Hare Krishna.
14th November.
The day before I heard my wife snapping at her favorite maid. I was surprised at her tone as my wife treats this poor maid very well, sometimes too well resulting in humour laden satires from my daughter and my own self. Anyway, I found it was a small money matter, that inspite of receiving many goodies she still asked my wife something very petty which surprised my wife and hence her sharp tone. I remember she told her` How dare you ask such a thing from me.’ I told her that all her efforts to shower her love on maids since last 10 years have resulted in a naught. Every time she feels let down, a little hurt and then forgets it till the same result from next one. She is somehow born with a gift to shower affection on poor people. In a way she teaches rest of us in the family to have a large heart.
This latest incident made me think. I later told her `I always tell you that you are misusing your wonderful affection’. She scoffed at me initially but absorbed the point I made.
I remember below lines from Srila Prabhupda
The love is there. It is reserved for Krsna, but due to our foolishness, we are distributing that love in so many ways, up to the dog. This is called illusion. We do not know where to apply love. If you see, all these words is touched with the word kama, kama. Kama means lust. There is no question of love. And love … Prema and kama is described in Caitanya-caritamrta. What is prema and what is kama. Atmendriya-priti-vancha tara bali kama. Kama. What is lust? Atmendriya-priti, to satisfy one’s own senses. Therefore, atmendriya-priti-vancha. Everyone is trying to satisfy her own senses. That is kama. Lust. And then, what is prema? Krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare prema nama. When the same propensity is transferred for satisfying Krsna’s senses… just like gopis.
Today, we are actually doing a business in the name of love – you give me this and I will give you that and if one stops giving it then it’s a good bye. A pure trade deal. atmendriya-priti-vanca, always trying to satisfy our own senses and calling it love.
All such daily instances teach us that we really do not know where to apply our Love. When we apply our love, with Krishna in the center, then automatically we will love everyone else too. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that if we love a tree then we would automatically love all its leaves, its fruits, its branches, its twigs, everything. That is the secret of achieving real love, even in the material world.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
