Loving Search for the Lost Servant (2):
Mercy above Justice

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj,
Speaking to devotees in London
29 July 2012, part 3

I can tell you one story from Gurudev's time.

There was a disciple of Gurudev, his name is Goswami (Gosai). He is still [as of 2012] doing puja in the jal mandir (Giriraj temple) and Siva's temple, he is an old man, more than sixty years old. He came to the temple four-five years before me, in 1987 or 1988. One time, he was sitting at the gate and Gurudev spoke to him. He did not know how to talk with Gurudev, so when he said something Gurudev became very angry and told him, "Get out!" And he left.

I was a new person, a new manager at the temple at that time, I forgot which year it was, some time around 1993-1995. So, after Gurudev told him to get out, he asked me in the evening, "Where is Gosai, has he left?" I said that he had left. Gurudev said then, "Oh, that boy was good but a little foolish. Now there is no servitor at the temple, he left..." I think Gurudev felt some pain that Gosai had left, but because Gurudev had ordered him to get out I could not tell him, "OK, stay here."

A few years passes and I got to know that he was working in another temple for some small amount of money. I brought him again to the temple, and when Gurudev saw him he became very happy—he said, "Oh, now Gosai has become a disciple of Vinod Prabhu!" (At that time my name was Vinod.) That is mercy above justice.

There was also another story. There was one saffron-clad brahmachari in Kaikhali. One day, he all of a sudden took off his saffron clothes, dressed in white clothes and, having written a letter to Gurudev, ran away at night without telling anybody. I searched and searched for him for one-two years, and I brought him back too. It was 2003 or 2002. When Gurudev saw him, he asked, "Who is this boy?" Of course, Gurudev knew who he was, he had recognised him because he gave saffron brahmachari clothes to him, but he asked, "Who is this boy? I cannot recognise him..." I told the name of the boy to Gurudev and then Gurudev said, "Oh, loving search for the lost servant!"

We must try,

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)

Gurudev also said, "I also left the temple, I also ran away, but Guru Maharaj forcibly grabbed me by my sikha—he pulled me out of hell and threw me at the lotus feet of Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundar!" He also said to me, "I was a dirty plate, but Guru Maharaj cleaned that dirty plate and again used me for the service to the Deity."

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