[Posted August 27, 2009]

Life of Service

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Servant of the nation passes on...

CNN Aug 26, 2009 -

EDWARD KENNEDY — 1932 - 2009

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77.

He was "not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy," Obama said, speaking to reporters during his vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

"His extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. The extraordinary good that he did lives on. For his family, he was a guardian. For America, he was the defender of a dream." go to story

Sri Guru and Gauranga

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Crossing the finish line

End of a Lifetime of Unfinished Work Hansadutta das

So human life should be for determining where I am going when I finish this life. When this body is finished, am I going to take another body because I have so many plans and desires which I could not fulfill in this body? Or am I going to be liberated and not accept another body to repeat the struggle of existence? This is the pivotal point of our existence. This is really the basis for all activities. At the time of death, if the mind is thinking of the wife or children or who knows what, then his mind will carry him into the womb of another woman, where he develops another body just so that he can take up life where he left off in the last. That is the process of samsara, or the cycle of birth and death. Not that when we die everything will be finished. No. Everything goes on. Wherever you left off, you pick up and continue. Therefore, we should make ourselves always ready to go. more

Serve the Highest

excerpt from lecture on Bhagavad-gita 3.31-43, Los Angeles, January 1, 1969

What is Vedic wisdom? Vedaish cha sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bhagavad-gita 15.15: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."]. Knowledge. Veda means knowledge. What is perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge is that "My constitutional position is to serve." Bring any man in this world. Who can say that "I am not servant"? Is there any man or woman within this world, within this universe, who is not a servant? Can anyone of you say that you are not servant? Is there anyone? Everyone is servant. Somebody is servant of the society, somebody is servant of the country, somebody is servant of his wife or family, or some cats and dogs, ultimately. One must be a servant.

So when a man comes to this knowledge, that "I am serving. Why not serve the Supreme?" this is knowledge. This is perfection of knowledge. Nobody can be freed from being a servant. Either you become a servant of God or you become a servant of dog, you must be a servant. So the intelligent person, a wise person, he prefers to servant of God instead of becoming servant of dog. There is no escape, that one cannot..., one is master. Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. "Therefore one who executes his duties according to My injunction," God's injunctions, "and who follows the teachings faithfully becomes free from bondage." As soon as you become servant to somebody besides God, then you are in bondage. You are in obligation. Obligation there is, but that is not bondage. To become servant of God is not bondage. But servant of dog is a bondage.

So the intelligent person is he who knows that "I am servant, so why not become servant of the greatest?" Just like somebody wants to be worker in government service. Why? Because government is very big establishment, great establishment. He has got many facilities. That is not bondage. Similarly, why not become the servant of the supreme government? That is perfection of knowledge. So long we are not servant of God, that means we are deficient in knowledge. And perfect knowledge is to become servant of God. Because you cannot escape by not being a servant. Everyone has to become a servant, this side or that side.