Everyone is looking for inspiration, for a person who can be our role model and enthuse us on our spiritual path. We all require inspiration and guidance, no matter how senior or advanced we are.
For a sincere practitioner, the most essential part of spiritual life is association with saintly devotees. Scriptures explain that even one moment with a sadhu can cause transformation in our heart and change the direction in which we are going.
Bhaktivedanta Manor temple is full of saintly Vaisnavas who can transform our heart the moment we come in contact with them.
One such sadhu is working as a gardener at our temple. He is a senior devotee who lives not far from the temple but comes every day to the temple to grow flowers for Radha and Krishna and to maintain the gardens around the temple.
He never speaks unnecessarily and never criticises devotees. He quietly does his service without disturbing others. He is absorbed in his service and doesn’t get involved in politics or unnecessary discussions. His only focus is on service.
Accompanied by a ginger cat he does his service in Krishna’s gardens throughout the day.
Once I asked him what is inspiring him the most in his service. He looked at me innocently and replied, “I just love my service, don’t ask me these technical questions.”
On many other occasions, I tried to ask questions but the reply was always the same, “I just love my service.”
This simple gardener is such an inspiration for me.
He is doing his service with great sincerity and dedicating his life to Radha Gokulananda.
What else is left for him to do?
That is the perfection of life.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam SB 4.12.37– Persons who are peaceful, equipoised, cleansed and purified, and who know the art of pleasing all other living entities, keep friendship only with devotees of the Lord; they alone can very easily achieve the perfection of going back home, back to Godhead.
Bhakti Wisdom 