Make a Temple in Your Heart

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
speaking to the devotees of Paipa, Colombia,
16 November 2014

Devotees have returned from Vrindavan parikrama. Everything went happily and smoothly. They visited so many places.

Before, Gurudev would take Guru Maharaj and all the pilgrims to many places, and after Guru Maharaj's time, when Gurudev went to foreign countries, we continued doing the tours every year. Now too, after Gurudev's disappearance, by the mercy of the Guru, Vaishnav, Bhagavan, we are continuing the parikramas every year. It is only for preaching: we take people to various places, tell them about the Pastimes of Lord Krishna, Radharani, about the Pastimes of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundar, the Pastimes of Giriraj Govardhan. In this way we do Vrindavan parikrama every year and our preaching movement is going on everywhere.

Also Tyagi Maharaj came back. I heard from him that he also made nice programmes all over the world. He is very happy to get energy through devotees' practising life, and you also have got some energy through his preaching.

Are there any questions from you?

Devote: Today we are making an event downtown and we are going to distribute prasad to the people...

That is good, but it will be even better if you distribute Krishna-katha, Govinda-katha, Guru-katha, Gaura-katha to the people—then they will be more benefitted. You can distribute prasadam and they will get a little benefit, but if we distribute Krishna-katha, Gaura-katha, Govinda-katha, that will bring more benefit to them. If they hear Krishna-katha, get some sadhu-sanga, they will get relief from birth and death, that is why it is necessary to distribute Krishna-katha and clean their hearts—make a temple in their hearts! That is good.

You can distribute prasadam, no problem, but if along with the prasadam they chant the Holy Name, hear some Krishna-katha, that will be good.

Devotee: A devotee is asking what she can do—she is passing a difficult situation in her life. Even knowing the scriptures, she still finds herself in a difficult situation...

She must remember Pariksit Maharaj. He got a notice that he had to leave his body within seven days, so how much difficulty did he have to go through? I think she is not facing this kind of problem. We are all suffering, but we can get relief through service to the Lord, through full surrender to Him—this is the only way to get relief. Why are we suffering? Because we forget Krishna, we forget our Guru. We think we can maintain ourselves—it is our ego. We want to enjoy everything, want to taste everything, but we are not the proprietor. Krishna is the proprietor. You must think in this way, then you will get relief from everything. Do you understand?

Devotee: What is the best line of behaviour when we have some difficulties in the dealings with the devotees?

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥
বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi' ahankara
vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji' anye karabi palana

Give up your false ego, and always consider yourself lower than grass, poor, needy, and mean. Practise tolerance like a tree. Give up vengeance and nurture others.

You must be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others. If somebody chastises you or uses bad language, you are not to do that in return. Give honour to others and leave your ego. If you are cutting a branch of a tree, the trees gives you shadow, and you must be like this too. Who is the perfect person to chant the Holy Name?

দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
চারিগুণে গুণী হই করহ কীর্ত্তন ॥

dainya, daya anye mana, pratistha-varjana
chari gune guni hai karaha kirtana

Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name.

Those who are kind, not cruel, who do not think for their own self interest, who always give their life to others. You must give shelter to Radha-Krishna, Gurudev within your heart, and you can understand how wide you must open your heart to do that...

পর-উপকারে নিজ-সুখ পাসরিবে ॥

para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe

It means you must throw your own happiness, your own life into the Ganges for the benefit of others. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur wrote this.

Do not be selfish. Svartha-para, selfishness; pratihimsa, somebody chastises you and treats you bad, and you show the same behaviour towards them—this is not the religion of Mahaprabhu. If you are humble and sacrifice for the sake of others, then you can harmonise everything. If you are selfish, cruel, and angry, you will never harmonise with anybody.

Be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others, in this way you can harmonise with everything.

Devotee: We engage in many devotional activities, but how can we know these activities are seva?

You can always understand it—if it pleases your Guru, then it is seva; if it does not please your Guru, it is karma. Seva and karma look the same. If you do karma, reaction will come, but there is no reaction if you do seva.

Devotee: How can we get devotion despite so many difficulties in the environment? How can we develop devotion?...

Through practising Krishna consciousness. Sravanam, kirtanam, sadhu-sanga, Nama sankirtan. You will develop your spiritual life through practising Krishna consciousness.

'সাধ্যবস্তু' 'সাধন' বিনা কেহ নাহি পায়

'sadhya-vastu' 'sadhana' vinu keha nahi paya

Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 8.196

"Without practising, no one can develop their practising life." Always practise Krishna consciousness: practise what is favourable to devotion and reject what is unfavourable.

Devotee: You have given us so much... but how can we please you?

Follow Gurudev's instruction and serve my Guru, in this way you can make me very happy.

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay.

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