CHAPTER 2, TEXT 40: In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.
Pop Quiz: Who was Thomas E. Dewey?
I'll bet you have absolutely no idea.
Here's another Pop Quiz: Who was Harry S. Truman?
I'll bet you'd say that he was the President of the United States in the 40s (or something like that).
In 1948, Democratic candidate Harry S. Truman won the presidential election against Thomas E. Dewey, who was the Republican candidate. Truman had about 24 million popular votes and Dewey had about 22 million popular votes.
This means that at one point in history, Dewey was known and supported by almost 22 million people in the United States.
Today? Because he did not win the presidency, he is virtually unknown.
In this purport to Verse 40 of Chapter 2, Prabhupad writes that "Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure" (103). Dewey did not complete his journey to the White House, so he failed. You know how hard it is to run for president, to garner the momentum and support of 22 million American people? You have to spend millions of dollars and pour your life's blood into the journey. But because Dewey did not achieve the right amount and kinds of votes (including the electoral college), he simply failed.
He's not even known for being defeated by Truman. He's just not known.
We could give so many examples from history of people who were the runners-up - the presidential candidates, the nominees for awards, the Olympic athletes who almost won a medal, the finalists for the Superbowl or World Series or National Spelling Bee or any other championship. If you don't win - even if it was because of bad luck or you made a tiny mistake - then in this material world you're basically a failure.
It's all or nothing.
But in this verse, Krishna is saying that in this endeavor for spiritual enlightenment, "there is no loss or diminution."
Prabhupad emphasizes that any work done in Krishna consciousness is permanent, even if it's not complete. He illustrates this principle beautifully in the purport: "One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit" (103). Prabhupad is offering such an accessible possibility - one percent effort (it was "done"). Not even one percent success, one percent effort. And whenever I choose to give my next percent - whether it's tomorrow or fifty years from now - then I will pick up right where I left off.
In this regard, the other day my sister brought me a bouquet of flowers, so I put one flower in a little vase and placed it in front of a picture of Krishna. I took a few quiet moments to stand back and admire the flower and the picture with a smile on my face. I felt a glimmer of affection. Then I moved on with my day.
I didn't buy the flowers or even offer the flowers with deep love. I gave one percent effort. Certainly for a material endeavor to give one percent is pitiful, even disgraceful. But for a spiritual endeavor, one percent is glorious. Why?
The effort and results are eternal. So even when I and all beings on this planet have died, when human civilization is wiped out, when the sun extinguishes, when stars die and galaxies dissolve - that one percent, that one flower offered to God remains imprinted upon my soul.
There is no loss or diminution. I do not need to garner the support of millions of people, win medals or championships or awards. I most likely will never be remembered for much, just like the trillions of other forgotten people who have lived and died on this earth. But God will remember that I offered Him one flower with a smile on my face and a glimmer of affection.
Pop Quiz: Who was Thomas E. Dewey?
I'll bet you have absolutely no idea.
Here's another Pop Quiz: Who was Harry S. Truman?
I'll bet you'd say that he was the President of the United States in the 40s (or something like that).
In 1948, Democratic candidate Harry S. Truman won the presidential election against Thomas E. Dewey, who was the Republican candidate. Truman had about 24 million popular votes and Dewey had about 22 million popular votes.
This means that at one point in history, Dewey was known and supported by almost 22 million people in the United States.
Today? Because he did not win the presidency, he is virtually unknown.
In this purport to Verse 40 of Chapter 2, Prabhupad writes that "Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure" (103). Dewey did not complete his journey to the White House, so he failed. You know how hard it is to run for president, to garner the momentum and support of 22 million American people? You have to spend millions of dollars and pour your life's blood into the journey. But because Dewey did not achieve the right amount and kinds of votes (including the electoral college), he simply failed.
He's not even known for being defeated by Truman. He's just not known.
We could give so many examples from history of people who were the runners-up - the presidential candidates, the nominees for awards, the Olympic athletes who almost won a medal, the finalists for the Superbowl or World Series or National Spelling Bee or any other championship. If you don't win - even if it was because of bad luck or you made a tiny mistake - then in this material world you're basically a failure.
It's all or nothing.
But in this verse, Krishna is saying that in this endeavor for spiritual enlightenment, "there is no loss or diminution."
Prabhupad emphasizes that any work done in Krishna consciousness is permanent, even if it's not complete. He illustrates this principle beautifully in the purport: "One percent done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent, whereas in material activity without a hundred percent success there is no profit" (103). Prabhupad is offering such an accessible possibility - one percent effort (it was "done"). Not even one percent success, one percent effort. And whenever I choose to give my next percent - whether it's tomorrow or fifty years from now - then I will pick up right where I left off.
In this regard, the other day my sister brought me a bouquet of flowers, so I put one flower in a little vase and placed it in front of a picture of Krishna. I took a few quiet moments to stand back and admire the flower and the picture with a smile on my face. I felt a glimmer of affection. Then I moved on with my day.
I didn't buy the flowers or even offer the flowers with deep love. I gave one percent effort. Certainly for a material endeavor to give one percent is pitiful, even disgraceful. But for a spiritual endeavor, one percent is glorious. Why?
The effort and results are eternal. So even when I and all beings on this planet have died, when human civilization is wiped out, when the sun extinguishes, when stars die and galaxies dissolve - that one percent, that one flower offered to God remains imprinted upon my soul.
There is no loss or diminution. I do not need to garner the support of millions of people, win medals or championships or awards. I most likely will never be remembered for much, just like the trillions of other forgotten people who have lived and died on this earth. But God will remember that I offered Him one flower with a smile on my face and a glimmer of affection.
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