By Radhanath Swami
In this age of Kali, there are two deadly enemies that are always about to devour all the sanctity of our spiritual lives: egoism and lethargy. Krsna tells us in Bhagavad Gita that we must give up egoism and lethargy. Wherever the false ego becomes prominent, we start thinking in terms of I and mine. Then there is no service attitude. We want to be master. We want to be enjoyer. We even see other Vaishnavas, even our old godbrothers and godsisters as competitors rather than worshipable Lords. We should see every Vaishnava with veneration. They should be objects of our worship. But where there is egoism, we start to see Vaishnavas as ordinary people. When the desire for our own prestige and enjoyment comes too much into our mind, then even great Vaishnavas appear to be insignificant. However, where there is a humble attitude of service, even the most ordinary, new beginning devotee, we see as someone very glorious and worthy of our respect. This is one of the barometers by which we can understand how we are progressing.