre responce I wonder why I even do it. So this ant story could be my life saver for next time I feel worthless.

[krsna 3]

 

 

 

 

/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

I'm done nothing bro, what's gonna happen to me? Will I be thrown into Hell-fire? /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[krsna 3]

 

 

/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[theist 1]

>>>"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."<<<

 

Try to take things in a little deeper. When we are cast into outer darkness (locked in to external sense perception only),and lost in the world of ignorance and suffering a spiritualy enlightened soul may appear holding the torchlight of knowledge.

 

Now what should be done? The wise and soft hearted will think of the other brothers and sisters who are still in darkness and if he is given five unlit torchs he will light them all and hand those to others, if he has been given two he will light two and hand then to two others but if he only has one unlit torch and for fear of burning it out and losing it he fails to light it and doesn't share that light with those still in darkness he will have his unlit torch taken back and lose sight of the original torch himself for how we treat others is how we will be treated ourselves.

 

One of the many things I like about the Krsna Consciousness movement under Srila Prabhupada direction is his emphasis on reaching out to others. He keeps lighting more torches in the hearts of those that will listen and Krsna keeps sending him more torchs to light.

 

I take the lesson that if we want to live in light we must be willing to give that light to others.

 

[theist 1]

 

 

The problem I have with this service is.. more than often I want some devotees to say 'Good job' ..' that's really good'.. But then I wonder about devotees who clean temples everyday for 10 years, does anybody praise them? I am sure people must do.

[theist 1]

We only see hanuman and the big monkeys with their big stones but Rama sees the spider as well and equally.

 

So this spider is now a guru to us.