Can we serve Lord on our own

Question: Isn’t it possible to serve the Supreme Lord on our own?

How can we serve the Lord whimsically or without the support of those whom the Lord has appointed as His Servants? Those who desire religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, or liberation are not the Lord’s servants. Moreover, those who make a show of serving the Lord and are eager to have the worshipable Lord supply their sense gratification are not His servants either. How is it possible to serve the Lord in the association of such people?

Ordinary conditioned souls can never fix the mind or discuss ‘hari-katha’ or the Lord’s instructions because they are attached to matter. A Materialist is always busy with worldly matters. That is why the Sastras have forbidden us to associate with them. It is our duty to remain in touch with the Absolute Truth twenty-four hours a day. Vaishnava association awakens our propensity to serve the Lord. A devotee is a person who when approached can destroy all our inconveniences with the weapon of his instructions. He can cut to pieces our attachment to material existence and mental speculation.

How do we associate with Vaishnavas? By our ears. Any hearing other than hearing from the devotees is bad association. However, hearing from devotees is useless if we do not surrender ourselves completely but remain puffed up with false ego.