(2/5) Sincere and Selfless Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, 18 January 2019, evening, part 2
Translated from Bengali

We have come to practise Krishna consciousness. If you hanker after big buildings, money, wealth, property, it is not good. Srila Prabhupad said that this is yosit-sanga. Yosit-sanga is not only mixing with women, as it is generally interpreted; yosit-sanga is also hankering after any enjoyment, any desire to enjoy. This is bad association, or 'female' association.

When you speak about the Lord, you eventually start thinking that if somebody worships the Lord for ten rupees or a thousand rupees, this is 'debal thakurer puja' (দেবল ঠাকুরের পূজা; deity worship performed by hired brahmans). When people worship Kali, Shani, Durga charging ten rupees for it, this is 'debal thakurer puja'.

We must think in another way. We come to the temple to practise Krishna consciousness, so we try to serve the Lord whenever we can. When somebody serves the Lord, the Lord does not throw them into any difficult situation – such people do not struggle, do not suffer so much. It is those who live in another way that suffer.

When I went to Vrindavan, I saw ** Prabhu. He chanted kirtans very happily, smiling and laughing. He could not sit on the flour, so he would sit on a bench and chant or listen to Hari-katha. His health became bad, but he had a clear mind. He did much service in Govardhan for as long as he could, but when he could not do it anymore, he came to stay in Vrindavan. One day, he sat down in a chair and fell unconscious. He left in this way. This is an example of the Vaishnavs who serve the Lord sincerely (without deceit) and selflessly (without desires).

Money and other things will come – if you serve the Lord, there is no lack of money or anything. You can find the proof of this if you look at me. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, 'I will not leave even one cent for you all because if I leave you any money, it will be a bigger problem later – you will become lazy and not practise Krishna consciousness.' Our duty is to preach Hari-katha, to preach what our gurus and Vaishnavs say. So many people come here in Ekachakra – you must preach to them, you must distribute whatever you have got from your guru. 'Achara-prachara Namera adhikarya: one earns the right to chant the Holy Name by practising and preaching.' You must both practise and preach. This is what Krishna consciousness is. If you have other desires, you will not be able to do anything... They did so many things to me, but I never gave up and ran away. I could have run away and stayed alone in Vrindavan, or I could have gone to stay in America or London. I never did that. Instead, I see those who live in submission to the guru, who have come to genuinely, sincerely practise Krishna consciousness, and I try to engage them in service. That is my duty. I must engage in service those who sincerely come to serve.

I told ** Maharaj also, 'Preach. Learn to preach Hari-katha. I have written books, read them and preach what is in them. You will not make it without preaching. Running a temple, looking after a temple is more for grihasthas.' Guru Maharaj said, 'Any gentleman can run a temple.' It is not necessary to know many scriptures or have much knowledge to run a temple – one must just be a complete gentleman. But when you stay at the temple, you must speak about the Lord – tell others whatever Hari-katha you know. We must not be anyabhilasi (keep any other desires); we must become nirmatsar (free from envy or jealousy towards anybody). This is what Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur told us.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Do Not Become Sahajiya
2) Sincere and Selfless Service
3) Think What You Are Doing
4) Sprout of Deviation
5) Love Others