Real Mercy, Real Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to Johannesburg, SA
30 May 2015, Sri Nabadwip Dham

Yesterday was Nirjal Ekadashi, today is dvadasi, and tomorrow is Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu's festival in Panihati. All the devotees are going there—with flat rice, mango, jackfruit we are going to make this chira-dadhi mahotsav tomorrow.

After Raghunath Das Goswami made this festival, did that Vaishnav seva, he got mercy from Nityananda Prabhu. Actually, for many years Raghunath Das Goswami had tried to get mercy from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but he did not get it. He did not get it because he went to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu directly, but without mercy from Nityananda Prabhu it is impossible to get Mahaprabhu's mercy.

So, when Nityananda Prabhu came to Panihati, Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu got that news and asked his father for permission to go and meet with Nityananda Prabhu. His father gave him permission, and Raghunath Das Goswami went to Panihati. When he came there, he saw Nityananda Prabhu, sitting and talking with all the devotees—so many devotees gathered there at that time. Nityananda Prabhu told him, "OK, you have come. As your father is so rich, you can make a big festival here. It is very hot now, and it is mango season... Arrange some yoghurt, flat rice, and mango and feed all the devotees." Raghunath Das Goswami was very happy and he made this festival. That day is going to be tomorrow.

So many people—many millions of people—came to the festival at that time. This festival is still held in that place, on the bank of the Ganges. There are so many people there, but not so much place—people take prasadam even standing in the Ganges' waters.

Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu made this festival and in this way he actually fulfilled the desire of Nityananda Prabhu—Nityananda Prabhu's mercy came to him. When he was paying obeisances to Nityananda Prabhu, Nityananda Prabhu put His feet on his head and said, "Now you can go to Puri—now you can meet with Mahaprabhu, and you will get service." Soon after that, Raghunath Das Goswami went to Puri and Mahaprabhu accepted him—Mahaprabhu gave him service.

Getting mercy means getting service, so we need service: if you have service, you have mercy. It is always necessary to have mercy of Nityananda Prabhu.

“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 always say, "I am a devotee of Gauranga, I am a devotee of Gauranga! I am a follower of Gurudev!" but we do not follow Gurudev's conception, we do not follow Mahaprabhu's conception—we only say we are followers of Gurudev, but actually we do not do properly what we should be doing.

লোক দেখান গোরা ভজা তিলক মাত্র ধরি ।

গোপনেতে অত্যাচার গোরা ধরে চুরি ॥

loka dekhana gora bhaja tilaka matra dhari'
gopanete atyachara gora dhare churi

You show the world you serve Gora simply by wearing tilak but secretly you misbehave. Gora will catch you, you thief!

Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 8.7

We are showing to the world that we are devotees—we put on tilak, etc.—but at the same time we are doing some sinful works, secretly we are doing wrong things. It is not good for our spiritual life.

Spiritual life means to always practise Krishna consciousness and not to forget Krishna for even one moment. Always keep your family life with yukta-vairagya—proper renunciation, not false renunciation. Practise properly, keep proper association, and always avoid the Nama aparadh, always avoid the seva aparadh, always avoid the dham aparadh, always avoid the Vaishnav aparadh—and chant the Holy Name properly, without deceit. Always chant with proper attention, with proper service mood. If you can chant the Holy Name like this, the result must come. And do not to lose your patience—have some patience, and the result will come.

Through your service, so much sadness, so much unhappiness will come, but do not leave your service—always stay within your service, and in this way you can conquer maya. It is very difficult to conquer maya, but if you fully surrender, if you practise properly, if you engage in proper activities, one day maya will come to your hand and will listen to you.

Do you understand? Follow the proper practice in this way.

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