Sri Guru's Order

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Vyasa Puja day of
Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
23 December 2010

"I carefully offer my obeisance to Sri Guru's lotus feet,
which are the sole abode of devotion. Make the teachings
from Sri Guru's lotus mouth one with your heart,
and do not desire anything else within your heart."

Today is a very fortunate day in our life: on this day Gurudev came to this world. He appeared here to rescue the whole universe, the whole world...

You know what Srimad Bhagavad-gita says, what Gurudev also says. Krishna appears in a human form but we must not neglect Him. We should also think that Gurudev comes in a human body, but he comes from the Lord's place. Krishna sends the Guru to preach and carry His words to the world—it is Guru's duty. That is why every year we celebrate Gurudev's appearance day.

You all know everything about Gurudev, about his love and affection. We sing at his arati, "Sada hasya mista bhasi susila kavitva: you always smile and speak sweet words, and your poetry is perfect." He has conquered the whole world with his love and affection and his qualities of humility, tolerance, giving honour to others that are Mahaprabhu's conception,

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 tolerant 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)

He is still with us.

অধ্যাপিহ সেই লীলা করে গোরা-রায় ।
কোন কোন ভাগ্যবান জীব দেখিবারে পায় ॥

adyapiha sei lila kare gora raya
kona kona bhagyavane jiva dekhibare paya

Gora Ray continues performing His Pastimes, and those who are fortunate can see it.

His lila (pastimes) continues at all times.

So, today we are celebrating his holy appearance. The main festival will be held at the nat mandir. We will start kirtan at 9-9:30 o'clock, and the programme will start by 10 o'clock and continue until the bhoga arati and Guru arati at 12 o'clock. This is how we are celebrating this day.

As you know, this year (2010) Gurudev would be eighty-two years old (eighty-one in Western calculation). He left at his own wish. When I came to Kolkata the day before he left he said to me, "I will not stay, I am leaving." Also, the day he left, in the morning, he told me he was leaving that day, but he had said it many times before, so I did not think that he was saying it seriously this time.

The Lord Himself comes to this world in the form of the Guru, but we do not understand it—our fault is that we only see the mortal body. Krishna said to Uddhav, "People see Me as a mortal and make offence. Acharya mam vijaniyam: people say that the Acharya, the Guru, is born in a mortal body, but actually I send the Guru as My own man to tell My words to the world."

It is always rare to get that kind of person who would understand it fully. Gurudev always said that there is a 10% devotee, a 5% devotee, a 20% devotee, an 80% devotee, or a 100% devotee, but a 100% devotee is rare. "শ্রদ্ধা-অনুসারী ভক্তি-অধিকারী, sraddha-anusari bhakti-adhikari." Devotion depends upon faith, and you must 'buy' faith with faith. If you have faith, then you can follow your Guru with devotion, with love (anugatya). It all depends upon faith; the quality of your devotion depends upon faith. Those who have a very strong faith can proceed, can prosper and develop their spiritual life.

It does not matter where you stay, even be it a forest or a jungle. Wherever you stay, wherever you live, you can practise your spiritual life. The main thing is to follow the order of your Guru.

We do not understand who Gurudev is. Some think, "Gurudev is not here now, so why will I go to the Math?" Those who say like this have not got Gurudev's association. We have books and scriptures written by Gurudev, why do you think he is not there? If you read his books, you will get his association. Do you think that staying with Gurudev, sleeping near Gurudev is called Gurudev's association? Following the order of Gurudev, that is called Guru's association! Staying with the Guru is not guru-sanga. You can stay anywhere. If Gurudev tells you to stay in Vrindavan, then you will get his association from Vrindavan. That is the main point.

You can see my example also. How much time did I spent with Gurudev? Sometimes I would come to Kolkata, pay dandavat, and then Gurudev would tell me to go back to Nabadwip, and I went back immediately without delaying. One time I returned from Singapore at 11:30-12 o'clock at night. I thought I would go to my room, take shower, change, then go see Gurudev, but somebody saw me and said Gurudev was waiting for me. You know how you feel after the flight (dirty clothes, and so on), but what was I to do? I had to go.

I remember Gurudev told also how, when Mahaprabhu was in Puri, all devotees would come there and first go to see Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu immediately arranged for their prasadam—He would call somebody and ask, "Hey, arrange for their prasadam! Where is the prasadam? Have they got a room?" Mahaprabhu arranged everything for them. The local devotees in Puri, however, used to frown, "Oh, they came to Puri, they must first see Jagannath, but no, they first go to see Mahaprabhu!" They did not understand that if you see Mahaprabhu you get the darshan of Jagannath. They also said, "They do not fast, do not shave their heads—as soon as they come they go to Mahaprabhu and take prasad!" But such was the order of Mahaprabhu.

This is the main thing, and everybody's duty is like that. This is what Gurudev taught me. He said that if the Lord said, "I want a laddu," but you gave Him a samosa, it is useless. You must give what the Lord wants. That is why we must understand what the Guru wants. Nijer maner kheyal khusimata bhajan bole na (নিজের মনের খেয়াল খুশিমতো ভজন বলে না). Satisfying the whims of your mind is not bhajan—following Gurudev, serving the Guru, the Vaishnavs and satisfying them is what is called bhajan. When you receive an order from Gurudev, that becomes your duty. This is how you must follow your Guru.

We say, "I want mercy, I want mercy," but we have no place to keep that mercy. First we must make some space in our glass. Guru Maharaj always said, "I cannot keep water in a pot that has a hole." The water is kept in a pot that can keep water.

So, please get ready by 9 o'clock, we will start Hari-kirtan, Bhagavat-katha. That is Gurudev's order, and we must follow it. We must prepare, and do what Gurudev wants us to do. If you follow your mind, do what you think you should do, then gone is your devotion...

In my life, I have missed only one word of Gurudev, only one order of Gurudev, and now I understand why I am suffering and struggling so much. It was only one order, and Gurudev told it to me many times, but actually I did not want to do that. Anyhow, by the will of Gurudev, everything will be fulfilled...

Srila Sridhar Maharaj had waited for thirty years to give his chair to Gurudev, and one time I asked Gurudev, "Gurudev, why did you fight your Guru Maharaj?" He gave an answer, and it is completely clear. He said, "My Guru Maharaj wanted to give me the chair and had waited for thirty years, but I did not want it. Last time when he wanted to give his chair to me, he said, 'If you do not take this chair, I will commit suicide.' If Guru Maharaj had given me his chair earlier, I knew that after a few days he would leave this world, and who wants their Gurudev to leave the world? If somebody want bhukti (enjoyment), mukti (liberation), and has desires other than Krishna consciousness, they think, 'Oh, Gurudev will leave, and I will get this building, this room, etc.'" This is what Gurudev told me.

He also had told me many times to do something, but every time I told him I did not want to do it, but last year he finally gave an open declaration and said, "I do not care [that you do not want]." You miss only one thing—you do not follow only one word from your Gurudev—and you will have to suffer because of that. I am sure about it.

This is the kind of Guru we have got. Our Rupanuga-sampradaya Guru, he came from transcendental power—he came from that vibration, from that kind of abode and plane—but when he was here we could not understand that...

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay!
Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay!

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