Odds and Ends (4)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Compiled on 31 December 2015

Several excerpts that were not included in the main posts:

Bankura Temple | 5 July 2015

Our new temple in Bankura (Betur) is almost finished, and the Deities—Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Radha-Raman jiu—are going to be ready soon. Gurudev gave a very sweet name in the Kaikhali temple, but unfortunately at present we cannot serve the Deities there, devotees cannot go to Kaikhali properly, that is why I have chosen this name for the Deities in Bankura.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj went to that place because of Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, a disciple of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. After Prabhupad's disappearance, Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj (at that time a brahmachari) returned to his home in Bankura and got married. Srila Sridhar Maharaj became very sad and went to his home to bring him back. Goswami Maharaj said, "Maharaj, if you give sannyas to me, I will join the mission and start preaching again." Srila Sridhar Maharaj agreed and after sannyas his name became Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj.

You know that every year when do Nabadwip Dham parikrama, we stop at Nandan Acharya Bhavan. It is his temple in Mayapur. In Vrindavan also, his temple is in Imlitala. He is a very big preacher and captured many places of Mahaprabhu's pastimes. Nandan Acharya Bhavan is the place where Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu met for the first time; and in Imlitala, Sri Krishna meditated at the bank of the Yamuna at that place, and Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj got the service there.

Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj's birthplace is near Bankura, and by the mercy of Guru Maharaj we got the land for our temple in Gurudev's time. Gurudev knew that place, knew that we had got the land there as a donation from a school teacher. I could not finish and could not start also the temple in Gurudev's time, but two years ago (2013) I started the construction, and now the temple is finished and I want to inaugurate it...

• • •

Ramanuja Acharya's bed | 15 June 2010

As you know Ramanuja Acharya travelled to many places. One time he went to Tirupati and stayed one month at one ashram there. He had a good servitor called Govinda who always served him.

Every day Govinda used to make a bed for his Guru and every time he made the bed, he would sleep on it for a few minutes. One day, Ramanuja Acharya asked him,

"Govinda, what you are doing? I heard you sleep in my bed for a few minutes! Do you not know that if you sleep on the same bed as your Gurudev you will have to go to hell?!"

"Yes, I know that..."

"Then why do you sleep in my bed?!"

"Prabhu, when I make your bed, I want to know if that bed is comfortable or uncomfortable because you will sleep there... so I do it just to check."

"Oh, I understand..."

"If I go to hell, it is no problem. For your service, I am ready to go to hell."

It is very nice, actually. We can do anything for the service to the Lord, service to Krishna, Guru, but we cannot do anything for our own indriya tarpan, our own enjoyment!

• • •

Parikrama thoughts | 10 March 2012

I saw that a small boy did full parikrama, and not only did parikrama, he also played a big mridanga! How did he do it? That mridanga weighs maybe five kilo. If I carry even one kilo during the parikrama, I cannot do it. I can only carry my microphone, which is two hundred grams or even less.

—And a very big mala also.

Yes [laughs], and that too is very heavy for me. When I am singing I cannot carry even my danda, and I was thinking, "Oh, when Mahaprabhu chants, He dances with His two hands up. Where is His danda?" Also, "When Mahaprabhu would sing so many people followed Him, and at that time there was no microphone. How did He sing without a microphone?" I was thinking about it...

• • •

Moustache | 12 September 2015

*** now has a big moustache. Why? What is this big moustache for? Does he think he is a man? Purush abhiman? In some countries, if you have a big moustache, you can get some money from the government. Does he too get some money from the government for it? [Laughs]

The scriptures say that if your moustache touches the water that you are drinking, then you are taking urine.

—Really?!

Yes. Hari-bhakti-vilas, many Vedas, Katha Upanisad, they all write this. There are many things told there very strictly, and it is hard to follow everything but the main things is this: when something is not necessary in your life, avoid it.

Sometimes devotees go to work and some proper dress is necessary. At that time you cannot wear a dhoti and a kurta, then it is not a problem, but I think that moustache is not necessary for a working place...

I am telling it to you because you are going to teach others:

nija achari' dharma jivake sikhaya
achara na karle sikhana na yaya

"First follow the instruction yourself, then teach others. If you do not practise what you preach, your preaching will not work."

