Perfect Character

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Year 2012

We are singing songs, and it is written there so beautifully:

বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যাজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji' anye karabi palana

Sri Siksastakam Giti, 3.3

You must be tolerant like a tree, and if somebody criticises you, do not give opposition to them, but rather in lieu of that you must take care of them. Only those who can be like this, can be qualified, can have the right to sing the songs, to chant the Holy Name.

That is Mahaprabhu's conception. We sing it, but it is not only singing—we must practise it. Without practising we cannot become perfect. Gurudev told one time: if somebody—even a sannyasi—is not practising properly, they will fall down.

চারি বর্ণাশ্রমী যদি কৃষ্ণ নাহি ভজে ।
স্বকর্ম্ম করিলেও সে রৌরবে পড়ি মজে ॥

chari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje
svakarma karileo raurave padi maje

Whatever varna (a priest, fighter, manager, or worker) or ashram (a celibate, householder, withdrawn from the household life, or monk) you may belong to, if you do not worship Krishna but engage in your prescribed duties, you will have to fall into a terrible hell.

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.26

So, we must practise properly.

দুর্ল্লভ মানব জন্ম লভিয়া সংসারে ।
কৃষ্ণ না ভজিনু দুঃখ কহিব কাহারে ॥
সংসার সংসার ক'রে মিছে গেল কাল ।
লাভ না হইল কিছু ঘটিল জঞ্জাল ॥

durlabha manava-janma labhiya samsare
krsna na bhajinu—duhkha kahiba kahare?
'samsara' 'samsara' ka're michhe gela kala
labha na ha-ila kichhu, ghatila janjala

I have got a very rare human life in this world, but I have not worshipped Lord Krishna. Whom can I tell of my misery? Time has passed in the affairs of material household life, and I have got nothing—only became burdened...

Kalyan-kalpataru, 3.2.4

Why are we not getting taste? "অপরাধ-ফলে মম চিত্ত ভেল বজ্রসম তুয়া নামে না লভে বিকার, aparadha-phale mama chitta bhela vajra-sama, tuya name na labhe vikara: as a result of my aparadhas, my heart has become as hard as a thunderbolt, and the feeling to chant Your Name does not arise in me." If I have a fever and my mother cooks some good tasty food for me, I will not get any taste because my mouth is bitter. So, the taste for the Holy Name will not come if I have some material desire in my heart:

ভুক্তি-মুক্তি আদি-বাঞ্ছা যদি মনে হয় ।
সাধন করিলেও প্রেম উৎপন্ন না হয় ॥

bhukti-mukti adi-vancha yadi mane haya
sadhana karileo prema utpanna na haya

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.175

If you have material desires, if you want liberation, enjoyment, some mystic powers, and so on, then even if you practise all life, or life after life, prem, love, divine love, will not come. Nothing will come.

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.18

If you ask for Krishna—"I want Krishna"—then Krishna will come; if you ask Krishna for something material, you will get that, but Krishna will not come to you. He will hide. If you ask to satisfy your material desire, devotion will run away from you.

জীবন-নির্ব্বাহে আনে উদ্বেগ না দিবে ।
পর-উপকারে নিজ-সুখ পাসরিবে ॥

jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe
para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe

"Live without causing anxiety to others; do good unto others without considering your own happiness."

Sri Siksastakam Giti, 3.4

Para-upakare means giving benefit to others—not giving medicine, clothes, food, etc., but if you give real benefit to somebody, they will forget about their material desires. Prahlad Maharaj asked for that boon. Nrisimhadev asked him, "What boon do you want to get?" Prahlad Maharaj replied, "Please, remove this asking mood forever from my heart—I want such a boon from You."

নাহি মাগি দেহসুখ বিদ্য ধন জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি ॥

nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga, ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi'

"I do not pray to You for physical pleasure, for learning, wealth, or followers. I do not pray for heaven or salvation. I do not pray for any of this opulence."

Nija-sukha pasaribe: do not disturb others for your own benefit, for your own purpose.

Bhakti Vinod Thakur wrote in Amara jivana sada pape rata:

Nija sukha lagi' pape nahi dari, I am not afraid of anything for my own happiness. Daya-hina: I am kind-less, that is cruel, and selfish. Para-sukhe duhkhi: if somebody is happy or successful, for example if somebody becomes a temple president, or manager, others are unhappy: "How many days has he been in the temple? I have been here for so many years, I am a disciple of a big guru, and I did not become the manager of the temple, but he did!" It is envy, jealousy. Para-duhkha sukha-kara: if somebody is sad, I am very happy. Asesa kamana hrdi majhe mora: I have so many material desires. Krodhi, dambha-parayana: I think I have done so much service, and I become angry. "I have served Gurudev for so many years, why cannot I be the president of the temple?" It is material desires—"I can take initiation from you, but in exchange I want this."

Nidralasya hata sukarye virata akarye udyogi ami: I always want to sleep, I am always lazy, and I do not do good things. Pratistha lagiya sathya-acharana: I always do bad things for my own name and fame, my own establishment, pratistha [sic]. E hena durjana sajjana-varjita [the virtuous shun such a sinful person like me].

Who is my sajjan—my dearmost people? Somebody can say, "Oh, that Maharaj is very bad because whenever I come to him, he tells me to do some service. I will not go to him." But:

গুরুর্ন স স্যাৎ স্বজনো ন স স্যাৎ, পিতা ন স স্যাজ্জননী ন সা স্যাৎ ।
দৈবং ন তৎ স্যান্ন পতিশ্চ স স্যান্ন, মোচয়েদ্ যঃ সমুপেতমৃত্যুম্ ॥

gurur na sa syat svajano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis cha sa syan
na mochayed yah samupeta-mrtyam

"It is not your guru, it is not your family, it is not your father, it is not your mother, it is not your gods, it is not your husband if that person cannot save you from the world of birth and death."

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.18)

Srila Prabhupad once saw sahajiya kirtan going on at some place, and the landlord of the place invited him to give lectures. After four days Prabhupad decided to go back to Mayapur. The landlord was surprised,

"But my program has not finished yet. Why are you leaving?"

"I did not came here to waste your rice."

"I have been sending so much prasadam to you for four days..."

Prabhupad's disciple said, "He did not take it."

"I could not give any benefit to you, so why must I spoil, waste your rice?"

That is perfect. Do you understand?...

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