Strong Foundation

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
22 November 2010

Through practising, we must make our foundation very strong. I saw what happens if the devotional foundation is not strong. Many disciples of even Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Param Guru Maharaj, who had no faith in Gurudev, have gone another way. They did not practise the proper way, and after they had served for a few months, or a few years, they went another way.

Chaitanya-charitamrita and the scriptures tell us clearly what happens if the foundation is not strong, and almost every day I am telling the story about the sadhu. A sadhu will always rescue us, the fallen jiva-souls—we always go to the illusory environment, but the sadhu will take care of us:

দুর্দ্দৈবে সেবক যদি যায় অন্য-স্থানে ।
সেই ঠাকুর ধন্য তারে চুলে ধরি' আনে ॥

durdaive sevaka yadi yaya anya sthane
sei thakura dhanya tare chule dhari' ane

If by chance a servant falls down and goes somewhere else, glorious is that master who captures him and brings him back by the hair.

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 4.47

'Durdaive sevak' means an unfortunate servitor. An unfortunate servitor always goes another way, but Gurudev, Vaishnavs will take him and engage him in service. That is our only hope. But we must accept their help—if we go another way, it becomes very difficult. That is why if we follow our mind, it becomes a big problem. Actually, we do not know what is good for us. We think we will get benefit in this way, and we go that way, but then some problem comes.

Sanatan Goswami told Mahaprabhu, "আমি কিছু নাহি জানি, ami kichhu nahi jani. I do not know anything." Also, once Prakasananda Saraswati invited everybody, including Mahaprabhu, to join his assembly. Mahaprabhu came and sat down in a dirty place, whereas all the sannyasi were sitting in a higher place. Prakasananda Saraswati saw Him and said,

"You look like a good sannyasi, but why are You sitting in this dirty place? Please join us."

"I am a sampradaic sannyasi, but I have no qualification to sit with you." And Mahaprabhu showed some of His aisvarya, opulence.

"You look like Narayan, but You are sitting here. Come with us, let us sit together."

Mahaprabhu came there and all the sannyasis gave Him respect and a seat. Prakasananda Saraswati asked Him,

"You took sannyas from Keshav Bharati, so You belong to our sampradaya. A sannyasi's religion is to practise meditation, dhyan, and to read Veda, Vedanta, but why are You, like a baul, madman, chanting and dancing?"

"Because My Guru told Me, 'You cannot read Veda, Vedanta. You are ignorant and foolish, so You have no qualification to read it. Better if You just chant.' So, I am chanting on the order of My Guru."

What order Gurudev gives, we must follow that.

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