Service to God is [not] service to mankind

Srila Prabhupada: Service to God is [not] service to mankind
compiled by Damaghosa dasa

Dec 16 1976 Hyderabad press conference
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Dr. Ramachandra: I only want that your movement should utilize my services because I believe service to mankind is service to God.

Prabhupāda: No, no, service to God is [not] service to mankind. If you pour water in the root, then it is service to the tree. And if you pour water on the leaf, then nobody is served. Everything will be dry, that’s all. That is imperfect service. If you have got realization of God, why should you give only human being service? Why not tiger? He is also… Kṛṣṇa says, “They are also My sons.” That means you discriminate. That is not that… Father will be satisfied when all the sons are given, not partial, not partial. Suppose I have got five children. If you give service to one children, so I’ll ask that “Why not other children?” Naturally.

Dr. Ramachandra: Discrimination comes.

Prabhupāda: Discrimination comes. So if you have realized God, then you must be learned. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18].

Some Conclusions/explanation — Srila Prabhupada explains above that when people try to give some service to humanity thru social services, etc., this is incomplete service and not really service to God. It is pious activity  no doubt, but it still remains on the material platform, because they do not know the process of how to serve the Supreme Being – Krsna. He gives the simple example of pouring water on the leaves of a tree instead of the roots. That will not help all the aspects of the tree.

So by our miscalculations about what is “spiritual” and what is material, we remain in this material world thinking we are becoming spiritual persons, but in fact are just licking the bottle of honey on the outside never opening the jar and tasting the sweet honey inside. And why is that? Because we do not take to the proper process which means in the beginning, surrendering to the Lords pure devotee representative. So we remain on the mental platform only, not the spiritual platform.