The Wanted and The Unwanted

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Translated from Bengali
9 December 2018, Tarakeshwar, part 8

In devotional practice, many unwanted things, kutinati (insincerity, deceit), many bad qualities come. We must be always alert and careful with that. We sing every day in the kirtan:

ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভাব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara

"Accepting what is favourable to devotion and rejecting what is not favourable to devotion."

(Saranagati, 1)

Prabhupad told one story. When you cultivate rice, some weeds grow along with the rice plant that look just like the rice plant. You should be able to tell them apart well because when you weed the rice paddy, you must pluck the right plant out. In the same way, in our practising life there are many weeds, kutinati (insincerity, deceit), anarthas (unwanted things), rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda, sparsa (desire to enjoy pleasant forms, tastes, smells, sounds, textures), kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, envy), kanak, kamini, pratistha (money, women, fame). Always remember this. I always tell this to everyone—to Vaishnavs, to those who have just come to the Math, to the sannyasis, to the brahmacharis, to everyone.

Always be careful of these three—kanak, kamini, pratistha. Kanak means money. Kamini means desire for a man or a woman's company. If you have a wife, do not think about any other women. Even if you only think about another woman, it is also bad. And pratistha means you think, "I have become a big Vaishnav", "I have become a big Maharaj", "I have become a big brahmachari", "I have become a big servitor", "I have become a great speaker", "I have become a great kirtaniya." Such thoughts must not come to us.

We must always think that we are very small, insignificant, we are poor and needy, we have no quality and qualification. "Yogyata vichare kichhu nahi pai—tomara koruna-sara (যোগ্যতা বিচারে কিছু নাহি পাই তোমার করুণা সার)! If you judge my qualifications, you will find I have no qualification, your mercy is everything." We must know the meaning of what we sing, then you will see how much you will progress in your practice.

Many of you cannot sing kirtans because you do not practise. I have told it to you before also—do not give me any pranami, I will be happy if you take that money and buy a kirtan guide book instead. It costs twenty rupees [Bengali kirtan guide]. Take it home and do not just keep it there—just as it is not enough to only water Tulasi tree. Take the book and study it. Chant one song for Guru vandana, one song for Vaishnav vandana, then Pancha-tattva vandana, Nityananda vandana, Gauranga vandana, and Radha-Govinda vandana. The larger kirtan guide costs more, it has all kirtans, but all the kirtans that we chant in the morning and evening are there in the small kirtan guide.

These days, with all the mobile phones, TV, etc., people have forgotten how to read books, they have lost this habit... We are always busy thinking when we will see a movie or some series on TV, what time the news is on on TV—we are wasting our time on all this and do not think about the Lord at all. We say that we do not have time. We do not have time to chant the Holy Name, but we have time to talk and gossip with others. This is a waste of time. We pray to you—days are passing; practise Krishna consciousness. Set some time aside to practise Krishna consciousness. We can leave this body at any time. Give some time to the service of your Guru, Vaishnavs, Bhagavan.

We must try to chant the Holy Name and bring ourselves to this path that can bring us to the Lord. If you keep listening to Hari-katha, if you always chant the Holy Name, then the dirt in your heart will be removed. By hearing Hari-katha, by keeping the association of sadhus, our hearts can become pure.

Bhakti Devi does not come to a dirty place. For example, you have made this place so nice today and I can sit here nicely, but if there were sacks with dal, rice, etc., then I would not be able to sit here. If you have a lot of rubbish and unwanted things in your heart—if you always keep kanak, kamini, pratistha, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya in your heart—where will you give place for the Lord to sit? You must give the Lord some space in your heart. You must make a temple in your heart. Do not only say, "I will keep you in my heart and never let you go." [A line from a popular song] You must really, truly keep the Lord in your heart.

“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.

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, 8.6-7)

This is Mahaprabhu's teaching. Always remember it.

গ্রাম্যকথা না শুনিবে, গ্রাম্যবার্ত্তা না কহিবে ।
ভাল না খাইবে আর ভাল না পরিবে ॥
অমানী মানদ হঞা কৃষ্ণনাম সদা ল'বে ।
ব্রজে রাধাকৃষ্ণ সেবা মানসে করিবে ॥

gramya-katha na sunibe, gramya-varta na kahibe
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe
amani manada hana krsna-nama sada la'be
vraje radha-krsna seva manase karibe

"Do not listen to the mundane talks, do not listen to the mundane news. Do not eat fancy food, do not wear fancy clothes. Do not expect honour to yourself, but offer all respect to others. Always chant the Holy Name of Krsna, and in your mind serve Radha-Krsna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.236-237)

Do not only say it with your mouth. You must always serve Govinda with your mind, with your heart. Always serve the Lord with your heart and you will attain the greatest fortune...

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