What to Give and What to Take

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
15 February 2016

"বৃহৎ স্বার্থ পাইতে হইলে, ক্ষুদ্র স্বার্থ ত্যাগ করতে হবে, brihat svartha paite haile, ksudra svartha tyaga korte habe: if you want to get great things, you must avoid small matter." This is what I learned from Gurudev.

নিজের পোষণ কভু না ভাবিব
রহিব ভাবের ভরে ।

nijera posana kabhu na bhaviba
rahiba bhavera bhare

We sing this in a kirtan written by Bhakti Vinod Thakur (Saranagati, 19).

সর্ব্বস্ব তোমার চরণে সঁপিয়া
পড়েছি রোমার ঘরে ।

sarvasva tomara charane sampiya
padechhi tomara ghare

"I have offered everything at Your feet and taken shelter in Your home."

"Prabhu, I am placing everything at your feet."

তুমি ত' ঠাকুর, তোমার কুকুর
বলিয়া জানাহ মোরে ॥

tumi ta' thakura tomara kukura
baliya janaha more

"You are my master, please consider me your dog."

What is a dog's job? "Pratipa-janere asite na diba: I will not let those who are against you, who are against devotion to Krishna, come near you."

বাঁধিয়া নিকটে আমারে পালিবে,
রহিব তোমার দ্বারে ।
প্রতীপ-জনেরে আসিতে না দিব,
রাখিব গড়ের পারে ॥

bandhiya nikate amare palibe
rahiba tomara dvara
pratipa-janere asite na diba
rakhiba gadera pare

"Tie me up nearby and maintain me. I will remain at Your doorstep. I will not allow anyone who is against You to enter, I will keep them outside."

তব নিজ-জন প্রসাদ সেবিয়া
উচ্ছিষ্ট রাখিবে যাহা ।
আমার ভোজন পরম-আনন্দে
প্রতিদিন হবে তাহা ॥

taba nija-jana prasada seviya
uchchhistha rakhibe yaha
amara bhojana parama-anande
pratidina habe taha

"Whatever remnants your devotees leave behind after honouring Your prasad, I will eat that every day in great ecstasy."

Once a brahmachari got married and came to Prabhupad, "Prabhupad, my wife cooks, and gives prasadam to me first, then she takes it..." Prabhupad replied, "You got married, it is OK, but your wife should go to the market, cook, offer the bhog, and after she has taken the prasad, you must take her prasad.

Devotee: Why?

These are strong words. You should take prasadam after your wife because you should not see your wife as an object of enjoyment (bhoga-buddhi), you must see her as a Vaishnavi (Vaishnav-buddhi). A wife is not just for your own enjoyment. This is a high level teachings of Prabhupad.

Devotee: First the wife takes the Deities' prasad??

Yes, and after that you can take her prasad, then you will not have bhoga-buddhi towards your wife (you will not think she is for your enjoyment). What a consciousness, what a thought—think about it. This is a high level of preaching and such a strong conception.

You must think: my wife is not for my enjoyment, she is a servant of the Lord, and I should take prasad of the Lord's servant,

তব নিজ-জন প্রসাদ সেবিয়া
উচ্ছিষ্ট রাখিবে যাহা ।
আমার ভোজন পরম-আনন্দে
প্রতিদিন হবে তাহা ॥

taba nija-jana prasada seviya
uchchhistha rakhibe yaha
amara bhojana parama-anande
pratidina habe taha

"Whatever remnants your devotees leave behind after honouring Your prasad, I will eat that every day in great ecstasy."

She is a servant of the Lord and if you take her prasad, then you will not have the ego of a master (swami-abhiman). You must not think, "Why would I eat after her?" There must be no bhoga-buddhi, no swami-abhiman. This is Prabhupad's teachings, and it should be accepted...

One time Prabhupad came to a grihastha sadhu's house for a programme. He had not eaten anything except Tulasi leaves and perhaps some water while he stayed there. After three days, he told his servitor to tell the host that he was going to leave. The host was surprised, "But my festival has not finished! Why are you leaving?" Prabhupad said, "I have a lot of service in Mayapur. I have not come here to waste your rice. I could not give you any benefit, so I do not want to waste your rice." Now, however, the guru comes to teach others and says, "Give me money," "Give me car," "Give me this," "Give me pranami," and so on.

You always take, but you must not take, you must give... Do not take—this is the main thing. What can you give? If you have no money, you have your heart, so give your heart. That is the main thing: you must give your heart. You may have nothing, but you have sweet words, you have a heart. It is not necessary to always give money, it is necessary to always give your heart.

This is what a devotee's activities are like.

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