Wanting from God and the Mentality of a Pure Devotee
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that although the Supreme Lord is the provider of all necessities, there is a vast difference between the prayers of a materialist and the heart of a devotee. While the general mass of people approach God to "want" something for their own satisfaction, the pure Vaiṣṇava seeks only to "give" everything for the Lord's satisfaction. By understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the source of all benedictions, one should have the intelligence to stop asking for temporary material baubles and instead ask for the eternal treasure of devotional service.
The Platform of "Give Me"
Most people who visit temples or churches do so with a list of demands. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that this "give me" mentality—asking for daily bread or relief from poverty—is a sign that one is still on the material platform. A pure devotee, however, follows the instructions of the Great Sages and Lord Caitanya, who never asked for anything other than service to the Lord.
- Generally karmis, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something. So long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy.
- According to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Narada Muni in the Narada Pancaratra and Bhagavan Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, a pure devotee never wants anything from the Lord.
- This is the mentality of a pure devotee (to ask nothing from God and to be fully satisfied to be engaged in the service of God), who does not want anything, material or spiritual, from the Personality of Godhead.
- If we want material happiness from Krsna, it is certainly not difficult for Him to grant it. He can also give us mukti, liberation, but it is foolishness to ask anything from Krsna except bhakti.
The Lord as a Desire Tree
Kṛṣṇa is described as a desire tree (kalpa-vṛkṣa) who can supply whatever a person desires. As a kind father, He often grants material requests to those who approach Him, but He keeps the secret of pure devotional service hidden from those who are too attached to sense gratification. The intelligent man recognizes that Kṛṣṇa is the most sincere friend and refuses to ask for anything that is materially contaminated.
- The example is often given that the Lord is like a desire tree, and whatever one wants from this desire tree, the Lord supplies. But here the explanation is more complete.
- God is very kind, and if someone wants something from Him, He allows it. "All right," He says. "Take this." His relationship to us is just like the relationship of a father to a son.
- He (the Supreme Lord) is the most sincere friend. Whatever you want from Him, you can get. But the intelligent man does not want anything that is materially contaminated.
- If a devotee wants liberation or material sense gratification from the Lord, Krsna immediately delivers it, but pure devotional service He keeps hidden.
The Transformation of Dhruva Mahārāja
Dhruva Mahārāja originally sought out God to gain a kingdom greater than his father's. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that although this was a "childish prayer," Kṛṣṇa was pleased with his determination. However, upon seeing the Lord face-to-face, Dhruva's heart was so purified that he felt ashamed of his material desires and told the Lord that he no longer wanted anything but His association.
- Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand.
- Dhruva Maharaja went to worship God to gain something, but when he actually came in contact with God he did not want anything from the Lord. The Lord, however, awarded Dhruva Maharaja both benefits - that is, the Lord fulfilled his desires.
- My dear Dhruva, what do you want? You can take from Me (God) whatever you want. - "My dear Lord," the boy replied - I was undergoing such severe penances simply for my father's kingdom and land, but now I have seen You.
- Mucukunda continued, "You (Krsna) are the S P of Godhead, and You can offer me anything I want, including liberation. But who is such a fool that after pleasing You he would ask from You something which might cause entanglement in this material world."
The Proper Way to Beg
The highest stage of wanting from God is to beg for His service. Śrīla Prabhupāda contrasts this with the foolish mentality of an old woman who, when granted a benediction by God, only asked for help lifting a heavy bundle of wood back onto her head. Instead of asking to be relieved of material burdens, a pure devotee asks to be burdened with more service to the Lord.
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service.
- She (one old woman) began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."
- Suddenly God appeared and said, "What do you want?" She said, - please help me put this bundle back on my head.
- Devaki requested the Lord, who had appeared as Visnu, to conceal that form, for she wanted to see the Lord as an ordinary child, like a child appreciated by persons who have material eyes.
Conclusion
In summary, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that while Kṛṣṇa is ready to fulfill every desire, we should have the maturity to ask for what is truly beneficial. Approaching the Lord for material gain is better than being an atheist, but it is not the goal of human life. By studying the examples of Dhruva Mahārāja and Lord Caitanya, we learn that the perfection of "wanting from God" is to desire only the strength and opportunity to serve Him. When we stop begging for daily bread and start begging for eternal service, the Lord not only provides for our material needs but also awards us the greatest gift—His unalloyed love and the opportunity to live forever in His transcendental association.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Wanting from God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.