Without Consideration - Unconditional Devotion to the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the concept of acting without consideration has two entirely different applications depending on one's consciousness. For a materialist, acting without consideration is a symptom of deep ignorance and leads to karmic bondage. However, for a pure devotee, serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead without consideration of personal comfort, time, or place represents the absolute pinnacle of unalloyed love.
Unrestricted Chanting and Preaching
The modern age is filled with immense difficulties, making strict adherence to ancient rituals nearly impossible. Śrīla Prabhupāda constantly emphasizes that the chanting of the mahā-mantra is the only practical process, because it can be performed anywhere, by anyone, without consideration of rigid regulations.
- All classes of devotees should combine to distribute the Hare Krsna maha-mantra without consideration of the time, place or situation.
- The injunction niyamitah smarane na kalah includes place, time and the individual. Therefore anyone may chant the Hare Krsna mantra, without consideration of the time and place.
- Anyone may chant the Hare Krsna mantra, without consideration of the time and place. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to find a suitable place according to the recommendations of Bhagavad-gita.
- If one somehow or other comes in contact with the Hare Krsna movement, without consideration of his being a sudra, vaisya, Jagai, Madhai or even lower, he becomes advanced in spiritual consciousness and immediately develops love of Godhead.
Pure, Unmotivated Devotion
True love means zero expectation of return. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that a surrendered soul executes the desires of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master simply as a matter of duty, accepting all austerities without consideration of personal convenience or distress.
- A surrendered soul serves Krsna without material considerations.
- The pure devotee is always prepared to execute the order of the Lord without personal consideration.
- When you follow without consideration of whether it is convenient or inconvenient, simply because it must be done, that is called tapasya.
- This is the topmost devotee: prepared to do anything, without any consideration. That is pure devotee. There should be no personal desire. That should be zero.
The Supreme Lord's Limitless Mercy
Just as the sun does not discriminate when shining its light, the Supreme Lord freely offers His grace. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His authorized representatives distribute the highest transcendental benedictions without considering a person's material background or bodily identification.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is fully independent. Therefore, although it is the most confidentially stored benediction, He can distribute love of Godhead to anyone and everyone without consideration.
- That love is being shown by Caitanya Mahaprabhu: "Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna?" That is Radharani's separation, love in separation. So love means without any return, without any sense gratification, without any consideration.
- A Vaisnava can accept a bona fide disciple from any part of the world without any consideration of caste and creed and promote him by regulative principles to the status of a pure Vaisnava who is transcendental to brahminical culture.
- The example of the sun is very significant. The sun is so kind that he distributes his sunshine everywhere, without consideration. Dhruva Maharaja requested Narada Muni to be merciful to him.
The Blindness of Ignorance
Those devoid of spiritual knowledge act recklessly, driven solely by the desire to gratify their immediate senses. Śrīla Prabhupāda strongly warns that performing sinful activities, such as killing animals or exploiting citizens, without consideration of the inevitable karmic consequences is a symptom of the mode of ignorance.
- That action performed in ignorance and delusion without consideration of future bondage or consequences, which inflicts injury and is impractical, is said to be action in the mode of ignorance.
- Especially in this age, human society is covered by the mode of ignorance, and therefore everyone thinks his present body to be everything, without consideration of the past or future.
- Ignoring the religious principles and brahminical rules and regulations, the ruling class will certainly try to plunder the riches of the citizens without consideration.
- Even in the communistic countries the poor animals are killed without consideration, although they also should have the right to take their allotted food with which to live.
Conclusion
To achieve true spiritual perfection, one must meticulously elevate their consciousness from ignorance to pure goodness. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while foolish materialists act without consideration of spiritual laws and future karmic bondage, an intelligent devotee acts entirely without consideration of personal, selfish desires. By eagerly chanting the holy names everywhere and dedicating one's life to executing the orders of the spiritual master, a sincere soul becomes a perfect recipient of Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Ultimately, when one serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead purely and without consideration of material returns, they are immediately elevated to the eternal, blissful realm of the spiritual world.
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 Without Consideration. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.