Srila Gurudev says, “Devote, devotee, devotion. The word is very sweet because it is always giving, never taking.” This is so true! And not only that, but when we give the devotees just a little, they give us even more!
A few mornings ago, after I had finished breakfast prasadam, I noticed Jayadev Prabhu, Srila Gurudev’s driver, standing quietly in the corner of the room with his plate behind his back. I realized that he wanted to take breakfast, but as is typical of him, was too shy to ask one of the busy brahmacharis to serve him. So I approached him: “Prabhu, do you want to take breakfast? Come sit down, I will serve you.” I got him a mat and served him the simple breakfast: muri, milk and a little sugar. I also got him a couple of bananas, which are kept hidden in Mangal Maharaj’s room, reserved for Westerners, guests and the ‘in’ group of temple residents (I am always amazed by how everything which we take for granted in the West has so much value here!).
It was just a small, pretty insignificant act that anyone might do several times in a day, but ever since then, Jayadev Prabhu always keeps an eye out for me at prasadam time: he might point to a place for me to sit, make sure I have everything I want, or tell one of the brahmacharis to ask if I need anything else. Last night I was a little embarrassed when Gopal and Bipul both came ambling up to me with tiny smiles on their faces and asked if I wanted anything more. “I’m OK,” I replied. “Jayadev Prabhu told us to ask you,” they said laughing.
This morning, as I was finishing breakfast, he came and sat before me with a prized banana in his hand and solemnly, slowly, began peeling it. He then broke the soft flesh into two parts, extracted the black areas with his fingers, and then plopped the pieces into the bowl of milk that I was holding lifted between my hands. “You’re too kind to me!” I said, embarrassed. He just gave a barely perceptible smile, without looking at me, and walked away.
