Proper Engagement

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham
14 November 2010

Yesterday I saw all devotees came to the programme, very good. Before, they make a programme only on Sunday, and I told them: you eat every day three times, you go to the toilet every day, then why do you have the programme only once a week on Sunday? They say, "Oh, I cannot come to the centre every day," but I have seen in some countries devotees go to work and from work they go straight to the temple and meet there every day (those who live far cannot come every day, but those who stay nearby always come). It is association, and it is a source of energy, otherwise if you have a programme only on Sunday, then in one month it is only four-five days...

আর কবে নিতাইচাঁদ করুণা করিবে ।
কবে জীবে দয়া হইবে উদয়,
নিজ সুখ ভুলি' সুদীন-হৃদয়

ara kabe nitaichand karuna karibe
kabe jive daya haibe udaya,
nija-sukha bhuli' sudina-hrdaya

('Kabe habe bolo, se dina amar?')

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur is writing it. Very nice...

Question: What is the meaning of this verse?

"Kabe jive daya haibe udaya" means, "When will I be giving some real benefit to others?" A real benefit is not giving food or clothes like Rama Krishna Mission does. "Dal, bhat, tarkari deher khadya (ডাল, ভাত, তরকারি দেহের খাদ্য)." It means that dal, rice, subji is the food of the material body. For example, you are doing Ekadasi today, and by tomorrow your weight will be two kg less. But what is the food of the atma, of the jiva soul? It is not dal. You must give others chance to chant the Holy Name, you must bring others to Krishna consciousness. "Nija-sukha bhuli' sudina-hrdaya" means we must forget our own happiness. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur is saying, "When will I forget my own self and think about others?" That is called jive daya, giving real benefit.

There are three things: jive daya, Name ruchi, Vaishnav seva (mercy to the souls, relishing the Holy Name, and service to Vaishnavs). Mahaprabhu told Sanatan Goswami also,

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."

Gurudev said once in his lecture, "I want some karela bhaji (করেলা ভাজি, fried bitter melon), but they are giving me something else." Then it is karma. They think, "Oh, I will give this, this. Maharaj has come to my house, and I will give bitter? No, I must give him something sweet, it will be better." This is not service, it is following your mind. Do you understand? It is necessary to have service temper (seva-vrtti, সেবা-বৃত্তি).

I remember in another lecture Gurudev said: the Lord Himself says, "I want some laddu," but you are giving Him a singara (samosa). Krishna is easy—He says He wants some laddu, then give Him a laddu and He will be happy, everything will be all right, but you are giving Him a singara (samosa)...

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