Bad Habit vs Sincere Heart

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham
11 December 2010

In Gurudev's time also there was a devotee who used to smoke five packs of cigarettes a day (!). Every day he would spend 250 rupees on it. Then he heard from the scriptures that you must offer what you take to your Guru, to the Lord. In his house, there was no altar, but there was a photo of Gurudev, and every time before he smoked he first offered the cigarette to the photo, "Please, take this." He continued like this and one year later he came here and told Gurudev, "Gurudev, you blessed me, Krishna blessed me—you have removed that bad habit from me!" This is how he reduced his smoking.

Do you see? You may have a very bad habit, but if you practise, everything will be removed. It is not a problem, but you must try. "I will practise, I will follow the scripture, I will follow Gurudev's word"—this kind of mood must be there, then you will get association.

How can you get association of Gurudev? If you listen to Gurudev's Hari-katha, if you read his books, if you read the scriptures, then you will easily get his association! If you follow his order, you will you get his association, will get the energy—only like this, not in any other way. You must follow the instruction in this way.

Do anybody have any questions?

Question: Did Gurudev tell that devotee to offer cigarettes to Krishna to stop smoking? Is that instruction for everyone or just that devotee?

Gurudev did not tell him to offer cigarettes. That devotee did it himself—and through that he removed his bad habit. He thought he could not get rid of that habit himself, so he prayed to the Lord and Gurudev, "Gurudev, please remove my bad habit!" And Gurudev did it. Because he had a very strong desire to do it, he could do it.

You heard from the scriptures, from Srimad Bhagavad-gita in particular, that the Lord says, "Actually, in this world, I have created everything for Myself, not for you. You cannot enjoy with anything—here, everything is for Me. So, if you take something without offering it to Me, you will be taking all kinds of sin." That is why we do not eat—we offer food to the Lord and then take it. It is called prasad.

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)

Even when you are outside and you are hungry or have to take something, you should offer it first to the Lord or Gurudev, then you can take it...

[Side note:] Once His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj said to a devotee, "If you drink tea, offer the tea to Gaura Nitai. If They think it is bad, They will remove it from you."

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