The Only Hope and Aspiration

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Siliguri, 20 May 2017, Bengali class, part 4

Mahaprabhu told Sanatan Goswami,

জীবে দয়া, নামে রুচি, বৈষ্ণব সেবা ।
ইহা বহি সনাতন নাহি আর ধর্ম্ম ॥

jive daya name ruchi vaisnava seva
iha bahi sanatana nahi ara dharma

"Be merciful to the souls, chant the Holy Name, and serve the Vaishnavs. Sanatan, besides this, there is no other religion."

We must bring the souls who have turned away from Krishna, to this path. People do not want to chant the Holy Name, they take shelter of Kali and Kali is gradually becoming stronger—there are more and more uncultured people, people who are averse and hateful towards Guru, Vaishnavs, and the Lord, who kill brahmans and cows... Such days are coming slowly, slowly, but if we can chant the Holy Name we can reach the abode of the Lord, then it will not be necessary to keep hopes and desires any more...

There is a very beautiful kirtan, "Asa-pasa sata sata klesa deya avirata (আশা-পাশ শত শত ক্লেশ দেয় অবিরত)—the shackles of hundreds and hundreds of desires constantly trouble me." (Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, from Sri Siksastakam songs, 5.2) We have so many hopes—hundreds and hundreds of hopes appear within us—and how much suffering we get in return... Whichever way you are, whatever your situation is, you must be happy and satisfied with that because whatever the Lord does, He does it for our benefit. Do you understand? And this is that Lord whom we have forgotten. If you have some fortune, then

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

"Having travelled throughout the universe and got the mercy of Guru, Krishna, a fortunate soul receives a seed of the devotional creeper."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.151)

By some fortune you have received the seed of the devotional creeper, and if you tend to this creeper well, then gradually it will turn into a kalpa-vriksa, a wish-fulfilling tree, and you will be able to taste its fruit of divine love. Such is the result that we can get—that must get.

The Lord has given you a nice body, etc.—is it all for eating, sleeping, defending and mating only—only to sleep and eat? No. The Lord has given us everything so that we can hear about Him, chant His Holy Name, glorify the Lord, serve the Lord.

প্রসাদ-সেবা করিতে হয়
সকল প্রপঞ্চ জয়

prasada-seva karite haya,
sakala prapancha-jaya

"By honouring the Lord's prasad I conquer all worldly illusions."

(Saranagati, 31.5, by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

If you honour prasad, you can conquer all senses. It is necessary to honour prasad (prasad-seva).

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