Flourish and Nurture Others

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to devotees in Colombia
18 September 2011, part 1

I am very happy to see you all. You are all in my heart, you know that. I see your faces and I am remembering Gurudev. It is very nice to see you, to see your devotional activities and devotional faces...

Devotees: We only pray for your blessing.

You have already got mercy from Gurudev—you are in a good line, Sri Rupanuga sampradaya line. It is a very special line. It is very nice to see you all, to see you all in the line, all in a happy mood, to see your ever happy faces. Seeing devotees I always get pleasure: bhakta-sangete mana anandita anuksana (ভক্ত-সঙ্গেতে মন আনন্দিত অনুক্ষণ). Krishna bless you.

Actually, devotees always engage in "sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam, atma-nivedanam (hearing, chanting, remembering, offering obeisance, engaging in service as a servitor, as a friend, and self-submission)." Sravanam, kirtanam brings sukriti. If you have good sukriti, you get good faith, and your devotion depends upon your faith—if you have the strongest faith, then you also have the strongest devotion. If your platform, your foundation is very strong, then your devotional activities will last a very long time.

You must from time to time go for the sankirtan in the street. That is good, that will give benefit to others. If those who cannot chant the Holy Name at least hear the chanting of the Holy Name, they will also get some benefit. You know that the devotees of the Parama Karuna temple (Caracas, Venezuela) always do sankirtan—if you get their association, you will get more devotional activities, you will be even more perfect, more presentable. When I go to Venezuela next time, I will visit Colombia, you can be sure of it—I will take a group of devotees from Caracas and will stay there in Colombia with you all for a few days.

Devotees: Jay!

That is what Gurudev actually left me for—this is what I am living for. So many problems come in this life, but Gurudev left you (you are all my good friends, you are all in my heart), and we are together, that is our hope. Sometimes we cannot understand each other because of the different languages, but there is actually a heart to heart connection between you and me.

So, it is my hope that you will do more preaching. We are born in this life, we have got this human body to serve the Lord. Krishna sent us—you, me, everybody—to serve the Lord. How will you serve the Lord? Through good association, under the guidance of a bona fide Guru. You have no doubt got such a bona fide Guru as Gurudev, you have got connection with the original line, and if you practise Krishna consciousness, then we will go to wherever Gurudev is staying—Gurudev is waiting for you, for me, for all of us, and we can go there and serve there.

You have been waiting for me the whole night... I am thinking, "Why have you been waiting? What for?" But you are getting pleasure, you are getting happiness in this way otherwise why would you wait the whole night for me? That is devotion. That is why I am giving "gracias" to you all (I am thanking you all).

Gurudev told me that when we go to school, college or university, we have to pass an examination to go to a higher class, but who will give you an exam in the temple life, in the spiritual life? You yourself must examine yourself—if you are getting pleasure from chanting the Holy Name, if you feel happy to chant the Holy Name, if you are getting pleasure from hearing Hari-katha, Krishna-katha, from getting good association, then you can think that your devotion is increasing. You can easily understand it yourself.

Sometimes our mind is not good, some problems come, but if you feel that your mind is always good, that your devotional activities are going on well, that the foundation is good and you are getting pleasure from practising, then you can think that your devotional activities are increasing.

I am telling to you all that if somebody wants to come to India and stay here, you are always welcome. Preaching movement is our life. We promised to the Lord when we were in our mother's womb that we would serve Him. Our mouth, our tongue, eyes, ears, etc. are all for the service of the Lord, for chanting the Holy Name—this is what we have to use everything for. Everybody's qualification is not the same—somebody has some qualification, somebody else has some other qualification, but we must use everybody for the service of the Lord. This is what giving benefit to others is.

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