(3/5) Think What You Are Doing

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, 18 January 2019, evening, part 3
Translated from Bengali

Why will we practise Krishna consciousness? What for? Why will we serve the Lord? What is the difference between us and karmis and jnanis? Unlike them, we try to serve the Lord selflessly (without desiring anything in return). Actually, service is a matter of fortune. Not everybody can serve the Lord, and the Lord also does not take service from everyone's hands. So, whatever service the Lord is taking, however small it may be, you must serve without any desires. You cannot even say that there is any difficulty or that there is no difficulty – all that does not matter. Our only goal is to serve without duplicity, without any material desires, and we must watch out that we do not lose that goal (that we do not become removed from it). On this path of devotion, obstacles do come from time to time – we must be careful to always remove them. We must overcome dangers, obstacles and whatever miseries Maya Devi sends us to remove us from the Lord's service. Why does Maya Devi attack us? Because we become weak in our spiritual life.

I have told you many times and in many ways that 'Prasada-seva karite haya, sakala prapancha-jaya (প্রসাদ-সেবা করিতে হয় সকল প্রপঞ্চ জয়); by honouring the Lord's prasad I conquer all worldly illusions' (Saranagati, 31.5). 'Prapancha' means five (pancha) diseases (roga). These five diseases are avidya (ignorance), asmita (false identification), raga (misdirected love), dvesa (aversion to anything that goes against one's enjoyment) and abhinivesa (being unable to give up unfavourable habits). We do not feel enthusiastic to serve the Lord or chant the Holy Name. There are all these various diseases. The only way to remove these diseases is to take the Lord's prasad.

You are doing service here in Ekachakra, I do not have any objection, but I get to hear from time to time that this person went to his house, that person went to his house. What is there for you in your house? When you go to your home, somebody cooks vegetarian food for you, but you should not take it, not even if it is vegetarian. You must cook yourself and take bhagavat-prasad. You must not take anything from an uninitiated person. It is said in the scriptures:

বিষয়ীর অন্ন খাইলে মলিন হয় মন ।
মলিন মন হৈলে, নহে কৃষ্ণ-নাম গ্রহণ ॥

visayira anna khaile malina haya mana
malina mana haile, nahe krsna-nama grahana

'If you eat food that comes from materialistic people, it will contaminate your mind. And if your mind becomes contaminated, you will not be able to chant the Name of Krishna.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.278)

Remember this. Who is called a visayi? Visayis are those live in the bondage of material family life, who live their lives without Krishna, who live quarrelling over stool and urine. Vishayi (বিষয়ী, materialists) means vish (বিষ, poison). They take poison themselves and fight over it with others. That is why we do not eat outside. What is the reason? People give us some sweets, pakoras or singaras, these are vegetarian things, so why do we not take it? Because when people cook something, they cook it with some desires in their minds ('I will get money', 'I will have more customers and get more money', etc.), and when you take something from their hands, those desires that they cooked it with will come to you. If a devotee cooks something and offers it to the Lord, then it is prasad and you can take it.

What did Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj teach? You must understand that your wife is not your servant; she is Krishna's maidservant, not yours. She is not an object to be enjoyed by you. It is also said in our Gaudiya scriptures that if you have a lawful wife, you cannot mix with her only when you need a child; otherwise not. It is said very strictly, but who of the devotees follows it? Nobody. What to speak of mixing with other women, you must not be attached even to your own wife. Very harsh and difficult things are told us so that we do not become sick, so that do not invite obstacles to our devotional lives and do not become removed from this devotional path...

I have written these things in Guidance 3. I am trying hard to get it printed by Nityananda-trayodasi. If Nityananda Prabhu gives His mercy, then it will happen, otherwise it is not possible. If Nityananda Prabhu and Gurudev give their mercy, then the book will come out. Two books will come out together, Nityananda-mahimamrita and Guidance, Volume 3. I am proofreading day and night whenever I get time, going to bed at one o'clock... I have written there 108 questions and answers also. You must read them, then you can understand how many of us actually practise Krishna consciousness. Guru Maharaj told me, 'Acharya Maharaj, you have brought so many people to me to give them a chance to practise Krishna consciousness, but how many of them will reach the destination?...'

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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