Finally after several weeks the rain is here. The trees and plants are grateful. It is a gentle rain for now. No wind and the droplets are sprinkling down.
I awoke to the excitement of anticipating a guest for lunch today. Someone I haven't seen for many years. A wonderful devotee. They will have so many stories to tell I am sure about their time in Mayapur and their journey in life.
Devotee association is the most valuable thing to me now. To see the devotee, hear them, serve them. Soak up the mercy of their devotional mood. Who they are. And today this gentle soul is coming for lunch. They are not a big this or that. No big preaching program. Not a big official in management.Just a sweet gentle funny person awake to the joy of Krishna consciousness.
After attending the kirtan at the temple Sunday I was considering how there are different types of instructions from the acharya spiritual master. Some instructions are according to time place and circumstance and some are absolute and do not change. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta discussed this also in his essay Brahmana and Vaishnava. It is an important distinction to be made. A brahmana may or may not be a Vaishnava and a Vaishnava may or may not be a brahmana.
Consider how Krishna says in the gita that the four varnas and ashrama were created by him. and then later on He also advised to abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender to Him. First He instructs and creates religion and then he advises to abandon religion. How interesting.