Nurture Devotion, Not Desires

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

If we do not use our life properly for practising, for service, after that we may not get this chance. Actually, we do not know what will be good for us, we do not know what is our benefit. If Gurudev tells you to do something, that is your benefit, and that is what is good for you. Mind is always naughty, and if you follow your mind, then you cannot prosper, you cannot develop your spiritual life.

How much association have we got from Gurudev? If we read his scriptures, read his books, we can easily get his association. When we get time, we must not waste our time on doing some nonsense—when we have time, we should read books, we should practise, chant, preach. That is our life.

My only desire is to fulfil Gurudev's desire...

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu prema-bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

"If you ask Krishna for anything except devotion, He can give you those things—bhukti, mukti, liberation, and so on—but He will hide devotion from you. You will not get devotion."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.18)

There is a nice example. There was a devotee, Krishna fulfilled his desire ten years later. I am surprised when I think about it. Ten years ago a girl came and he wanted to marry her. Everything was settled and finalised, but some problem happened, perhaps his or her mother got sick, and all arrangement was broken, the girl disappeared. He continued to do some service, took part in programmes, kirtans, etc. Although he did service, his desire was different. Then, ten years later that girl came and said, "I want to marry you now." For ten years there was no news from her, nobody knew where she lived, what she did. He was already in his late thirties, early forties perhaps, and she was also the same age, and now they are married. He wanted this, and Krishna gave it to him, made him peaceful. This is what is called,

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu prema-bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

"If you ask Krishna for anything except devotion, He can give you those things—bhukti, mukti, liberation, and so on—but He will hide devotion from you. You will not get devotion."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.18)

He wanted this, and Krishna gave him that and made him happy with these things, but He hid Himself.

We must cut all these unwanted branches (upasakha)—kutinati, bhukti-mukti-adi vancha (deceit, desire to enjoy, desire for liberation, etc.); otherwise if you cannot stop these unwanted things from the beginning, they will grow more and you will have a big problem, you will not be able to get rid of them. As soon as such desires come to your heart, come to your mind, you must immediately cut them off, otherwise your tree will not grow tall, there will be so many bushes. And you must also water your tree—water it through chanting, through practising. How will you cut the unwanted branches? What is your tool, weapon? Do you think you can do it with a knife ? No, you cannot. What kind of 'knife' do you need? Your 'knife', your astra (weapon) is chanting the Holy Name, practising, reading the books, chanting kirtans. These are your weapons. If you are niskam (when you have no selfish desires), not sakam (driven by selfish interest) and you practise, then all unwanted things will easily be finished.

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