Devotion in Motion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to the devotees in Peru
13 November 2011

How is the preaching going on there? Nicely?

—Yes!

Good.

শ্রবণং কীর্ত্তনং বিষ্ণোঃ স্মরণং পাদসেবনম্ ।
অর্চ্চনং বন্দনং দাস্যং সখ্যমাত্মনিবেদনম্ ॥

sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam
archchanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam

Hearing, practising (chanting), remembering the Lord, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, serving the Deity, offering obeisances, considering oneself a servant, thinking of the Lord as of a friend, and full surrender.

Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.23

That is our life.

We have got this human body for sravanam, kirtanam: chanting and dancing. We have got this body, this opportunity now, but this kind of opportunity does not come all the time, so we must use this body for preaching Krishna consciousness. Gurudev told us, "Wherever you live, you must maintain your spiritual life." So, we will not lose our time—when we get some good time, we will use it for preaching, through that we will get sukriti.

Sukriti means using everything for the service to the Lord. If you use everything for the service to the Lord, you will get benefit and those who you use will get benefit, sukriti, through you. It can be any jiva soul—a flower, some fruit, etc. You can offer everything to your Guru, to Gauranga, Nityananda, Krishna, Radharani, and that jiva soul will get sukriti through you. Everybody wants to serve the Lord, but they cannot do it, but if you use them, they will get benefitted.

Then, through sukriti comes sraddha, faith (visvas). There are four types of faith.

'শ্রদ্ধা' শব্দে—বিস্বাস কহে সুদৃঢ় নিশ্চয় ।
কৃষ্ণে ভক্তি কৈলে সর্ব্বকর্ম্ম কৃত হয় ॥

'sraddha'-sabde—visvasa kahe sudrdha nischaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

"Sraddha is firm, determined faith that by service to Krishna all actions are accomplished."

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.62

It is necessary to have the strongest faith. Faith becomes stronger through practising—even if you have a strong faith, it will become the strongest faith through practising.

Next, through sraddha comes sadhu-sanga, good association, then through sadhu-sanga comes sravan, kirtan (chanting and dancing). When your platform, or foundation (faith), is strong, then all bad elements, all bad things, bad material desires and environment will be removed through sravan and kirtan and you will get more taste, ruchi. Next, you will get attachment to your service. Gurudev said, "Everybody does some service, but only few people have attachment to their service." It all depends upon practising, that is why sravan and kirtan are necessary,

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

"One should associate with devotees, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura and worship the Deity with faith and veneration."

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.124

Mathura-vasa means you must stay in a place where there is Krishna-katha, Bhagavat-katha—you must listen to Krishna-katha.

If you practise in this way, your life will be glorious. Make your house a temple and teach your children and family members how to be a devotee, teach them how to be a devotional practitioner.

I will come as soon as possible. I am always with you. If you preach there—if you give attention to preaching Gurudev's mission, Gurudev's name—it will be even more glorious and I will be even happier.

Service is the main thing, and you must do service without asking for anything—only serve your Guru without any desires, that is the main thing (abhidheya), and you will be more benefitted through this. This is your great fortune.

You should organise preaching and do sankirtan in the street—invite devotees to join, distribute leaflets and prasadam. That is the preaching style. You only need to preach and increase our devotees. You chant the Holy Name yourself and you should give others a chance to chant.

Always chant and dance; through sankirtan everything will be glorious. Just chant and dance, OK? Give more attention to that—if you do sankirtan in the street, outside, it will be good for you.

— : • : —

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