Under Control

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
22 December 2011

If I see some brahmachari doing something wrong, it is not my business. সমালোচনা, পর-চর্চা, পর-নিন্দা, samalochana, para-charcha, para-ninda—if you criticise, speak bad, or find fault with others, your bhajan, seva, will go away. কুবলিব না, কুদেখিব না, কুশুনিব না, ku-boliba na, ku-dekhiba na, ku-suniba na—do not say bad things, do not see bad things, do not hear bad things.

If you, for example, see some boy or girl doing something wrong, and you immediately go and give the news to others, it is very bad for you because that fault will attack you in return—Gurudev said that problem could come to you. Do not do it. Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur also told so. When two brahmachari would be fighting, what did Prabhupad do? He would call the two brahmacharis and tell them to glorify each other for 10 minutes each.

You must understand it—if you see some offence, that offence will attack you; if you see fault in somebody, that fault will attack you. We must see the good in others. Vaishnavs are adosa-darasi—Vaishnavs do not see others' faults.

না দেখি তারণ লেশ যত দেখি সব ক্লেশ
অনাথ কাতরে তেঁই কান্দে

na dekhi tarana lesa, yata dekhi saba klesa
anatha katare tei kande

I do not see even a trace of hope. All I see is hardship. Helpless and distressed, I cry.

'Thakura Vaishnava Gana' by Srila Narottam Das Thakur

"I see no way how to be rescued from these material things—everything around me is very sorrowful, very sad... Prabhu, what can I do? I have nobody—no mother, no parents, nobody—I am an orphan, so I am crying to you, Prabhu, O Vaishnav Thakur!"

কাম, ক্রোধ, লোভ, মোহ, মদ, অভিমান, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, abhimana (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, and ego)—it all exists in our mind, and the mind controls everything. We have five karmendriya (পদ, পাণি, পায়ু, উপস্থ, বাক, pada, pani, payu, upastha, vak: feet, hands, rectum, genitals, mouth), and five jnanendriya (চক্ষু, কর্ণ, নাসিকা, জিহ্বা, ত্বক্, chaksu, karna, nasika, jihva, tvak: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin), and the mind controls them all. For example, I am sitting here and see a girl passing down the road. She is gone, but I can still see her—my mind is controlling my eyes. Mind is naughty, dusta, and it must be always controlled.

How will you control your kama-veg (lust urge)? Gurudev gave one mantra—kama-gayatri... If you cannot control kama-veg, there will be a big problem in your spiritual life. Kama-veg must be given up.

You must also control your tongue—tongue means bad talking and bad eating, or eating too much.

গ্রাম্যকথা না শুনিবে, গ্রাম্যবার্ত্তা না কহিবে ।
ভাল না খাইবে আর ভাল না পরিবে ॥

gramya-katha na karibe, gramya-varta na kahibe
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe

"Do not get into 'village' talks, do not hear 'village' talks. Do not eat fancy food, do not wear fancy clothes."

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.236

বৈরাগীর কৃত্য—সদা নাম-সঙ্কীর্ত্তন ।
শাক-পত্র-ফল-মূলে উদর-ভরণ ॥

vairagira krtya—sada nama-sankirtana
saka-patra-phala-mule udara-bharana

"The duty of a renunciate is to always engage in Nama-sankirtan, and maintain your stomach with vegetables, leaves, fruit, and roots."

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.226

Who said this? Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told it to Srila Das Goswami. "Devotees must always chant the Holy Name, engage in Nama-sankirtan, and only take some fruit and vegetables."

When I heard some devotee in Nabadwip eats fourteen chapatis at a time, I was surprised: how does he control his everything? If you do not control your mouth, you cannot control your mind, and if you cannot control your mind, you cannot control anything.

Gurudev said that eyes, nose, mouth, heart, everything should be gradually controlled. Gurudev gave an example. Imagine you are standing and six men—kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, abhimana (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, ego)—are pulling you with ropes in six different directions. Tell me, what will be your position then?

Further on this subject: Control the Root.

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