(4/10) Beyond Body and Bondage

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ganga Sagar, morning class,
Deity Manifestation Anniversary day
12 January 2019, part 4
Translated from Bengali

We are alive in this world, but to stay alive, we have to kill millions of living entities. When you walk down the road, so many ants are killed under your feet. You can slap and kill a mosquito. You breathe in and out, many entities enter your body and die. When you drink water, so many living entities are killed entering your body. When you eat rice, you cut the paddy to get it. When you eat potato, you kill the potato plant. Even if you are a vegetarian and eat cauliflower, cabbage, etc., you still commit the sin of killing. What is the solution then? Whatever you take, you have to kill somebody, but sadhus do not eat – they take prasad. Everything that is created in this world is created for Govinda, so if you use something for the service to Govinda, it becomes nirguna (free from the three modes of material nature). It is written in Srimad Bhagavad-gita also:

যজ্ঞশিষ্টাশিনঃ সন্তো মুচ্যন্তে সর্ব্বকিল্বিষৈঃ ।
ভুঞ্জতে তে ত্বঘং পাপা যে পচন্ত্যাত্মকারণাৎ ॥

yajna-sistasinah santo, muchyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa, ye pachanty atma-karanat

'By accepting sacrificial remnants of the universal gods, virtuous persons are liberated from all sins arising from violence towards other living entities. But those who prepare food for their own pleasure partake only of sin.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 3.13)

'If you eat something without offering it to Me, it means that you steal and commit a sin. Everything in this world is created for My pleasure, but overcome by ego, you think, "I work", "I do the farming", "I run the business"...' Husbands think, 'I earn the money and bring income!' and wives think, 'If I do not cook for you, you will not be able to do anything!' But who actually does everything and who makes you do everything? Think about it. You think, 'I will do this and this tomorrow,' but within one moment you can lose all power to do it. If the Lord wishes it, you can be taken to the cremation ghat this very moment – who will be able to prevent it? 'Marabi rakhabi, yo ichchha tohara (মারবি রাখবি—যো ইচ্ছা তোহার). If He wants to kill you, He will kill you, and if He wants to keep you alive, He will keep you alive.' But we have forgotten Him!

We rely on our fathers and mothers, but they are only our biological parents – they have given only our bodies. If you examine your blood, you can see that it is a mixture of your parents' blood. They give us these bodies, but who has given us life (our soul, that which we actually are)? You must think about it. Suppose somebody asks you, 'What is the name of this?' – if it is a cow, you will say that it is a cow, you will not say that it is a bull; or if it is a lion, you will say it is a lion; if it is a banana tree, you will say that it is a banana tree. Just like other species, we are called humans, and we have some names that we are called by. But all this is the identity of the body – you get a name when you come to this world. What was your previous identity? You are a soul, so where was your soul before that and where will it go after this life? Have you ever thought about this? That is whose benefit you must think about. That is why sadhus say, 'Think about the benefit of your soul!'

You only think about your bodies, 'What will I eat?', 'What will I wear?', 'Where and when will I sleep?' We do not need to think about all this. We must think about how our soul can get benefit. Sadhus come to tell us this – they are so merciful. People in this world promote 'jiva-seva', but sadhus come to show 'jive daya', compassion to the souls. When we go to people's houses, we do not come to take some rice, potato or money from them – we do not come to beg for anything like that! What we come to beg for is this: 'Krishna bolo, sange chala, ei matra bhiksa chai (কৃষ্ণ বল, সঙ্গে চল, এই মাত্র ভিক্ষা চাই). I am begging you for one thing only: come with us and chant the Holy Name of Krishna!' This is the only alms we come to ask for. We come to take you out of this illusory world and bring you to the family of Krishna. Therefore, start practising right now. Live a Krishna-centred life. 'Kariya Krsnera samsara chhadi' anachara (করিয়া কৃষ্ণের সংসার ছাড়ি' অনাচার)—you must make your family Krishna's family and give up all unwanted and unfavourable habits.'

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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