At the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.21.
“The mind can tell us things like, ‘All this chanting is a nuisance. It is getting in the way of our sense gratification.’ The mind can give us the same kind of message as the demons outside of us give: ‘Why should you be chanting Krishna’s name? People should be chanting your name. Why should Krishna be the center? You should be the center—people just haven’t recognized it yet.’ Our false ego creates a whole false identity and false conception of the world. There are seven billion people on the planet, and each one is thinking that he or she should be the center and everyone else should do what he or she wants. It’s like everyone is walking around thinking, ‘Excuse me, I have an important announcement to make: I am the center of the universe and you all should do what I want.’ So, what do we do when there are enemies or difficulties? We take shelter of Krishna. We see this with every surrendered devotee, and especially with the residents of Vrindavan. When our mind gives us difficulty—which may be every day, every hour, or every minute—we must take shelter of Krishna and the devotees of Krishna. And in a way, the devotees are more merciful than Krishna. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that when a person wants to pick up something that has fallen on the ground he extends his hand; so when Krishna wants to pick up a soul that has fallen into the material world, he extends his hand in the form of a sadhu, or devotee. So karunika—the sadhu is very merciful.”
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