(2/10) Service Is All About Mood

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ganga Sagar, morning class,
Deity Manifestation Anniversary day
12 January 2019, part 2
Translated from Bengali

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

'Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship holy Deities with faith.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

We are told to listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, but who will we listen from? It is said in the scriptures, 'Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane (ভাগবত পড় বৈষ্ণবের স্থানে, একান্ত আশ্রয় কর চৈতন্য-চরণে). Read Bhagavatam under guidance of a Vaishnav and take exclusive shelter of the lotus feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu' (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.5.131). It is necessary to read Srimad Bhagavatam at the place where Vaishnavs are; otherwise, you will interpret it in a wrong way. You must understand this.

পৃথিবীতে যত কথা ধর্ম্মনামে-চলে ।
ভাগবত কহে সব পরিপূর্ণ ছলে ॥

prthivite yaha kichu dharma name chale
bhagavata kahe taha paripurna chhale

'Bhagavatam says that whatever is going on in this world in the name of religion is complete cheating.'

(Based on Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.2)

There are many religions in this world, but Srimad Bhagavatam says that all these religions are mere cheating. That is why you must listen most attentively, listen with your heart. Satisfying the whims of your mind is a show of service, it is not service (nijera manera kheyala khusi-mato bhajana abhinaya, bhajana bale na; নিজের মনের খেয়াল খুশিমতো ভজন অভিনয়, ভজন বলে না). Your mind tells you to do something, and you do it – this will not do. Remember this. You must do what Sri Gurupadpadma says. We chant in one of the kirtans, 'Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, chittete kariya aikya ara na kariha mane asa (গুরুমুখ-পদ্মবাক্য চিত্তেতে করিয়া ঐক্য আর না করিহ মনে আশা). Make the teachings coming from Sri Guru's lotus mouth one with your heart and do not keep any desires.' I have been explaining it to you giving so many examples...

I first went to preach in Midnapore about twenty years ago, in 1999. When I came there recently, I had to walk for quite a long time to the place where the programme was held, so I was thirsty when I arrived. I asked them for a glass of water, but everyone was too busy queuing up to wash my feet. This is not service. This is satisfying your own desires. They think, 'If I wash gurudev's feet, I will be very fortunate, I will get benefit,' but they do not care that gurudev has asked them for a glass of water. This is not service. If you do something out of your own desire, something that is not gurudev's desire, then it is karma, not seva (service). Remember this.

Karma and seva look the same. If you do something for yourself ('I am washing gurudev's feet to get some piety, for my benefit'), this is karma. On the other hand, if gurudev says, 'Give me a glass of water,' this is seva – this is what you must focus on. What is the result of doing karma? The result of karma is material bondage, and the result of material bondage is hellish suffering. As I have just said, karma and service look the same – outside people do some work, and we also do some work at the temple. Here at the temple, we do everything to serve the Lord; and if householder devotees genuinely live in Krishna's family, they also cook for the Lord, work for the Lord, do farming for the Lord, run a business for the Lord, and so on. They live in Krishna's family, a Krishna-centred life. It is said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita:

যৎ করোষি ষদশ্নাসি যজ্জুহোষি দদাসি যৎ ।
যত্তপস্যসি কৌন্তেয় তৎ কুরুষ্ব মদর্পণম্ ॥

yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kurusva mad-arpanam

'O Kaunteya, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give and whatever vow you may keep-do everything as an offering unto Me.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 9.27)

'Whatever you do, do it for Me.' This is written in Srimad Bhagavad-gita, our 'primary' scripture – after that, there is Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Sri Chaitanya-charimrita, then Srimad Bhagavatam. These are the scriptures dedicated to pure devotion. Actually, Mahaprabhu rejected Gita. He said, 'Go beyond what Gita says.' Gita's last word is,

সর্ব্বধর্ম্মান্ পরিত্যজ্য মামেকং শরণং ব্রজ ।
অহং ত্বাং সর্ব্বপাপেভ্যো মোক্ষয়িষ্যামি মা শুচঃ ॥

sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma suchah

'Give up all kinds of religion and surrender to Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, do not despair.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

'Leave all religions – all Vedas and Vedanta – and surrender to Me.' But Mahaprabhu said, 'This is external, go further.'

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CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 25 Mb
Length: 50 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Power of Mindful Service
2) Service Is All About Mood
3) Help Yourself and Others
4) Beyond Body and Bondage
5) Do Not Cheat Yourself
6) Your Life, Your Escape
7) Keep Internal Purity
8) Embrace Devotion to Lord Krishna
9) Know Where You Belong
10) Result of Sadhu-Sanga