He Explains Three Types of Service

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Guru Mahārāja has been very affectionate and in many ways very merciful to me. I first met him in Singapore when I was working there around 1997.  I was very fortunate to be introduced to Gurudev by Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja, an American devotee who was the first Western disciple of Śrīla Śrīdhar Deva Mahārāja.  


The first occasion I associated with Guru Mahārāja was in service to him as a chauffeur. After work, I would drive Guru Mahārāja with his sevāks Rasbihari Prabhu, Bhūtabhāvana Prabhu, and Madanmohan Prabhu. My duty was very simple; I was to take them from point A to point B and take them to all house programs and temples. I would count the number of bags and also ensure that the daṇḍa was inside the car and their seat belts were buckled, finally asking Guru Mahārāja’s permission if we may go. Whatever I have done is a very small sevā, but Guru Mahārāja appreciated it and somehow or the other he was affectionate to me.


Once while driving in the car Guru Mahārāja spoke to me about the three types of sevā:


1.  When Guru Mahārāja asks you to do sevā and you do exactly the opposite—that is not good, or when Guru Mahārāja asks you to do some sevā and you say yes, but do not bother to do that. 


2. When Guru Mahārāja asks you to do some sevā and you perform that perfectly; exactly to the point that he asked and to his satisfaction.


3. The best of all sevās is when Guru Mahārāja did not even ask you to do something, there is no instruction, but you do it without his asking and he is satisfied—that is the best sevā.  


This is very important instruction.  If you have to be able to do that then you should also know what Guru Mahārāja is asking. And this is not easy; there is no formula for that.  If you have a strong belief and a strong association or understanding or liking for Guru Mahārāja then this will come automatically. So it is very important that we try to do things somehow or the other, at least the second service and the type of service I mentioned.  


—Vidyāpati Das 


excerpted and slightly edited from a transcription of a Zoom meeting led by Rasabihari Das on 28/4/2020





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