Excerpt from Follow the Angels
Mahaprabhu says: naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro... gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah... ["I am not a brahmana, I am not a kshatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis." — Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya 13:80]
At the beginning is varnasrama dharma, regulated life. This is just the beginning, then gradually there is improvement and we are to go up to the absolute service of Krsna. Krsna is independent of any form of life; without consideration of any law or any form — only service. Yat karosi yad asnasi... ["Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that as an offering to Me." — Bhagavad Gita 9:27]. Whatever we do, think, speak, everything should be for the service of Krsna. That is the standard of devotion.
And mere formalism may be favorable, but not always. The spirit is all-important, even when crossing every formality. What is required of us is our absolute attraction for service, for beauty. [---]
The pure inclination towards the service of Krsna. The innermost tendency to want Krsna, to get Him, to have Him; the earnest desire to have Him. Anywhere you find that desire, a drop of that divine attraction, try to purchase it for any price. Acquire it!
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