The other week a dear friend of mine was giving class and was explaining how we are not the doer but that by Krishna’s mercy we are engaged in service, h used the recent incidents regarding the killing of our dear cow at the Manor and how this moved the devotees in such a way that even the law is now undergoing some change’s and that we now have a lovely new cow about to give birth given as a gift by those who caused such distress to the devotee’s, we could not explain Krishna’s actions at the time.

This caused quite a steer amongst some of the devotees in attendance that protested that they themselves had gained the outcomes, by their actions, protests and hard work and that without there intervention nothing would have happened.

Again the point was reiterated although we may think we are the doer it is Krishna who mercifully engages us in service, by the killing of our lovely cow we were moved to take action, we cannot take credit for the outcome it is simply Krishna allowing us to do service and enabling the cows to be better protected.

Again this got a cold reception and more protests, we simply have to take the credit ourselves ‘I did this” rather than seeing this as the mercy of Krishna.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with a temple president he was saying how he himself had made the centre, he himself had brought the devotees together, it was he himself who had developed the service to be done. I asked a simple question “what about Krishna didn’t he allow you this service and so he should get the credit?” the reply was a shock “what’s Krishna got to do with it? I did this not Krishna” I think he was missing the point I was trying to make again “I did this”

You see if we listen carefully to Srial Prabhupada we would see that never once did he take the credit, he never said “I did this” he gave the results always to the mercy of both Krishna and his Guru Maharaja most notably he once said that it was the kind mercy of his guru maharaja that he had so many nice boys and girls to help; he never ever attributed the results to himself.

We still however see ourselves as the doer, giving ourselves the credit for the results taking the applause and pats on the back rather than simply seeing it as Krishna’s mercy, Krishna’s reciprocation, simply service to save the fallen condition soul, to protect the cows to serve the mission; the results remain Krishna’s never ours.