What is your favorite kind of devotional service and why?
CONGRAEGATIONAL CHANTING of the holy names is my favorite devotional service.It's supremely authorized because Srimad-Bhagavatam says it's the dharma for this age,and Lord Caitanya declared it the prime benediction for humanity.Narottama Dasa thakura says it's imported from Krsna' s abode,where very word is a song and every step a dance.
As devotees of Krsna we say that spiritual pleasure surpasses material. Through our public chanting we mercifully share spiritual joy and attract fortunate souls.Here's a typical story about the effects of harinama saitkirtana.
One time a cruising teenager spotted a group of devotees happily dancing and chanting.He thought,
"That's what I should be doing." In two weeks hejoined the temple,the n became initiated by Srila Prabhupada,and many years later still loves to chant.Harinama sankirtana,is pleasurable,accessible,and spiritually uplifting,for both ourselves and others.
(Krsna-krpa Dasa Gainesville,Florida)
MY FAVORITE TYPE OF DEVOTIONAL se rvice is to distribute the books of Srila Prabhupada,and to preach on the internet to try to some how get people closer to Krsna.I live in Jaipur and often go to marketplaces and meet people just to distribute books of Srila Prabhupada.I have created a website community over the internet to preach S rila rabhupada's message to people.
We have around 4400 members,who associate with each other and participate in online discussions.Many of them are wonderful devotees,young and intelligent.Preaching on the internet is a wonderful way of bringing the younger generation closer to Krsna.
(Pranjal Joshi,jaipur)
AMONGST ALL ASPECTS of devotional service I like listening to the srimad-Bhagavatam class.this service to me is the most special as the narrations descend from Vyasadeva and ultimately Lord Krsna Himself. This knowledge is supreme,parama rajavidya,and reveals the nature of the soul,Krsna's views about material creation,His exalted devotees,and their devotion.It tells us how rare human life is and how if we miss this pportunityof self realization then we can come back in different orms nd get caught in the pangs of birth and death.It cautions us by a egorical examples given by Narada Muni about exalted devotee kings nd the mistakes they performed even after reaching stage of anscendence and thus they had to come back.We can learn from hem nd become serious and get detached from the illusions of the aterial orld and go back home back to Godhead.
(Rippon Sadh Mumbai.)
RAISING MY CHILD is my favorite type of devotional service,because it's a service I cannot forget even for a minute.It also has no ulterior motives-my only motive is to see my daughter as a devotee before I leave this body and is uninterrupted,since she is always with me. Additionally,it forces me to strive to become an ideal devotee myself,in order to set the perfect example for my child. Just as Krsna gives natural ability and duty to other creatures to nurture and protect their little ones from danger,I feel that He has given me,as a human other,this ocupational duty to help another soul understand the science of God.
(Geetshri Borgaonkar Plainsboro,New Jersey)
MY AVORITE KIND OF devotional service is vaisnava seva. Bhakti is the process of engaging oneself for the pleasure of Krsna.And what best way olease Him than to please those who are most dear to Him,His unalloyed devotees.This is the very mood of Gaudiya Vaisnavism-to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord.This supramundane logic m ay seem nconceivable from the egoistic worldly perspective,but from spiritual vision his is the highest essence of all transcendental erudition,as exemplified by none other then he Supreme object of our worship,Srimati Radhararani When the Supreme Lord himself appeared in Her mood as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,He elucidated the constitutional position of the jiva as gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor asa-dasa-dasadasanudasa.Hence my every prayer,my every aspiration and y every action would be to humbly engage myself constantly in the service of sri guru and the Vaisnavas,and immerse myself in the ocean of ranscendental bliss of vaisnava seva.
(Chandrashekhar,Hyderabad)