A Familiar Bhagavad Gita Verse

Today I was in the pujari room a lot. This moring I had to help with the flower arrangements. I had to trim off the stems and put them in buckets. I had to bring in the buckets from outside. Then I helped in the kitchen for 2 and a half hours. I cut up tomatoes, red, and green peppers. Later in the day after lunch I went into the pujari room again to do a little cleaning. I cleaned up in the room where they keep the Deities' clothes. I had to clean the baseboards around the room. I had to move heavy things around all of which were not easy for me to move but I somehow managed it determined to do my service. My service didn't take me long to do however only about an hour. I also swept the entire pujari room and wiped off the counter top where they do the flower arrangements. So I did a total of about four hours today. I still haven't reached six hours of service yet.

But to get to my point when i was cleaning the room where the Deities' clothes were kept I saw a familiar Bhagavad Gita verse on the door to the room. It was from Ch. 18 Text 42. That verse reads Peacefullness, self control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom, and religiousness-these are the natural qualities of a brahmana's work. Maharaj had told me to memorize this verse to prepare myself for second initiation next year. I had asked Maharaj if I should still try for second initiation and he said yes. I asked him when he thinks I'd be ready for second intiation, and he said next  year! I was so shocked when he told me this. I was expecting him to say in two to three years! But apparently he thinks I am ready for it. My anniversary of my initiation day is Janurary 1st. I am going to send Maharaj another written offering to him to show him appreciation for accepting me as his disciple.

I should ask Maharaj to give me another Bhagavad Gita verse to memorize. It seems like if he tells me what verses to memorize then I can become determined to memorize them somehow. Next time I email him I will ask him to send me a verse to memorize. That too will help me to advance more and to remember Krishna more.