(12/17) Higher and Highest Devotion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bolpur, evening, 19 January 2019, part 12
Translated from Bengali

So, when you water your devotion, watch out that you do not pour too much water – do not enter where you have no right to go. Always speak about the subjects that are suitable for the level (rasa) of the audience in front of you.

For example, when Mahaprabhu went to the bank of the Godavari, He spoke about Rasaraj and Mahabhava, the highest things. When we read Srimad Bhagavad-gita, we know that its highest conclusion is, 'Leave all religions and surrender to the Lord.' But when Ramananda Ray brought it up, Mahaprabhu rejected it, 'No, this is superficial, leave it. Go further and tell Me what is higher than that.' Just look at that!

Mahaprabhu had asked Ramananda Ray to recite scriptural verses to describe the highest end of life. At first, Ramananda Ray said, 'The highest goal is to follow what is prescribed according to your social position (sva-dharma).' Then, he spoke about karma-misra bhakti. Karma-misra bhakti is what I have just told you about – it means you realise that everything in this world is created for the Lord, so you use everything in the service to the Lord, then you will be saved from karma. If you do karma (material actions for your own interest), you will fall into bondage, and the result of that bondage is suffering in hell. The way to get relief from karma is to do service instead of karma. But Mahaprabhu said that this is external too. Next, Ramananda Ray spoke about jnana-misra bhakti, pursuing knowledge. Genuine 'jnanis' (wise people, scholarly experts) are those who leave everything in this world and come to receive knowledge from a sadhu – they do not consider themselves great scholars, great philosophers, great intellectuals; they come to sadhus, hear Hari-katha from them and use all knowledge to serve the Lord. But Mahaprabhu said, 'Leave this, too. This is superficial.' Then, Ramananda Ray spoke about jnana-sunya bhakti (devotion devoid of pursuits of knowledge). Then Mahaprabhu said, 'Yes, this is right.' Jnana-sunya bhakti means, 'I do not know anything, I have no intelligence, no knowledge. I do not have anything. I have no quality or qualification, I am a lowly fallen soul.' Mahaprabhu accepted this as genuine devotion. After that, they spoke about santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa.

For example, Mother Yasoda fed Krishna with her breastmilk. Who did she do it for? For Krishna's pleasure, not for her own pleasure. Sometimes, she also pulled Krishna by the ear, scolded Him, hit Him – for whom? For Krishna. Because He fed butter and curd to monkeys. She thought, 'I have kept that butter and curd for Him, but He is giving it to monkeys! He is so naughty!' She gave Him a hiding and tied Him to a mortar. She did this for Krishna's pleasure, out of love for Krishna. You must remember this.

We must serve Lord Krishna and His devotees out of love. We must not serve out of love for ourselves – we must serve out of love for devotees. Our existence should be to satisfy Krishna's senses (Krsnendriya-priti vanchha), not our own sense (nijendriya-priti vanchha). We must serve to show our love for the Lord, and we must remember that we must never think that we have become Vaishnavs. Unlike other missions, we do not preach, 'Become a devotee of Krishna!'

One time, a senior devotee came from another mission and asked Srila Sridhar Maharaj to give him sannyas. Srila Sridhar Maharaj replied, 'But you are a devotee of Krishna. First you must become a devotee of Radharani, then I can give you sannyas.'

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Self-Realisation
2) Seek Soul's Solace
3) 'Why Am I Suffering?'
4) Relief from Reaction
5) Escaping Life of Sin
6) Highest Attainment
7) Learn to Love Lord
8) From Hell to Heaven and Back
9) Sadhus' Clothes and Sadhus' Hearts
10) Genuine Gurus' Mission
11) Money Does Not Buy Devotion
12) Higher and Highest Devotion
13) Learn the Conception
14) Start Practising Sincerely
15) Make Effort
16) Cure from Material Misery
17) Live for the Lord