Transcribed by Frederick Prabhu
Kadamba Kanana Swami:
Prabhupada often uses the example of the glass of water which had a drop of ink inside and just keep on pouring water and eventually it will become clear – just pour more and more water and the ink will wash out and at one point you have clear water. So in that way we just keep on adding Krishna’s mercy to our life in whatever way we can get it – and gradually it will become pure -but we must take it. You cannot say that:
No, that will not do – we must chant because that’s where the mercy is.
You cannot say: ‘Oh! I can not follow, I can not follow.’
No, you must try to follow. Can not stop trying – There is no such thing as to stop trying ,even if in the past we were not successful that doesn’t mean in the present we cannot be successful, you see.
‘Oh! I failed in the past so therefore I cannot do it.’
That’s not the fact, we failed once, that’s not a problem
It’s just like if I have to throw a ball in a hole at a distance, ok.. ‘10times wrong and 11 times bang! Done it!’
It’s not that it cannot be done just because 10 times it didn’t … I mean that game is called golf! That’s what it is all about getting the ball in the hole and you miss many times and eventually you get it in!
Done, so in the same way in devotional service Prabhupada said ‘Failure is the pillar of success’ which means don’t give up!
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2010, Pretoria)