'Once, Our Gurudev (His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj 'Vishnupad') was engaged in programs in Punjab.
For a few days He had been delivering lectures at a Sita-Ram temple. One lady had been coming to every program and one day asked a question: 'I have been coming regularly to this temple for 50 years now. I do circumambulation of the mandir, engage in kirtan and every day come for arotik. Whenever a sadhu comes, I always come to hear from them. After so much time doing worship I do not see any fruits of this. At the same time, my relations with my family members and my attachment to them has only increased. Why?'
Gurudev liked this question very much. He said to all the people present, 'This is such a good question that you should all hear the answer to it. You have also been coming for so long and are in the same condition as her. Please come tomorrow and I will give the answer to you all.'
The next day came and he first asked her a question. “When these sadhus come, have you ever once asked them: 'Who am I? Who are Sita-Ram? What is my relation with Sita-Ram?'”
She said that she had never asked this.
Our Param Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada, used to stress this so much to His disciples. “You must do your practice with sambandha. There is a natural progression from sambandha (knowledge and faith in who we are, what this world is, who Sri Krishna is, and what our relationship with Him is), through abhideya (spiritual practice), to prayojana (the ultimate goal). So, if you are doing so much spiritual practice thinking, 'I am of this world, I am for my son, my wife, my father', then any fruits that come from your practice will only increase your material ego. If we want to make progress, then we must do our practice with the proper Sambandha 'I am of Sri Krishna, this world is the external potency of Sri Krishna, Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He attracts all and pleases all. My relation with Him is as an eternal servant.'”
You can do so much practice; come to arotik, engage in kirtan, do circumambulation of the mandir, hear from sadhus, but if you do it thinking 'I am of this world’, then the fruit of your practice will go to your material ego.
If we want to progress, we must wake up in the morning, go to bed at night, and all day remember Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's instructions to Srila Sanatan Goswami. We are of Sri Krishna. Remember Him and never forget Him. Do Hari-kirtan. Engage all your senses, your body and especially your mind in Krishna's service.
This should always be on our mind.
