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By Mahatma Das<\/strong><\/p>\n How do we maintain self-confidence, yet feel ourselves a fool before our spiritual master? How can we be confident and simultaneously feel unqualified to serve Krishna? Aren\u2019t self-confident people somewhat proud or arrogant?<\/p>\n We are ordinary people engaged in an extraordinary process, a process that will make us extraordinary. Thus, our confidence lies not in ourselves, but in the power of the process of bhakti.<\/p>\n With Krishna\u2019s divine power and intelligence guiding us, we know we will succeed. In the Caitanya Caritamrita, a brahmana from Avantidesa confidently states, \u201cI willcross over the ocean of nescience.\u201d Why is he so confident? He believes he is assured of success because those who have already traveled the bhakti path have succeeded. His confidence is, \u201cI am walking the same path, so I will also succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n I can feel lowly, even useless, yet still be confident that Krishna can use me to do wonderful service. It\u2019s even possible, by the grace of the guru, that a disciple can do more than his spiritual master, even though feeling totally unqualified to serve (actually, he does so much because of feeling unqualified to serve). Externally, Prabhupada achieved more than his guru. Yet, he always gave credit to his spiritual master.<\/p>\n It\u2019s interesting to note that Prabhupada writes in the Bhagavatam that he is hopeful one of his disciples will become pure enough to take him back to Godhead.<\/p>\n We are not taught to be overly confident of our intelligence or other qualifications. Prabhupada writes that Krishna is the Supercause. We understand that it is because Krishna is so intelligent and qualified that we can do anything wonderful. Because we have this understanding, we are confident that we can achieve success that exceeds our level of qualification.<\/p>\n Ordinary Versus Extraordinary Self-confidence I am not a business person, but I have a small business to support myself. I always feel a bit helpless doing this, so often I pray, \u201cKrsna, please help me because I am not so good at business.\u201d I have confidence in Krishna\u2019s guidance, that He can use me, an unqualified person, to do things beyond my ordinary abilities. I trust that Krishna will help me. And He does.<\/p>\n Willingness to Do It He had almost become an atheist after my mother died a painful death. Yet he always remembered the painting and how Krsna helped him. He got this realization simply because he was willing to try to do something he thought he couldn\u2019t do.<\/p>\n The Negative Creates the Positive Prabhupada said I can think of Krishna always if I depend more upon him. To make me realize my dependence, he told to think I have no qualification to do my service (I was temple president). A statement that \u201cyou have no qualification\u201d could seem to destroy someone\u2019s self-confidence. Yet, by helping me see my lack of qualification, Prabhupada empowered me. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n The more I think I am not qualified, the more I depend on Krishna. The more I depend on Krishna, the more I become Krishna conscious. The more Krishna consciousness I am, the more I become empowered to serve. Thus, the so called negative (the so called lack of self-confidence), leads to the positive. This is the paradox of spiritual self-confidence.<\/p>\n Linking Up With Krishna Krishna May Withhold Results If we become Krishna conscious too easily and too soon, it\u2019s likely we won\u2019t be able to properly deal with the results of success that follow an advanced devotee (honor, followers, wealth, etc.) Thus, this kind of \u201cadvancement\u201d becomes an impediment.<\/p>\n Krishna Will Give It When You are Ready Confidence in Superior Instructions Acknowledge Your Success How do we maintain self-confidence, yet feel ourselves a fool before our spiritual master? How can we be confident and simultaneously feel unqualified to serve Krishna? Aren\u2019t self-confident people somewhat proud or arrogant? We are ordinary people engaged in an extraordinary process, a process that will make us extraordinary. Thus, our confidence lies not in ourselves, but in the power of the process of bhakti. With Krishna\u2019s divine power and intelligence guiding us, we know we will succeed. In the Caitanya Caritamrita, a brahmana from Avantidesa confidently states, \u201cI willcross over the ocean of nescience.\u201d Why is he so confident? He believes he is assured of success because those who have already traveled the bhakti path have succeeded. His confidence is, \u201cI am walking the same path, so I will also succeed.\u201d I can feel lowly, even useless, yet still be confident that Krishna can use me to do wonderful service. It\u2019s even possible, by the grace of the guru, that a disciple can do more than his spiritual master, even though feeling totally unqualified to serve (actually, he does so much because of feeling unqualified to serve). Externally, Prabhupada achieved more than his guru. Yet, he always gave credit to his spiritual master.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-mahatma-das"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29122","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=29122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29124,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29122\/revisions\/29124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nOrdinary self-confidence is limited to how much you believe in yourself and your capabilities. So if you find any lacking in yourself, it\u2019s easy to become discouraged. Therefore, it\u2019s better to see what Krsna can do through you rather than what you can do yourself.<\/p>\n
\nWhen I was a new devotee I asked my father, an artist, to do a painting of Krishna. I sent him a poster of Krsna playing His flute standing by the Yamuna. When he saw the poster he didn\u2019t think he could do the painting, as he was primarily a still life artist. I told him, \u201cGo ahead and try. Krishna will help you.\u201d He said, \u201cOkay. I will see what I can do.\u201d He did the painting and was surprised at how well it came out. After this, whenever I visited him the conversation would inevitably turn to the painting. \u201cYou told me Krishna would help me, and he did!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nI once wrote Srila Prabhupada telling him I was very busy as the manager of the temple, and that I am not Krishna conscious when I am so busy. So I asked if it is better I do less service and think of Krsna more, or engage in more service and think of Krsna less?<\/p>\n
\nIn the Bhagavad-gita Krishna says na hi kalya\u00eba-k\u00e5t kascid durgati\u00e0 tata gacchati,one who does good is never overcome by evil. (BG 6.40) This means that one who is sincere will never be overcome by evil. Our sincerity to serve Krishna is the link that originally reconnected us to Him; and it is the link that will keep us connected. It is through this sincerity we tap into the vast intelligence and ability Krishna so generously gives His devotees to both come closer to and better serve Him.<\/p>\n
\nKrsna will not empower us when he knows we can\u2019t handle the results. One devotee asked Prabhupada, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t Krsna give the devotees the world?\u201d Prabhupada replied, \u201cWhat would you do with it? You would simply sleep.\u201d To be awarded more success than we can handle is not a gift, it\u2019s a curse.<\/p>\n
\nSix years ago I prepared myself to be facilitate seminars to large audiences. I believed I was well trained, and as such, ready to facilitate seminars for crowds of thousands of people. But at this time only twenty or so people were coming to my seminars. I was getting upset and in my heart was asking Krsna (actually I was getting a little upset with Him) why He is not allowing me to be more successful. He answered loud and clear: \u201cWhen you are more qualified I will send more people? Apparently I wasn\u2019t ready to handle bigger results.<\/p>\n
\nFaith in guruFaith is another aspect of self-confidence. The Krishna consciousness movement will spread throughout the world if we strictly follow the principles given to us. We don\u2019t know exactly how it will happen, but nevertheless, the grace of Guru and Gauranga make it possible. So our faith in the success of our mission creates confidence in the success of our own service. (\u201cThey are already put to death, just be an instrument in the fight.\u201d)<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s good to acknowledge your successes in a humble way, recognizing that you are successful because Krishna is on your team. As you celebrate Krishna\u2019s successes in your life, you build the confidence that you can continue to achieve more and more success by Krsna\u2019s mercy. Thus, you increase your spiritual self-confidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"Hare](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-aYDpMmCol_Q\/V3j9JTpEFHI\/AAAAAAAAcm0\/1CN9wBU1MSQ\/s0\/2016-07-03_13-55-17.jpg\")
By Mahatma Das<\/strong><\/p>\n