Freedom from Matter by Desiring to Serve God
This article explores the transformative power of the desire to serve the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains how this specific desire constitutes the definition of liberation, distinguishing the pure devotee from the materialist who seeks to exploit nature. The text examines the nature of self-satisfaction, the harmonization of individual will with the Divine will, and the eternal position of the soul as a servant.
Liberation in Any Condition
Real liberation is not necessarily a change of form, but a change of desire. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that a person who maintains the sincere desire to serve the Lord is considered liberated regardless of their situation. Whether one is in a spiritual body or a material body, the consciousness of service places one beyond the influence of the modes of nature.
- The desire to serve the Lord establishes one as liberated in any condition of life, whether in a spiritual body or a material body.
- On the contrary, he (the devotee of the Lord) will accept any body, material or spiritual, for he wants to serve the Lord. This is real liberation.
- A person who gives up all fruitive activities and offers himself entirely unto Me (God), eagerly desiring to render service unto Me, achieves liberation from birth and death and is promoted to the status of sharing My own opulences.
Perfection of Cooperating Desires
The ultimate perfection of life is achieved when the living entity aligns their desires with the desires of the Supreme Lord. This cooperation is the essence of the Bhagavad-gītā's instruction. Unlike the materialist who strives for personal satisfaction, the devotee finds fulfillment in executing the will of the Lord.
- Perfection of desires may be achieved when one desires to serve the Lord, and the Lord also desires that every living entity banish all personal desires and cooperate with His desires. That is the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gita.
- Brahmaji agreed to this proposal (desiring to serve the Lord), and therefore he is given the responsible post of creating generations in the vacant universe.
Qualities of a Pure Devotee
A pure devotee, or satām, is characterized by the exclusive desire to serve. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that they are free from the propensity to "lord it over" the material world. This singular focus distinguishes them from demigods or mixed devotees who may still harbor traces of material ambition alongside their service.
- The word satam is very important in this verse. Satam means the pure devotees, who have no other desire than to serve the Lord. Only in the association of such devotees are the transcendental glories of Lord Krsna properly discussed.
- Demigods are devotees of the Lord in the material world, and when completely free from all material desire to lord it over the material energy they become pure devotees and have no desire but to serve the Lord.
- Remaining fixed in devotional service gives one the utmost in self-satisfaction. Actually self-satisfaction can be achieved only by pure devotees, who have no desire other than to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Restoring the Original Consciousness
The desire to serve God is the innate spiritual quality of the soul. In material existence, this quality is not lost but reflected pervertedly as the desire for material enjoyment. The process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, supported by the mercy of great souls like the Gosvāmīs, aims to restore this original, pure desire, as Śrīla Prabhupāda affirms.
- To remember the Lord and desire to serve Him are the spiritual qualities of the spirit soul. One can curb down these spiritual qualities by artificial means, but they will be reflected in a perverted way on the mirror of material existence.
- If we adhere to the lotus feet of the six Gosvamis and pray for their mercy, all impediments will be annihilated, and the transcendental devotional desire to serve the Supreme Lord will be fulfilled.
Conclusion
The shift from desiring material enjoyment to desiring to serve God marks the transition from bondage to freedom. This desire is the only means to achieve genuine self-satisfaction and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. As he states, even if one is situated in the material world, if the burning desire of the heart is to serve Kṛṣṇa, one is already living in liberation.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vāṇī
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Desiring to Serve God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.