Be Fixed in Your Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
6 September 2010

ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjjanangikara

You must accept what is in favour of devotion; you must reject what is not in favour of devotion. That is called sincerity. Do you understand? Nistha [be fixed]: what I will do, I will do that every day. Everybody does not have that service mood, seva pravritti [desire for, or engagement in service]. "I am only doing today, next day I am not doing"—this is not devotion, this is emotion. Do you understand now what is emotion and what is devotion?

Once, a lady came with her grandson to Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Param Guru Maharaj was giving Hari-katha, and hearing his Hari-katha that grandson began to cry. The lady said, "Oh, Maharaj, do you see? When you speak Hari-katha, my grandson cries!" Param Guru Maharaj said, "It is not devotion, it is emotion."

If you give one drop of water for the service of the Lord, that is sufficient.

So, sincerity, nistha, is necessary.

তদ্­বিদ্ধি প্রণিপাতেন পরিপ্রশ্নেন সেবয়া ।
উপদেক্ষ্যন্তি তে জ্ঞানং জ্ঞানিনস্তত্ত্বদর্শিনঃ ॥

tad viddhi pranipatena, pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam, jnaninas tattva-darsinah

You will be able to attain knowledge by satisfying the divine master with submission, relevant inquiry, and sincere service. The enlightened souls who are learned in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will impart divine knowledge to you.

Seva pravritti [attachment, hankering for service]...

I have told many times, for seven years, from 1992 to 1999 when I took sannyas, I did not sleep one night outside Nabadwip. I did not sleep outside even one night! I went to many places, Bamunpara, and other places, but I never slept there. I sleep here. Sometimes I would come at night, at midnight.

When Gurudev was here and I was here, every day I would see him at 2:30-3 o'clock. I was there [at his veranda] every day without fail.

Once I was in the bathroom, and Gurudev called me. My mobile phone was there. Gurudev said, "Come immediately." I ran as I was: in a gamcha, napkin. I came running to Gurudev. Gurudev asked,

"Why are you wearing gamcha?!"

"I was in the toilet!"

"Ai, toilet!!! Shower, take shower first!"

"You told me to come immediately, so I have come."

"You have to shower, and then come!"

"Ok, I will go shower, and then come."

"No, no, stand there. I will only take 5 minutes, then you can go."

So, I stood there, and he said something to me.

Even when I would come from any place, from any foreign country, I would first go to see Gurudev, then I would go to the room. Even when I would come from the crops field, there would be so much mud on my legs, but I would first go to see Gurudev, then I would go to my room, clean my feet, everything, then go for prasadam, then back to my room, go to the toilet, then take bath. First I would see Gurudev. Even if I saw he was taking rest, I paid dandavat and came back. If he was lying down, or his body was sick, then I would pay dandavat and come out. That is our duty. This way we are doing. When I came from Australia, Singapore, I did not go first to freshen up, I went first to Gurudev. Whatever pranami I got, I gave everything to him, then I went back to the room...

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