Odds and Ends (6)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Compiled on 30 June 2016

Several excerpts that were not included in the main posts:

Accept or reject? | June 2010

Question: If everything comes from Krishna, whether it is bad or good, how can we then understand that when something happens, it is actually benefit coming from Krishna for everybody.

How will you understand it? Many thing happen, but you must believe what the scriptures say, what Gurudev says.

Somebody may be stealing and thinking, "Oh, Krishna is engaging me in stealing!" The Lord created everything—cows have their food, pigs have their food, dogs have their food, mosquitos have their food, but we are not eating that because we know what is necessary. So, we must take what is necessary for our spiritual life and reject what is not necessary (or harmful) for the spiritual life.

You can understand everything through practising—if you make your foundation well, then you can easily understand what is what. It is necessary to have a very good foundation.

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Sincere service until death | 16 April 2013

What Gurudev has given me, is sufficient for me—even if I die tomorrow, it is ok, no problem, I will stay with Gurudev. The result you get depends on the service that you do. Somebody makes garlands, somebody takes care of the garden, and they will get a corresponding place with the Lord, Gurudev. It is necessary to have sincerity (nistha, determination, being stable) and do your service until your death—do not run away from your service in the middle, that is seva aparadh and it will lead to your fall: service will go away.

Gurudev left his body at 4 o'clock in the morning, and he made his will at 12 o'clock at night—he was thinking about the temple. If you have sincerity, you will last until you leave your body. Another example is Narayan Maharaj from Mauritius. Ten minutes before he left his body, he called me, he was thinking about his service and preaching—he told me, "Maharaj, I left some money there, please use that money for service..."

• • •

The result of chanting | 16 April 2013

I am thinking of "Gaite gaite Nama ki dasa haila..." At first Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur says, "Trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara" ["Give up your false ego, and always consider yourself lower than grass, poor, needy, and mean."], but after a few minutes some bhav comes to him and he says, "Gaite gaite Name ki dasa haila?" ["What has become of me after I repeatedly chanted the Holy Name?"]

Why is it not coming to us? We chant the Holy Name of Krishna, chant and chant, but it is not coming... "Sri-Krsna-viraha ara sahite na pari" ["I am not able to tolerate the separation from Krishna any longer"]. From "Pita-varana kali-pavana Gora" ["Golden Gora, the saviour of the Age of Kali, sings..."] he jumped to "Gaite gaite Nam..."

[Additional: Sri Siksastakam verses that are being discussed above.]

• • •

Seasonal fruit | 2 October 2013

It is written in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhuh that you must give the Deities the fruit that is in season. For example, now the mango season has finished, where will you get mango? Now it is the pine apple season, so you must give pine apple to the Deities. You give only banana and cucumber, but sometimes it is necessary to buy new things. You are like this too—if you eat the same thing every day, your mouth will want some change. The Deities' mouth also should get some change. Is it correct or not? It may give you a little austerity—it takes time to peel the pine apple, for example, but you cannot think, "Oh, it takes time, it is an austerity, I will not do it." Do you understand?

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Observing Ekadasi | 16 June 2001

Today is Ekadasi, and as in Nabadwip we must fast until 12 o'clock, noon. Does everybody know it? Also, on Ekadasi, in the afternoon, we sing "Suddha-bhakata-charana-renu bhajana-anukula" song. We must sing it on every Ekadasi—if you can sing it every day, it is good, but in our temple we sing this song on Ekadasi. It is a good song, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur wrote it. Also, fasting on Ekadasi is good for health, and it is also good for the spiritual life. On Ekadasi day all sins live in grains, so if you take any grain on Ekadasi it means you will be taking sin. There are five types of grains*...

* [Rice, wheat, barley, pulses, mustard/sesame oil]

• • •

What is devotion | May 2016

Question: What is the meaning of devotion?

Proper devotion to your Guru is the proper service to your Guru. If you can anyhow make your Guru happy through your service, that will be devotion.

• • •

ISKCON Ratha-Yatra | 18 August 2013

Question: Tomorrow there will be an observance of Lord Jagannath's Ratha-yatra nearby in San Francisco. It has done every year for about 40 years by Ikscon, Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj started it and the whole city observes it. Some of our devotees are going there...

Yes, they can go, but not to go there to enjoy: they should take some books and distribute them there. Not to go there only to enjoy. They should see to their own benefit. They can preach there, distribute books, brochures, leaflets, then it will be good.

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Three prayers on the way to Ekachakra | 26 March 2016

When you go to Ekachakra, you should sing,

আর কবে নিতাইচাঁদ করুণা করিবে ।
সংসার-বাসনা মোর কবে তুচ্ছ হ'বে ॥

ara kabe nitaichand karuna karibe
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuchha ha'be

"When will Nitaichand give mercy to me? When will all my material desires become insignificant?"

('Prarthana' by Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

"When will Nityananda Prabhu give me some mercy? When will material desires be removed from my heart?"

কবে নিত্যানন্দ মোরে করি' দয়া ।
ছাড়াইবে মোর বিষয়ের মায়া ॥

kabe nityananda more kari' daya
chhadaibe mora visayera maya

"When will Nityananda be compassionate to me and relieve me from the mundane illusion?"

('Kabe habe bolo, se dina amar?' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

"When will Nityananda Prabhu give His mercy to me? I have too much attachment to material things..."

কবে হবে বল, সে দিন আমার ।
অপরাধ ঘুচি' শুদ্ধ নামে রুচি
কৃপা-বলে হবে হৃদয়ে সঞ্চার ॥

kabe habe bala se dina amara
aparadha ghuchi suddha name ruchi
krpa-bale ha'be hrdaye sanchara

"Please tell me, when will that day be mine? When will my offences be removed? When will the taste for the pure Name arise in my heart by the power of mercy?"

('Kabe habe bolo, se dina amar?' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

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What is mercy? | 26 March 2016

We do not know what mercy is. Sivananda Sen said to Nityananda Prabhu, "Prabhu, it is my offence, I have come late, I have made You wait." He was paying obeisance as he was saying this, and Nityananda Prabhu kicked him. Sivananda Sen was so sorry and humble, saying it was all his fault, but Nityananda Prabhu was like this.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay!

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