![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-bFkakGeWOYo\/Vlc_To57EiI\/AAAAAAAAW5o\/zc5s5Mjsz7s\/s0\/2015-11-26_18-20-06.jpg\")
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By Giriraj Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God\u2014for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and our very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and do everything else we do\u2014we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God\u2019s kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n We often take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditation beads, and one morning I found that I had severe arthritic pain in my hand and could no longer use it for chanting. I had taken the use of my hand for granted, but when I lost its use, I resolved to never take my hand for granted and to always use it in the best way in God\u2019s service.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n How can we attempt to return some of God\u2019s favor, some of God\u2019s care\u2014and love\u2014for us? My spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave one answer:<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you have got by pious or impious activities, you cannot change. But you can change your position, by Krishna consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become a first-class Krishna conscious person. Whether you are black or white, it doesn\u2019t matter. This is Krishna consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Krishna conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido<\/i> \n<\/p>\n Kalena<\/i>, by time, you will get whatever you are destined. Don\u2019t bother about so-called economic development. So far as food is concerned, Krishna is supplying. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman<\/i>. He is supplying even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Krishna, \u2018God, give us our daily bread.\u2019 He will give you. Don\u2019t bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. \u2018Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krishna.\u2019 This is required. This is Krishna consciousness. \u2018I have taken so much, life after life, from Krishna. Now let me dedicate this life to Krishna.\u2019 This is Krishna consciousness. \u2018I will not let this life go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Krishna consciousness.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n I pray that I will dedicate this life and everything I have\u2014everything that God has given me\u2014fully in God\u2019s service, following His pure devotees. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n manasa, deho, geho, yo kichu mora<\/i> \n<\/p>\n \u201cMind, body, and home, whatever may be mine, I surrender at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of Nanda [Krishna]!\u201d (Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati<\/i>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God\u2014for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and our very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and do everything else we do\u2014we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God\u2019s kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us. We often take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditation beads, and one morning I found that I had severe arthritic pain in my hand and could no longer use it for chanting. I had taken the use of my hand for granted, but when I lost its use, I resolved to never take my hand for granted and to always use it in the best way in God\u2019s service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21973"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21980,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21973\/revisions\/21980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nna labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah<\/i>
\ntal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham<\/i>
\nkalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa<\/i><\/p>\n[Srimad-Bhagavatam<\/i> 1.5.18]\n
\narpilun tuya pade, nanda-kisora<\/i><\/p>\n![\"Hare](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-b3bvbYBThQE\/Vlc_hNwIJzI\/AAAAAAAAW5w\/Un_wESQ7fmk\/s0\/2015-11-26_18-21-07.jpg\")
By Giriraj Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n