(3/4) Stay Engaged in Service, Not Maya

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
6 January 2019, morning, part 3

We must always engage ourselves twenty-four hours a day in service to our guru and Vaishnavs. Do not waste your time on nonsense talks, nonsense work, nonsense things. 'Sevonmukhe kaha Krsna Nam (সেবোন্মুখে কহে কৃষ্ণনাম). Chant the Holy Name with service mood.' For example, even when you are making a garland or cutting some vegetables, you should be thinking about the Lord, about your guru and chanting their glories and Names at that time.

I told you yesterday that Maya is always searching for a gap.

কৃষ্ণ-বহির্ম্মুখ হঞা ভোগ বাঞ্ছা করে ।

নিকটস্থ মায়া তারে জাপটিয়া ধরে ॥

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vanchha kare
nikatastha maya tare japatiya dhare

'When souls become averse to Krishna and desire enjoyment, Maya, who is always nearby, pounces on them.'

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 6.3, Sri Jagadananda Pandit)

Maya is always waiting when you stop chanting Krishna's Name, when you cannot remember Krishna, when you become lazy and want to take a break from your service (when you want to retire from your service) – as soon as she sees it, she will attack you. Maya is always very strong. She gets her power from the Lord.

দৈবী হ্যেষা গুণময়ী মম মায়া দুরত্যয়া ।
মামেব যে প্রপদ্যন্তে মায়ামেতাং তরন্তি তে ॥

daivi hy esa gunamayi, mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante, mayam etam taranti te

'My supramundane trimodal illusory potency (alluring those who are averse to Me) is extremely difficult to overcome. However, this insurmountable potency of Mine can be overcome by those who exclusively surrender to Me.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

Krishna told, 'I have created Maya, and I have given all power to her, that is why she is very strong.' But when you surrender to the Lord, when you serve the Lord, Maya will think, 'Oh, this jiva soul is serving my Master, then I will not go to this jiva soul.' We hear from our guru-varga, 'Kutinati chhada, sadhu-sanga kara. Leave duplicity and take good association.' 'Kutinati' means gurudev, or some sannyasi, says that you must serve Krishna, but sometimes you begin to doubt it – you think, 'Oh, what my wife (father, mother, etc.) has told me should be good.' You may believe your spiritual master 70% and believe your relatives 30% (you believe what your parents or wife are saying). This is the opportunity that Maya is searching.

I have come here, perhaps, after two–three years, and even if I come once a year, I know that it is not sufficient. But the problem is that you are getting some association here, it makes you strong and you serve during the programmes, and when this service finishes, you go and get other association, hearing so many other things. Those are Maya's things. If you always serve Maya, service will leave you. We must always be careful with our spiritual life.

We do not chant all the time, so when you are not chanting, you must read your books – read Gurudev's books, Guru Maharaj's books (we have many books in our temple). You must read those books from time to time. Now is a much higher age when so much media and electronic devices are available, so you can listen to some lectures in the internet. This is how you can get association. Good association is necessary for our spiritual life. Sometimes you may feel bored in your house (sometimes you are alone and do not get association), but it is not a problem – read the books then, it is better than going to other association...

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Path to Purification
2) What Is Good Association?
3) Stay Engaged in Service, Not Maya
4) Escape Ratty Life