What are the real first priorities of life…...….... Nectarean Mellows
In Chaitanya Caritamrita, there is very wonderful example of such a personality. I would like to tell you this story. Please understand that this person I am very doubtful if anybody in this assembly tonight can imitate him. But we could learn from his example and follow in his footsteps and strive for his realization. His name was Vasudeva and this Vasudeva, he had contracted leprosy, terrible leprosy, very advanced stages. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, his flesh was so contaminated by this disease that it became utterly rotten and there was puss, terrible painful foul smelling puss, pouring from every part of his body and there was contaminated blood oozing. He smelled so terrible that no one would tolerate being anywhere near him and his flesh was so rotten that there were hundreds and thousands of worms in every part of his body eating him away, just eating him and eating his body. And when one of the worms would fall, Vasudeva would very carefully pick it up, and place it back and he would think that God has given me this body and Krishna has also given the worm this body to enjoy. So he is actually enjoying better in this body than me. I am suffering but he is enjoying. So let him enjoy physically, he was in the most desperately hopeless, helpless condition. Utter pain and disfiguration and socially his family rejected him, his friends rejected him. The whole society rejected him. Can you try to identify yourself in that position? It was a suffering situation. But in his mind, he was always grateful to Krishna. He was never the slightest bit disturbed. He was simply thinking, “Krishna is so kind, that He is going through so much trouble just to help me always remember Him and He is so kind and He is going through all this trouble just to make me humble and free from prestige and the desire to enjoy this body now.” What happened is, he found that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had come to a place called Kurma Ksetra and he was living at one Brahman’s house. "Mahaprabhu, God, Krishna!!! See He has come, I must go. I must have His darsana. I must serve His lotus feet. I must surrender my head at His feet". So as difficult as it was he walked a long distance and when he arrived he found that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had already left. He was already some distance away. He missed the opportunity of his life. And Vasudeva, he never felt distressed by the worms eating his body or all the puss and all the blood and everybody rejecting him. But when he learnt that he missed the opportunity to serve the Lord, he became so completely disturbed in his mind that he fell down unconscious. What is our position? How much are we so anxious for devotional service? And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the parama atma in everyone’s heart understood that this devotee despite the most terrible condition is grateful and never disturbed. But he is terribly disturbed from the point of the verge of death because I am not there to give him my mercy.
So Mahaprabhu returned and when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu returned with great love for his devotee, He lifted him up and embraced him. Who would want to embrace a person like this? But the supreme Personality of Godhead, He felt great ecstasy in embracing this man because the Lord does not see our physical, material qualifications or disqualification’s. He takes pleasure only in the condition of our heart. And when He embraced Vasudeva, a great miracle took place, this rotten decayed body became effulgent like Gold. All the disease all the leprosy vanished. And his body was youthful full of health full of strength full of energy and it was beautiful like a demigod. Now let me ask you if you had just been given a miracle like that would you be happy? Raise your hand if you would be happy. Be honest, you are suffering from leprosy, dying dejected by everyone. And the Lord embraced you and made you beautiful and young, handsome and healthy. Would you be happy about that? Vasudeva was completely miserable. He was never miserable before, he was never disturbed before. But after he was healed, he became completely disturbed in his mind. Why? Because he was thinking, he said to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He said, "My dear Lord when I was a useless leper rejected by everyone I had nothing to be proud of so it was very natural for me to just very humbly and helplessly always be remembering You but I know your nature is as soon as pride enters into the heart of Your devotee whatever service he offers gives You no satisfaction it is only the humility in which it is offered that gives You pleasure and now I am going to be famous everywhere because You have performed a miracle just for me. People are going to think Oh you are a very advanced devotee. The Lord has performed such a miracle to you, such great soul and you are handsome and young and beautiful. Naturally I have something too proud of spiritually because You have performed this miracle. I have something to be so proud of and if I become proud even one tinge nothing I do will satisfy You and therefore I am terribly disturbed and miserable when I was a leper, I was very peaceful. Please my Lord, instruct me how I can serve you in this position and never fall victim to false pride and he asked this question yearning and longing for the answer. This is very important. In the Bhagavad Gita as long as Arjuna thought I know something and was presenting his ideas, Krishna did not say a word to him because He knew if I speak now Arjuna will not understand. Krishna just remained silent sometime until Arjuna became completely frustrated ----Karpanya doso pahat svabhava……….Krishna I am completely confused about my duty. I do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done I do not know what is truth what is false. I don’t know anything Krishna. I am desperate, I am begging You please instruct me. I surrender to Your feet. Then Krishna knew because Arjuna was inquiring in the spirit, whatever he said would go right to his heart and would be understood. Most people when they are in a completely calamitous situation they become very helpless and hopeless. And then they turn to God and say, ‘please save me!’ or they come to the sadhus and say, ‘please give me relief.’ When Vasudev was in the most opulent condition of life he became like this. Queen Kunti was also like this. Let the troubles happen Krishna then I will always remember you. But now such comforts, complacency, pride and you disappear. So Vasudev begged Mahaprabhu, please tell me how I can always remain your humble servant under all conditions. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied: yare dekathari kaha….Krishna upadesh....."Always chant the holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Always seek shelter of the association of the devotees, and whomever you meet, enlighten them with the words of Krishna. In this way you will never fall victim to maya". And Vasudeva took these words as his life and soul. And then all of his anxiety, all of his frustration, all of his disturbance was removed simply by hearing these words of the Lord with a submissive and humble heart.
So a devotee as we are explaining does not take very seriously the conditions of this material world. He only takes one thing seriously, the connection of my Krishna. How am I chanting His names? How am I associating with His devotees? How am I pleasing Gurudeva? These are the real first priorities of life. Everything else we do, the needful and we do it well, perform our duty, we take care of our occupation, but we are doing it for Krishna, we are not attached to the fruits. We are attached to Krishna, we are attached to the service. We are not attached to the result and whatever predicament we are put in this world, its value is only as much as it helps us to remember Krishna and fall at His lotus feet. In any situation that is preventing us from doing that, that situation, is terrible. So as Vaisnavas we should not get so caught up in everything in this world.
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