Revolt!—and Surrender

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
2 October 2013

Some sravan-kirtan, some service is necessary: if you can do both, sravan-kirtan and service, then nothing will be able to remove you from your spiritual life. You must try very hard towards this end. The life of a brahmachari is an austere life, but if you can tolerate it, it will be very good for you.

Preaching is necessary. Jive daya, Name ruchi, Vaishnava seva (জীবে দয়া, নামে রুচি, বৈষ্ণব সেবা): be kind to other souls, relish chanting the Holy Name, and serve the Vaishnavs...

Gurudev always keeps a place for us. He has gone to Goloka Vrindavan, entered his gupta-lila (internal, hidden pastime), but he always watches us, always watches whether we are doing right or wrong. Always.

“গোরার আমি, গোরার আমি” মুখে বলিলে নাহি চলে ।

গোরার আচার, গোরার বিচার লইলে ফল ফলে ॥

"gorara ami, gorara ami" mukhe balile nahi chale
gorara achara, gorara vichara la-ile phala phale

Just saying, "I am Gora's! I am Gora's!" does not do. Only when you follow Gora's practices and Gora's conception will you get the proper result.

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 8.6)

We say we are devotees of Gurudev, disciples of Gurudev, but we do not follow Gurudev's instructions properly—our devotion is lip-deep. Is it correct or not? What does it mean to be a disciple of Gurudev?

গুরুমুখ-পদ্মবাক্য চিত্তেতে করিয়া ঐক্য
আর না করিহ মনে আশা

guru-mukha-padma-vakya chitete kariya aikya
ara na kariha mane asa

"Make the teachings from Sri Guru's lotus mouth one with your heart, and do not desire anything else within your heart."

We must follow the instruction that comes from Gurudev's lotus mouth. That is called seva, service.

বড় দুঃখ পাইয়াছি স্বতন্ত্র জীবনে ।
সব দুঃখ দূরে গেল, ও পদ বরণে ॥

bado duhkha paiyachhi svatantra jivane
duhkha dure gelo o pada-varane

"I experienced only great distress in my independent life. All my distress has gone away by embracing Your feet."

(Saranagati, 21.5)

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur writes: I have become very unhappy, I have become very sad when I was independent. I got so much austerity! I got so much austerity when I was independent—when I followed the whims of my mind! I was very unhappy, but now all sadness, all unhappiness is gone. Why? Because I have surrendered to my Guru! As soon as I surrendered to Him, all kinds of sadness, all kinds of unhappiness went away, and now only happiness is coming, only ananda is coming.

তদ্­বিদ্ধি প্রণিপাতেন পরিপ্রশ্নেন সেবয়া ।
উপদেক্ষ্যন্তি তে জ্ঞানং জ্ঞানিনস্তত্ত্বদর্শিনঃ ॥

tad viddhi pranipatena, pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam, jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"You will be able to attain knowledge by satisfying the divine master with submission, relevant inquiry, and sincere service. The enlightened souls who are learned in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will impart divine knowledge to you."

(Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

Surrender, honest enquiry, and service temper (seva-pravritti).

It is necessary to give up this independent life. Do not follow your mind. The mind is always asking for so many things. The mind is very strong, and it works on behalf of the jiva soul, controlling everything—"I want THIS! I do not want THAT!" Do you understand what I am saying? It is very difficult to remove these things, but we must think, "I have to follow the order that comes from above. I have got an order, an instruction from above, and this is what I will follow."

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay!
Harinam sankirtan ki jay!

কবে হবে বল, সে দিন আমার ।
অপরাধ ঘুচি' শুদ্ধ নামে রুচি
কৃপা-বলে হবে হৃদয়ে সঞ্চার ॥

kabe habe bala se dina amara
aparadha ghuchi suddha name ruchi
krpa-bale ha'be hrdaye sanchara

"Please tell me, when will that day be mine? When will my offences be removed? When will the taste for the pure Name arise in my heart by the power of mercy?"

('Kabe habe bolo, se dina amar?' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

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