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Community service

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
BG 12.11, Purport: It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one's activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not dependent on any other experience, because Kṛṣṇa consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments to accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (18.46) we find it is stated, yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānām: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Kṛṣṇa, he will come gradually to understand that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

He gives up all engagements in the service of matter, engagements concocted under the names of social service, national service, community service, dog service, automobile service and so many other services conducted under the illusion of "I" and mine.
SB 4.29.36-37, Purport: When one is perfectly advanced in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, one becomes completely detached from the service of the body, that is, his designated position in material existence. After becoming so detached, one becomes actually perfect in knowledge and engages perfectly in the service of Lord Vāsudeva. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa': [Cc. Madhya 20.108] "Every living entity is by constitutional position an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." As soon as one engages in the service of Lord Vāsudeva, he attains his normal constitutional position. This position is called the liberated stage. Muktir hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: [SB 2.10.6] in the liberated stage, one is situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position. He gives up all engagements in the service of matter, engagements concocted under the names of social service, national service, community service, dog service, automobile service and so many other services conducted under the illusion of "I" and mine.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

That service is being carried on in different names: "service of the family," "service of the country," "service of the community," "service of the nation," "service of the humanity," so many names.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973: So real business means we have to serve somebody. That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Our real business, our real occupation, is to serve Kṛṣṇa, God. That is our... That service spirit, because we have forgotten God, or Kṛṣṇa, we are serving somebody else. That is called māyā. We have to serve. Nobody can say... In this meeting there are so many ladies and gentlemen. Nobody can say that "I do not serve anyone. I am free." That is not possible. You must have to serve. And that service is called dharma. Just like salt is salty taste, sugar is sweet taste. The sweet taste is the dharma of sugar. The pungent taste of chili, that is the dharma. It cannot change. If sugar is salty, you do not accept. "Oh, this is not sugar." Similarly, living entity has got a permanent occupational duty. That is service. That service is being carried on in different names: "service of the family," "service of the country," "service of the community," "service of the nation," "service of the humanity," so many names. But there is service. But this service cannot be complete unless the service goes up to the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of service. And that is called dharma. Try to understand what is dharma.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Somebody is thinking, "Give service to my community" or "to my family." Or if there is nobody else, at least "to my dog."
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany: Prabhupāda: So our real business is how to become free from all these designations. Yes. Then we come to the real consciousness. That real consciousness is that "I am eternal. God is eternal. I am part and parcel of God. My duty is to serve God. And now I am serving also. I am not free from service, but I am serving under designation." Just like you went to fight, because you designated yourself that "I am German." This is an example, that "I must fight, give service to my country." Somebody is thinking, "Give service to my community" or "to my family." Or if there is nobody else, at least "to my dog." So this is going on. So we have to close all these designations and become pure and serve God. And that is self-realization.
Page Title:Community service
Compiler:Laksmipriya
Created:29 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:4