(2/11) Learn the Ropes

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sundarpur, 18 January 2019, noon, part 2
Translated from Bengali

You are keeping here a Deity of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but do you know the conception of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Do you understand what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu preached? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told Nityananda Prabhu, 'Nityananda, preach the Holy Name of Krishna.' Did Nityananda Prabhu do that? You have kept Nityananda Prabhu's Deity here, but He did not preach about the Holy Name of Krishna. You are keeping a Deity here – you must follow what that Deity says. He preached:

ভজ গৌরাঙ্গ, কহ গৌরাঙ্গ, লহ গৌরাঙ্গের নাম রে
যে জন গৌরাঙ্গ ভজে, সেই আমার প্রাণ রে

bhaja gauranga, kaha gauranga, laha gaurangera nama re
ye jana gauranga bhaje, sei amara prana re

'Worship Gauranga! Say Gauranga! Take Gauranga's Name! Those who worship Gauranga are My heart and soul!'

(Sriman Nityananda Prabhu)

First, we must become devotees of Gauranga Mahaprabhu (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu), only after that can you think of becoming a devotee of Krishna. You must understand and remember this. If we try to worship Krishna directly, we will become sahajiya (imitators). Start by following Mahaprabhu's teachings. You name your temple 'Krishna Ashram' – do you know whose line 'Krishna Ashram' is? This is Mirabai's line. Gaudiya Vaishnavs do not accept it. Bypassing everyone, Mirabai said, 'I have got the treasure of divine love for Krishna (Krsna-prema-dhana painu).' Mahaprabhu said, 'I have not got even a trace of Krishna-prema!' but she said, 'I have got the treasure of Krishna-prema!' What did Srila Prabhupad say? 'Apana bhajana-katha na kahibe yatha tatha (আপন ভজন-কথা, না কহিবে যথা তথা). Do not tell anyone and everyone about your own bhajan, service and practice.' We must keep our own intimate worship to ourselves – we will not show it in front of everyone. Srila Prabhupad also said:

মাতল হরিজন কীর্ত্তন-রঙ্গে ।
পূজল রাগপথ গৌরব-ভঙ্গে ॥

matala hari-jana kirtana-range
pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange

'From afar we shall worship the raga-patha, the path of spontaneous affectionate service, while we ourselves shall live within the Vedic guideline.'

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad)

We will keep intimate service to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna (raga-patha) in our hearts, we will not show it to anybody. Remember this.

You should have named your ashram 'Sri Sri Guru Nitai Gaura Ashram' or at least 'Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Ashram'. Change the name. Call it 'Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Ashram'. If you have Gurudev, if you have Gauranga, it is alright. Or you can name it 'Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Ashram'. Many people in South India say, 'Jay Sri Krishna.' They worship Krishna bypassing Radharani... Do you understand what I am saying? Does it enter your hearts?

Mahaprabhu is a worshippable Lord who is overwhelmed with the divine mood of Srimati Radharani. Why does He come to this world? The first reason is that He comes to distribute the Holy Name of Krishna to such fallen souls as ourselves; and the second reason is that He wants to know, 'Why does Radharani cry so much taking My Name? What sort of happiness does She feel when She is serving Me?' Desiring to taste this, Supreme Lord Sri Krishna takes Radharani's heart and halo and comes as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a combined form of Radha and Krishna. He comes to relish the divine mood of Radharani. When Krishna left Vrindavan and went to Mathura, Radharani exhibited a very peculiar intense mood of separation, and Mahaprabhu relished that same mood in Sri Dham Puri. One must cry for Krishna in desperation, but this is a very high level – this is Mahaprabhu's mood that must come to us one day. But what we must do now is worship Nitai and Gaura. You have kept Krishna's Deity here, it is alright, but name your ashram 'Sri Sri Guru Nitai Gaura Ashram' or 'Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Ashram.' Always remember this. Never follow misconceptions – if you follow misconceptions, you will never get a good result.

In the scriptures, there is such a thing called adhikar, right. If you enter somewhere where you have no right to enter, you will face great danger. It is necessary to earn the right first. First enter the qualification, the right to worship Krishna, then you can do it. Mahaprabhu Himself said, 'I have not got any Krishna-prema!' but you are saying, 'I have got the treasure of Krishna-prema!' This will take you nowhere.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Basis of Mahaprabhu's Conception
2) Learn the Ropes
3) Watered Down Conception
4) Become a Good Practitioner
5) Spiritual Selfishness
6) Do Not Overstep
7) Internal and External Devotion
8) Step Forward
9) We Are Servants, Not Devotees
10) Learn Proper Meaning
11) Come to Nirguna Plane