Engage in Service, Not Maya

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

জীবন অনিত্য জানহ সার
তাহে নানাবিধ বিপদ-ভার ।
নামাশ্রয় করি' যতনে তুমি
থাকহ আপন কাজে ॥

jivana anitya janaha sara
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhara
namasraya kari' yatane tumi
thakaha apana kaje

"Understand the essence: life is temporary and filled with all sorts of adversity. Carefully taking shelter of the Name, engage in your work."

One day my time will finish, but I have not been able to do anything for the Lord! I am sent here for His service, but I could not do anything for Him... People do not understand it—they get a human body, but where is their benefit? They do not understand it. Guru Maharaj tried so hard to anyhow engage everybody in service. He is so merciful, he gave us so much service.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj came here and started this Math in 1941—it was just a small thatched house at that time, but a great Vaishnav was staying there. Pujyapad Srila Sridhar Maharaj started his bhajan here, and all godbrothers, all Vaishnavs came here to see him...

Anyhow, by hook or by crook, we must engage ourselves in service of the Lord. Do what you can according to your individual qualification—somebody likes sankirtan, somebody loves making or writing books, somebody loves preaching, somebody likes some other service. Whatever service you are good at or whatever service you like, do it.

We must accept the teachings of Mahaprabhu. How beautiful it is written,

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

"One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

If you want to do Hari sankirtan (chant the Holy Names of the Lord), you must become humble like a blade of grass, tolerate everything like a tree, and give honour to others. This is our duty. Vaishnavs are adosa-darasi, they never see other's faults, that is why we can pray to them, "Prabhu, I have so many faults, but you are adosa-darasi—do not look at my faults..." In this mood we must always engage ourselves in the service of the Lord.

If you practise properly, the result must increase, there will be no problems. Accept what is favourable to devotion, properly. Wake up in the morning, do mangal arati, come to the class, do kirtan, do service in the morning, then at noon come to the arati, in the afternoon have a class, do evening arati, hear Hari-katha, and go to rest. If you use yourself in this way, there will be no problem.

নিদ্রলস্য-হত সুকার্য্যে বিরত
অকার্য্যে উদ্যোগী আমি
প্রতিষ্ঠা লাগিয়া শাঠ্য-আচরণ
লোভ-হত সদা কামী ।

nidralasya hata sukarya
virata akarya udyogi ami
pratistha lagiya sathya-acharana
lobha-hata sada kami

"I am subdued by laziness and sleep, averse to performing good deeds, and eager to perform sinful deeds. I always do bad things for my own name and fame. I am ruined by greed and constantly covetous."

We are lazy; we talk so much nonsense; we gossip and listen to all sorts of village news and talks, and the time is wasted... Wake up early in the morning, go to the mangal arati, then go to work. If you waste time on gramya-katha, gramya-varta, all the nonsense talks, you will end up in so much danger.

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 Nitaichand give me His mercy? When will my material desires be finished? If you want mercy of Nitaichand, then all your desires for this material world will be gone...

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