śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!
Year 13, Issue 6
Posted: 16 July 2020
Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Selfish Worship is Not Bhakti
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
In this mundane plane, pūjā is often performed with an eye on personal gain – we desire something in return for our reverential act. Pūjā may also be conducted for the attainment of our salvation, in which we want to annihilate all our desires and even become identical with the object of our worship, thereby attaining full impersonality. But in the true form of service to the positive entity of Godhead, no trace of such desires remain whatsoever, nor is any gain sought.
All of these pūjās bring about a merging of one’s self and one’s Gurudeva with the personality of Godhead in one neutral position, where the differences among these entities are no longer traceable. These sorts of temporal services should never be confused with the eternal form of servitude in love of God. Nor should these kinds of pūjā, raised even to the most dignified position, ever be confused with true confidential service.
The activities of paramārthika pūjā (transcendental worship) and the paramārthika guru (a truly bona fide guru) are quite different from the activities of pseudo-worshippers, who have ulterior selfish motives in their acts of submission.
Adapted from The Gauḍīya, Year 20, Issue 9
By the Rays of The Harmonist team
