Chastity: Disciple's Virtue

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham, India
1 March 2016

Very fancy, luxury food is not necessary. Mahaprabhu told Raghunath Das Goswami,

বৈরাগীর কৃত্য—সদা নাম-সঙ্কীর্ত্তন ।
শাক-পত্র-ফল-মূলে উদর-ভরণ ॥

vairagira krtya—sada nama-sankirtana
saka-patra-phala-mule udara-bharana

"The duty of a renunciant is to always engage in Nama sankirtan. He should fill his bellies with vegetables, leaves, fruits, and roots."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.226)

Simple things are sufficient...

Atyahara, prayasa, prajalpa, niyamagraha, laulya, jana-sanga (অত্যাহার, প্রয়াস, প্রজল্প, নিয়মাগ্রহ, লৌল্য, জনসঙ্গ—too much eating, accumulating too much, talking nonsense, superficial attachment to rules and regulations, greed, associating with nondevotees). If somebody follows the rules and regulations fully, their practising life can last longer, forever; otherwise if you feel some material desire is starting to take root and you do not finish it at an early stage, it will increase and increase, grow more and more. Sleeping, eating, laziness, and so on—the more you increase it, the more you will want it.

নিদ্রালস্য-হত সুকার্য্যে বিরত
অকার্য্যে উদ্যোগী আমি

nidralasya hata sukarye virata
akarye udyogi ami

"I am subdued by laziness and sleep. I do not want to do what is good, and I want to do what is bad."

(Saranagati, 5.4)

The same is true about atyahara, prayasa, prajalpa, niyamagraha, laulya, jana-sanga.

This sloka by Srila Rupa Goswami describes what is called pure devotion,

অন্যাভিলাষিতা-শূন্যং জ্ঞান-কর্ম্মাদ্যনাবৃতম্ ।
আনুকূল্যেন কৃষ্ণানুশীলনং ভক্তিরুত্তমা ॥

anyabhilasita sunyam jnana-karmady anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama

"The highest devotion is that which satisfies Lord Krsna, free from the coverings of any pursuits such as action, knowledge."

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhuh, 1.1.11)

Anya-abhilasita sunyam—no other material desires.

What is mainly necessary is chastity...

I heard that a devotee went to some place in Mayapur, but we do not go to that temple. Gurudev told me not to go to that temple and I never go there. After Srila Sridhar Maharaj expired, a sannyasi from that tempe came to fight with Gurudev—it happened in front of me. Also, after Srila Sridhar Maharaj's disappearance, many godbrothers left Gurudev and went to take sannyas there... Maybe a month after I joined the temple they sent an invitation to our temple, and Gurudev sent me there to see who was there, but after I went there, Gurudev said, "You gave me the report, it is enough. Do not go there again." And I have never gone there again.

Past two-three years different temples organised Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's festival, but I did not go there. Why? Nobody knows it, but it is because I have Gurudev's instruction inside, and if Gurudev told me not to go to the temple where the festival is held, how will I go there, tell me? Maybe Gurudev said it to me twenty-five years ago, but I will not forget it. He told me not to go to this place, and I will not go there. I want to follow that instruction until my death. This year I went there because the festival was in Srila B.D. Madhav Maharaj's temple, and I have no problem with them, Gurudev has no problem with them. That is called chastity.

Even for my disciples I will not allow these kinds of things. One time a devotee went to a sahajiya temple, and I heard he was reading their books. I asked him if it was true, and he admitted, "Yes, I went there. I like their books." Next time he wanted to stay at our temple, I told him, "No, Prabhu. You think you are my disciple, but what is this? If you do not follow my instruction, you are not my disciple." I told him also how Raghunath Das Goswami did not accept a pot that had come from Chandravali's place.

Chandravali wants to serve Krishna, but without Radharani; Mirabai also followed Krishna, but without Radharani. Raghunath Das Goswami showed that they did not accept that kind of conception—he threw his buttermilk away. Why? Just because the pot was coming from Chandravali's kunja. Chandravali wants to serve Krishna bypassing Radharani—she does not follow Radharani, that is why Raghunath Das Goswami thought, "If I take that buttermilk, it will be an offence to Srimati Radhika. Have I come to Vrindavan to make offence to Radharani or to serve Radharani? What have I come here for?" That is why he did not accept that pot, along with the buttermilk.

This kind of mentality should come. There are so many things that are good for us to know and understand...

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