Kadamba Kanana Swami,
Croatia 2010)

Faith comes from association.
Faith comes from mercy.

That is where it comes from.
One can not get faith in devotional service from material frustration, that’s not possible. Everyone is little bit frustrated in world. Material frustration is there. Your job, the marriage, this,that, everything,life –
Little bit of frustration is there because in the material world we can dream THIS BIG and reality ….it is always a little smaller!

But in the spiritual world we dream this big and the reality goes beyond the dream!

That is what we see from Dhruva Maharaj. So, that’s encouraging by hearing such kind things.

From Srimad Bhagavatam we hear about what happened to many devotees and what they attained. We can see that it’s very good! Like Dhruva Maharaj, he got more then he desired.
So, that can give us hope…

Because, otherwise we think:
‘Well imagine I will give up everything, all my material desires… and then I still don’t get the ecstasy. Then I don’t have anything!’

‘Then I don’t have my material pleasure anymore and I also don’t have the spiritual ecstasy.’
‘Then I am just in nowhere land.’ – Sometimes they have between some countries: nowhere land.
So, what to do? What to do?
We are afraid that:
‘What if I give up my material securities?’

I have little example of the man who was working on the roof and suddenly he was sliding down and just going down – but at the last minute he manage to grab the edge of the roof.

Hanging on the edge:
‘I’ve got saved’

But because he has not done eny exercises for a long time his belly was also grown! And when he tried to pull himself up, he did could not do it.
He did a little bit, but he couldn’t put his leg to the roof. And suddenly he realized, I am hanging here on the edge of the roof and how long do I have?

One minute?

Two minutes?

In that moment he said:
“Oh my God, my God, please save me!”

Then the voice from behind:
“Do you need my help?”

•“Who are You?”

•-“I am God!”

•- “O God please save me.”

•-“Alright, just let go of the roof and I’ll catch you.”

• “aaaaaa, can’t You catch me first?!”

So, this is a very good point, because it shows a difference between kanista and madyam.

Kanista, well, it’s ok, it’s all good and well:

‘But I know, what I have here, material things it’s not perfect. I know it’s not going to make me completely happy. So, I want Krsna consciousness, but having them still, I’m going to be happier than without them. I want to have all these things for now and then when I get the higher Krsna consciousness taste and ecstasy, then I’ll give them up – Just like that!’

Then you throw your I-phone and your I-pod, and your 57 pairs of shoes!

Yes, then it is easy
So, how do we get there, to this point?

Well, it begins by serving the Vaisnavas.

Because faith comes from those who have faith and if we serve those who have faith we will get more faith.

But it’s not going to be I just keep on serving and serving and one day automatically I’ll wake up and I feel:
‘Yes, now I want to give up everything!’ and in other words: ‘Everything will happen without a fight’

NO! It will not happen without a fight.

There is the fight. One must, actually, say:
‘No, I am going to give it up.’
We have to say goodbye to some things!

Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
Kadamba Kanana Swami,
Croatia 2010)

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