Bond of Hearts

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Caracas, Venezuela
26 September 2009

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

As I have told before, it is only by the mercy of Gurudev, by the mercy of Vaishnav that we can chant, we can give some lecture about Krishna-katha, about Krishna consciousness. Otherwise, without the mercy of Gurudev, we cannot do anything, nothing is possible.

For the past few days we have been doing some sankirtan with Lord Nityananda, Gaurachandra and all Their associates, all the devotees; twelve days are already gone, but we cannot understand how quickly these days have passed...

Every morning I call Gurudev and tell him about the glories of all the devotees of Venezuela, and Gurudev is very happy to hear it. Yesterday, when I told him that about four hundred people had come to the programme, he told me, "Do you see now Guru Maharaj's mercy? Can you understand now how his mercy is spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world?" Gurudev spoke about his Guru Maharaj's glories in this way. Gurudev's health is not good, but I talk with him every day, and he is very happy to see all the photo, he is very glad and very happy to hear with how much enthusiasm the devotees are practising Krishna consciousness.

Devotees: JAY!

And also actually when I am thinking I have to go on 29th, I become sad, but what can I do? Gurudev is always calling me, and you know that there is so much service in Nabadwip and in other places in Bengal, India, and I have to go. I maybe be leaving, going back to India, but my mind, my heart and my everything is here.

Devotees: JAY!

Your love and affection, and the enthusiasm with which so many children are chanting the Harinam maha-mantra, is inconceivable, it is our life. I cannot forget it. Who can understand it? Before, I could not understand how much love and affection you have in your heart. But now everywhere I go I will tell about the glories of all the devotees of Venezuela and I will also remember you all wherever I am.

At the same time, I have a request to all the devotees.

We can die anywhere, at any time, I do not know whether I can see you again next time or not, but I am telling to everybody: please try to serve Guru Maharaj's mission through this mission. I am also telling to everybody: sometimes many disturbances can come in your life, but you must think that when some disturbance comes it is Krishna Himself testing you.

Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami told,

জগাই মাধাই হৈতে মুঞি সে পাপিষ্ঠ ।
পুরীশের কীট হৈতে মুঞি সে লঘিষ্ঠ ॥

jagai madhai haite muni se papistha
purisera kita haite muni se laghistha

"I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai and lower than the worms in the stool."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 5.205)

We are much worse than insects in the stool. We heard how many sins Jagai and Madhai had done, but we are much greater sinners than they are, we have done much more sins in our life. So, you must see that Krishna Himself comes to test us. He wants to take us to His and our own home, but He wants us to come in a clean position—Krishna wants to clean us to take us to our own home.

Sometimes many problems can come, but you must think that you are being attacked by illusion—it is the work of Maya, illusion, and we must be careful about that:

মায়ারে করিয়া জয় ছাড়ান না যায় ।
সাধু-গুরু কৃপা বিনা না দেখি উপায় ॥

mayare kariya jaya chhadana na yaya
sadhu-guru krpa vina na dekhi upaya

"It is not possible to conquer maya by engaging in maya. I see no other way to get relief except for the mercy of sadhus."

('Ki rupe paibe seva', Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

"You cannot conquer illusion—only by the mercy of Guru and Vaishnavs it is possible to conquer illusion."

Nobody knows how much time, how many years, how many days we will live in this world, but fortunately we have got this human body—we must use this body for the service of the Lord. If this body is not used for His service, then this body is useless and it is not necessary to stay here then. Also, I have told it many times, it is written in the scriptures and we sing it every morning: we have made a promise to Krishna and we must keep our promise. We are fortunate souls, we got good seeds, and we must now protect our seeds—we must maintain our Krishna consciousness life. Gurudev said that in this world nobody is your enemy—you yourself are your enemy, I myself am my own enemy. So, take care of your Krishna consciousness life—we can stay anywhere, we can live anywhere, in a jungle, in a small house, in a big house, it does not matter, but wherever we are we must serve our Gurudev. And it is my only hope that we can serve Gurudev in this life.

I am also inviting all devotees to come to Nabadwip—if you have not been there before, if you want to go there, Nabadwip is your house, so come some time, stay there with the devotees. There is some austerity there, some problems, but it is actually not a problem. Gurudev said, "Krsna pete hole, kosta korte haya (কৃষ্ণ পেতে হলে, কষ্ট করতে হয়). If you want to get Krishna, you have to get some austerity." I am telling to you all: please try to come to see Gurudev. Gurudev's health condition is not good, you know that; he cannot travel any more, and we are always praying for his good health... Please try to come, there are many festivals in India—in Nabadwip, in Jagannath Puri, in Vrindavan, Ekachakra, etc. If you get an opportunity to come for any of the festivals, please come.

I also told the other day what Gurudev had said, "If you can be a particle of dust (dhuli-kana, ধূলি-কণা) of Chaitanya Saraswat Math, I will keep a room for you in your own house, in your own land." So, I am telling to the devotees: this Parama Karuna Temple is Gurudev's heart, always try to come here as often as possible, serve this mission with as much capacity as you have—that will be service to Gurudev. For example, here is Purujit Prabhu, he always helps Gurudev, he listens to Gurudev and follows him, so if you follow his instruction, it will be spiritually more beneficial for you.

Sometimes the Math management, the temple management can chastise also, but you know that if you want mercy, if you want to serve, then sometimes chastisement and problems can come. You can remember that when Nityananda Prabhu hit Sivananda Sen with His legs, Sivananda Sen (who was doing so much service) began to dance! He danced and said, "This is my asirvad (আশীর্বাদ)! This is mercy to me!" Do you see? Nityananda Prabhu put His leg on him, but he was dancing! You may have heard what happened earlier this year. Some devotees' children went to the temple and they broke a Tulasi pot. The local Math temple manager chastised the children, and from that day their parents stopped coming to the temple. This is not a strong faith. Yes, children did some wrong, the temple manager give some chastisement, so what is the problem? Some small matter happens, but we think it is so big.

বিষয়ে যে প্রীতি এবে আছয়ে আমার ।
সেই মত প্রীতি হউক চরণে তোমার ॥

visaye ye priti ebe achhaye amara
sei-mata priti hauk charane tomara

"May I have the same affection and attraction to your feet that I now have for material things."

(Gitavali, 4.5, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

You have attachment to your children, to your parents, etc. but you should have that kind of attachment to Lord Nityananda, Mahaprabhu, to Their wealth, Their property ("property" means the temple and everything else here)—if that kind of attachment comes, then you can think that some devotion is coming to you.

OK, are there any questions?

Question: You say you will go everywhere and glorify the devotees from Venezuela, but it will be better if instead of this you come back here as soon as possible...

[His Divine Grace laughs.] It depends upon the will of the Lord, upon the will of Gurudev—without their will, nothing can be possible. If I am alive in my body in this world, if I stay in my body, then I promise I will come.

Actually, I do not have any quality or qualification. This preaching is not possible for me—actually it is Gurudev who is doing this preaching and everything else.

Devotees: JAY!

Gurudev said to me on the phone, "Oh, I heard you are doing so much preaching, so much sankirtan—you are doing even more than in your capacity!" but I replied to Gurudev, "I do not do anything, I think that you are doing everything... A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Srila Prabhupad cultivated the land, and you threw some seeds into that land. Now the trees have grown very big and I have come to Venezuela to taste the fruit!" Gurudev's reply was, "Oh, now you want to joke with me!"

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