God as father not as perfect

So this is service. The Christian conception of God as Father is not so perfect. Because if we conceive God as Father and Mother, then the policy is to take from Him. Because everyone wants to take from the father: "Father, give me that. Mother, give me that." But this philosophy, that to accept the Supreme Lord as son, that means to give service. Yasodamayi, he has gotten..., she has gotten Krsna as her son. So always anxious: "Krsna may not be in danger. Krsna is crawling; some animal may not attack. He may not fall down in the water. He may not touch fire." Always anxiety, giving protection to Krsna. Krsna is giving protection to the whole universe, and Yasodamayi is giving protection to Krsna. This is conception of philosophy, Vaisnava philosophy. She is anxious to give protection. Krsna was taken away by the... What is that asura?    (More...)

So don't be attached to this illusion. Tamasi ma. Tamasi means ignorance. In ignorance, if we accept somebody as son or wife or friend, that is darkness. It is not actual fact. It is ignorance. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya: "Go to the light." Have real friendship, real fatherhood, real lover, real beloved, real son. So if... And another point is that a devotee, real devotee, he doesn't want to be the son of Godhead. He wants to be the father of Godhead. Why? The father means he will simply give to the son. And son means he will simply take. So just like in the Christian philosophy it is said, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is one philosophy. That's a fact. God is giving. Eko yo bahūnam vidadhati kaman [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13]. God is feeding everyone. That's a fact. But a devotee does not want to take anything from God. He does not worship God for his daily bread. One who asks daily bread from God, they are pious, but they are not devotees.    (More...)

Krsna says there are four kinds of beginners of devotional service. Four kinds. What are..., who are they? Artaḥ. Artaḥ means one who is distressed; artha-arthi, one who is in want of money; arto ar..., jijnasuḥ, one who is searching after knowledge; and jnani, and wise man. So out of these, arto and artharthi, they are low-grade worshiper. Those who are jnani and jijnasuḥ, they are higher grade. Generally, they are lower grade. But they are not pure devotees.    (More...)

Pure devotees, as we have explained yesterday, they do not want anything from God. Even liberation they do not want, what to speak of this material... Therefore the philosophy of becoming the father of Krsna is very perfect. Because one hasn't got to ask, like the son asks from the father, "Father, give me this, give me this." Because devotee want..., doesn't want to ask anything from. Then how he can become son? Son business is to ask from father. Therefore they do not aspire to become the son of Godhead, but they aspire to be father of Godhead. This is perfection-Nanda Maharaja, father, Vasudeva, father. Krsna will always ask. Just like Krsna is always asking to suck the breast of Mother Yasoda. Always demanding. And if she refuses, she'll [He'll] create disturbance. And Mother Yasoda is always thinking that "If I do not feed Krsna nicely, He'll die." This is love. This is love. Therefore it is said that yesam aham priya atma sutas ca. The devotee accept Krsna as suta, as son, not as father. Father means exacting.    (More...)