Keep Out of Danger

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking to the devotees in London
10 October 2015

Question: You said before "envy is much worse than ego." Could you please tell more about that?

Actually ahankar, ego, has a place—you can keep it in some place—but you cannot keep envy in any place. Krishna gave a place for ego because we can think, "I have an ego," but what kind of ego is that? "I am a servant of a servant of Vaishnavs", "I am a servant of the Guru", "I am a servant of the Lord." This is the place that we have for ego, but it does not mean that we will think, "I am doing this, I am doing that, I am doing so many things"—not like that, rather we will think, "I have an ego: at least I am a sweeper of the temple."

Even Krishna Himself said He had an ego. Once, in Dvaraka, He said, "I have got one good service—at least I can clean the shoes of the guests and devotees who come here." Also, when Sudama came to Krishna, Krishna and His wives, Rukmini, Satyabhauma, massaged Sudama's feet. Krishna said, "My ego is that I have got that kind of service." That is the proper ego.

I can also tell one story. Once, I went to Puri for the Ratha-yatra festival, and I engaged a householder devotee to serve sannyasis, brahmacharis, distribute prasadam. I told him, "This is your service." One sannyasi, however, did not like his service and said to him, "You are not fit for this service, you do not have the capacity to do it. You are only good for sweeping." The devotee came crying to me, but I told him, "Why you are crying? That sannyasi did not give you a curse, he actually gave you mercy because in Puri sweeping is the best service." Even King Prataparudra swept the ground, and still to this day the king does that kind of service.

So, the ego has a place, that is we are the servants of Krishna; but matsaryata, envy, is very difficult for us. For example, you are doing some service, you are becoming the manager of the temple, or the secretary of the temple, but someone cannot tolerate that; someone becomes the Guru, the Acharya of the temple, but someone cannot tolerate that—it is called envy. Krishna says that it is very difficult, very dangerous for the devotional activities, it is very bad for practitioners. You must understand it and avoid envy through practice. Envy is very dangerous for your practising life.

• • •

Have you heard that a devotee expired yesterday in an accident?

—Yes, we heard it...

It is very sad. I cannot tolerate that kind of news.

I do not like it when devotees always go to the beach, to the Ganges. So many devotees risk their lives. It is very dangerous—actually, it is childish. I do not like these kinds of things.

We are not enjoyers. We cannot go to the beach for enjoying. Only Vraja gopis and Krishna can do that, but we are not Vraja gopis, we are not Krishna, so we cannot enjoy at the beach, Yamuna, or Ganges. Do you understand it?

That devotee expired yesterday, it is very sad news for me: we need devotees for service, but when devotees leave their body, we lose their service. It is very painful for me...

• • •

Actually, when a devotee takes initiation, it is necessary to teach them how to practise, teach them to be humble, tolerant, give honour to others.

Raghunath Das Goswami's father used to send him so much money and he would make Vaishnav festival (Vaishnav seva) with that money—he would distribute prasadam to the Vaishnavs; but Mahaprabhu thought that his pratistha was coming through that and He did not like it. When Raghunath Das Goswami understood it, he did not accept that money any more.

বিষয়ীর অন্ন খাইলে মলিন হয় মন ।
মলিন মন হৈলে, নহে কৃষ্ণের স্মরণ ॥

visayira anna khaile malina haya mana
malina mana haile, nahe krsnera smarana

"If you take food that comes from materialistic people, your mind becomes contaminated. When your mind is contaminated, you cannot remember Krishna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.278)

You must always take prasadam—it is a part of practice. Householder devotees, brahmachari, even sannyasis—everyone must always take prasadam.

• • •

Question: I heard it is important not only engage the body in service, but also the mind, but for me it is very much of a problem...

Yes, not only body—all indriya: chaksu, karna, nasika, jihva, tvak (চক্ষু, কর্ণ, নাসিকা, জিহ্বা, ত্বক্, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin), mana, buddhi, ahankar (মন, বুদ্ধি, অহঙ্কার, mind, intelligence, ego), pada, pani, payu, upastha, vak (পদ, পাণি, পায়ু, উপস্থ, বাক, feet, hands, rectum, genitals, mouth). You must engage all indriya, senses, in service to the Lord, to your Guru, not only your body.

দীক্ষাকালে ভক্ত করে আত্মসমর্পণ ।
সেইকালে কৃষ্ণ তারে করে আত্মসম ॥

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama

"At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krishna accepts them as His very own."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 4.192)

Sometimes your mind disturbs you, but when Sanatan Goswami was disturbed by his mind (he wanted to commit suicide), Mahaprabhu chastised him, "What are you going to do?! When you took initiation from Me, you gave everything to Me—even your body. This body is not your body, it is My body now. It is My instrument, and I will use you for the service to the Lord!" So, you cannot do what your mind tells you to do—you should engage everything in service.

• • •

...You should sing the song, "Mayar base, yachchh bhese, khachchha habudubu bhai". Do you know this song?

Say, "Hare Krishna"! Say, "Hare Krishna"! All of you, say it!

Gaura Nitai dance all over Nadiya giving these teachings.

Brother, you are swimming in maya for nothing, sometimes coming up to surface, sometimes choking and struggling.

The soul is a servant of Krishna! Believe it and there will be no misery left.

Chant Krishna's Name and you will be thrilled! Cry and chant Krishna's Name!

I am begging you for one thing only: chant "Radha Krishna" with others!

Bhakti Vinod says all dangers go away by singing Krishna's Name.

(Gitavali, Sri Nagar-kirtan, 4)

"We are always swimming in maya"... This is a Godrum song, sung by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur...

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