(4/11) Become a Good Practitioner

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sundarpur, 18 January 2019, noon, part 4
Translated from Bengali

If you read Sri Ramananda-sambad in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, you can understand Mahaprabhu's conception even more. You know, Mahaprabhu rejected even Gita – He said, 'This is external, go deeper.'

Their conversation took place on the bank of the Godavari in Kovvur, South India. Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Ray, 'Pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya. Please recite verses from the scriptures about the ultimate goal of life.' First, Ramananda Ray said, 'One can attain devotion to Lord Vishnu by following one's own religion.' 'One's own religion' means the religion of householders, celibates, vanaprasthas, and so on. Mahaprabhu said, 'This is external. Go on.' Then, Ramananda Ray spoke about karma-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with material activities). This is actually what we also generally speak about (to do everything but in the meantime think about the Lord). Mahaprabhu said again, 'This is external, leave it. Go on.' Karma-misra bhakti is what is said last in Gita, after karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and other kinds of yoga:

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 and surrender to Me. I will look after you. You do not need to feel sad or grieve, I will take away all your sins.' This is the ultimate advice of Gita, but Mahaprabhu rejected it, 'This is external, give it up and go on.'

After that, Ramananda Ray spoke about jnana-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with pursuits of knowledge). Mahaprabhu again said, 'Leave this. Go deeper.' Only when Ramananda Ray mentioned jnana-sunya bhakti (knowledge-free devotion) did Mahaprabhu accept it, 'Yes, this will do. But is there anything higher?' 'Jnana-sunya bhakti' means, 'I do not know anything, I do not understand anything. I have no quality or qualification.' One time, somebody asked me, 'Maharaj, how will I worship the Deities? I do not know any mantras...' I told him, 'That is your mantra!' You should come to the Deities and say, 'O Lord, I do not know anything, I do not understand anything. I do not have any qualification. I am giving You this food, whatever I have managed to get and cook; please eat it.' What other mantra need there be? That is the mantra you need. But this mood and feeling must come from your heart; it is not about anything external.

If you look at a sadhu's external behaviour, you will not understand anything – it is necessary to hear and follow what the sadhu says. Does a sadhu speak about the Lord, or does a sadhu speak about other things (gossips about others and criticises others)? You must learn from sadhus. Sadhus never speak gramya-katha, never gossip or discuss others. It is described in Srimad Bhagavatam that genuine sadhus are those who have left everything, taken shelter in their guru and live their lives serving the Lord, their guru and Vaishnavs. Such sadhus have surrendered everything at the holy feet of the Lord and only serve their guru. You must know who is called a sadhu. Remember these things.

If you have no right to do something or go somewhere, do not venture there. The Lord says, 'Give up everything and surrender to Me,' and most people are like that here. What can you say? But 'give up everything and surrender to Me' is only karma-misra bhakti, it is not a very high conception. It means, 'You are doing farming, running a business or working in an office – whatever you do, offer it at the feet of the Lord.'

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, offer everything at My feet.' This is karma-misra bhakti. If you keep practising this kind of devotion, you can gradually come to a higher level. Remember this. Always live in submission to your guru (follow the instruction of your guru with chastity and submission) and become good practitioners – follow all rules and regulations.

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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