Vrindavana Memories
Here's an old picture I found recently of a lady I much admired for her simple lifestyle and pleasant serving disposition. Notice she looks rather glum in this shot.That's because everyone in India puts on their most somber face when their photo is being taken. Actually she was a happy, friendly person.
This gentle soul, in her ripe old age, would sit on this wooden platform by the side of a road in the village of Vrindavana day in and day out, and distribute water.
When I first arrived in Vrindavan twenty years ago I discovered tap water was a little salty. Everyday therefore we would take and fill our clay pots from a drinking water faucet outside the temple on the street. It was very practical to keep water in these pots of clay for it sightly chilled the taste and gave a little more refreshment. At that time there was no such thing as bottled water and we could not afford soft drinks.
Whenever I went to the market for shopping, I would stop at this lady's water stand. Passers-by would place their right hand beneath their mouth to catch and drink the cooled water she poured from her brass sprouted lota. Whenever she saw me she would smile and indicate that I was welcome to come and refresh myself through her serving me water.
Although I could not speak her language, nor she mine, it was clear that for her to offer and for me to accept her water in reciprocation was the basis of our affection. Throughout all seasons of the year she sat there and contiuously served water; especially in the burning summer when everyone is particularly thirsty.
Vedic culture explains how such service as distribution of food or water earns the giver great piety. In fact these activities are recommended to elevate the doner to higher levels of good fortune in future lives. Whilst that sort of charity is still of this world the result can give one access to further good opportunities to serve others.Then when the service to others is perfomed within the Holy dham that is even more significant. And when one serves devotees within the Holy Dhama one is well on the way to pleasing Krishna Krishna likes to see this mood of serving devotees.
Since almost everyone in Vrindavana is more or less a devotee, such simple acts of service performed there please Krishna very much.
Taking a moment to meditate on this simple woman's mood of giving may soften even a very dry heart!!!
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Sri Vrindavana dham Ki Jaya
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