Know Better, Look Deeper

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to London devotees
5 July 2015

Have you read Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Ray's conversation? It is a very high conception—a very high and also very sweet conversation...

Mahaprabhu said to Ramananda Ray, "Ramananda, you have such a strong connection with the Lord that everywhere you look, everywhere you go, you see Krishna." Ramananda Ray actually saw the Lord Himself in front him, and asked Mahaprabhu to explain it, "Tell me what is this?" Mahaprabhu was trying to hide Himself from him, but He could not. Mahaprabhu cannot hide from the devotees—just as He could not hide from Rupa Goswami, He could not hide from Ramananda Ray.

Every year when we go to Puri, we come to the famous garden of Ramananda Ray. We take breakfast and then spend there one-two hours remembering Ramananda sambad with Pradyumna Misra—Ramananda Ray's conversation with Pradyumna Misra that took place in that garden.

When Pradyumna Misra came to Ramananda Ray on the first day, Ramananda Ray was busy teaching young ladies. He taught them to dance, how to make garlands, showed them how to wear a sari, dressed them, and so on. Seeing this, Pradyuma Misra became very suspicious, "Mahaprabhu sent me to a sadhu, but this man has that kind of quality..."

He came back to Mahaprabhu, but Mahaprabhu told him, "You do not know who Ramananda Ray is. Even Myself, I am a sannyasi, but if I see a prakriti (a picture of some woman), My mind may be changed. Ramananda Ray himself teaches women to wear saris, he dresses them and touches their bodies, but his mind is not changed by that. You think he is a simple ordinary man, but he is not a man—when he touches a woman, he becomes a gopi! Go again, and you can understand who he is."

The next day he went there again, and Ramananda Ray, very politely and humbly, said, "Prabhu, please forgive my offence. You came here yesterday, but I was very busy and did not give you time. What is your question?" And the whole day passed with questions and answers, questions and answers. At night time, the prasad came, but both of them forgot about it; only when the sun rose in the morning, they suddenly realised, "Oh, the whole night is gone?" All this time they had been having a conversation (sambad) about Krishna consciousness.

After that, Pradyumna Misra again come back to Mahaprabhu and said, "Prabhu, yes, You sent me to the right person! He knows who Krishna is—he knows everything."

Who knows the Guru? Who can understand the Guru? Who can understand Krishna? Those who have got mercy from Lord Krishna, can understand Krishna; those who have got mercy from the Guru, can understand the Guru. Not everybody can otherwise recognise the Guru, not everybody can understand the Guru because you are looking with your eyes, and I am looking with my eyes; but we also have other eyes—in our heart—and we must see with those eyes...

Gurudev taught me once a lesson. I was very busy here in the Nabadwip temple and he was also in Nabadwip at that time, but one day he was going to some place near Nabadwip (I did not know where he was going). When I saw his car was leaving, I came out and, as I was paying obeisance, Gurudev asked me, "Are you coming with me?" I replied, with a smile, "Where?" Gurudev became a little angry and said, "You are foolish. If Gurudev asks you, 'Are you coming with me?' you must say, 'Yes,' but you are asking me, 'Where?'" This is a very important point.

Also, suppose you are walking with your Guru and you see a big snake, "There is a big snake here! A big snake!" but Gurudev says, "It's not a snake, it is a piece of rope," and you must believe it. That is what the strongest faith is. It is necessary to have such faith.

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