If you want to teach somebody, first you must practise properly. If you want to tell others to chant the Holy Name, but you do not chant the Holy Name yourself, your words will not work. If you tell somebody to recite the gayatri every day, but you yourself do not recite it, the mantra that you will tell others will not work. You tell somebody, "Please chant the Holy Name, I'll give you a mala, I'll give you a mantra," but if you yourself do not practise, do not do it, then if you give a mala to somebody, that mala will not work. That is why when some sahajiya guru, laukik guru, kaulik guru, karmi guru, jnani guru, yogi guru gives initiation, it does not work. These are the main things.

• • •

More than meets the eye | 20 October 2015

Vrisabhanu... Mahaprabhu always called Pundarika Vidyanidhi "baba"...

You cannot see with your eyes, cannot see the difference between a sannyasi and a householder. You cannot distinguish that with your eyes.

Big-big sannyasis paid their obeisance to Kunja Babu, who was a householder. So many great-great babajis and big-big personalities paid their obeisance to Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, who was a householder too. And Pundarik Vidyanidhi was also a householder, but Mahaprabhu recognised him. Who is he? He is the incarnation of Raja Vrisabhanu!

• • •

Always with you | 20 October 2015

Do you have any other questions?

—When will you come to Paipa?

Actually, you are always with me, and my heart is always with you. Physically I may not be able to come now, but as soon as I get relief and get my passport from the government, I will immediately start visiting foreign countries. It is going to be soon, there are good symptoms. When that happens, I will come to Paipa, Colombia and everywhere else, I will meet with you all, but my heart is always with you, and you are always with me.

• • •

The Highest Ambition | 20 October 2015

I have got a message recently that said, "Oh, you told me to do some service, but I have a higher ambition than that." I was surprised! I do not know what higher ambition, what better ambition there can be other than service!

• • •

No hodge-podge | 22 October 2011

Sridhar Maharaj's preaching is not quantity but quality. I will give initiation to those whom you recommend, otherwise many call me and ask for initiation, but I do not know them, I do not know whether they are asura (demon) or not. So, you must see first, must understand if they practise properly.

Why do many devotees come to the festivals there? Because you practise, you preach, and the leadership is good, there is no hodge-podge, no kitchuri, you follow the proper line, that is why your preaching in increasing.

It is not necessary to have many things. A small temple is sufficient. The temple may be small, but a big Guru is there—our Guru Maharaj is there, Gurudev is there. You do not need a grand accommodation, you can keep your Gurudev in your heart. And I can see Gurudev, can see Guru Maharaj through you all because you keep Guru Maharaj, you keep Gurudev in your hearts.

I am paying my full dandavat to all the devotees, I am very happy, I am very fortunate that you are keeping me also in your heart and at your lotus feet. That is my fortune. Also, I see that Rohini Nandan Prabhu does not have a garland, and I am giving this garland to him.

• • •

'Thanks' is not enough | 17 May 2015

Brazilian devotees helped me so much to buy the land in Nrisingha Palli. It was Gurudev's desire to have that land, and I am surprised how much they helped me. I did not hope to get that land beside the Nrisinghadev Temple, and now it happened. If I give 'thanks' to them, it is not very small. I cannot give thanks to them, it would be not perfect. They gave so much energy, funds, for that Nrisingha Palli land, and I am very happy. Before, Gurudev declared to everybody that we were getting a property of Nrisinghadev, but only now it actually came to the hand of our Chaitanya Saraswat Math. I am very pleased with that.

• • •

What is intelligence? | 12 September 2015

Intelligence is necessary. "যে জন কৃষ্ণ ভজে সেই বড় চতুর, Ye jana Krsna bhaje sei bada chatur": devotees of Krishna must be intelligent.

A householder devotee cooks and maintains a family, and a householder nondevotee also cooks and maintains a family; but the householder devotee is intelligent because he cooks for the Deity and devotees and maintains Krishna's samsar (family).

You must be clever and do everything as service to the Lord. That is called intelligence. Those who are foolish, think that they want to be enjoyers, but they do not know that Krishna is the enjoyer.

• • •

Let Gurudev choose | 5 December 2012

—Srila Govinda Maharaj's murti is coming soon.

Coming? When?

—Maybe in two weeks it will be here in Caracas. We would like to ask what we should do...

Wait and see. Gurudev will choose his place. He will choose some place beside Gaura Nitai and will sit there. Let him choose.

— : • : —

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