(6/12) Sincere Self-Realisation

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vaishnav-seva programme in Begampur (Hooghly),
Early February 2019, part 6
Translated from Bengali

Anyhow, much has been said. We have gathered here today to speak about Vaishnavs. What are the symptoms of a Vaishnavs? How can we understand Vaishnavs? How can we practise spiritual life? How can we serve Vaishnavs and the Lord? We must always think about these things.

How does one become a Vaishnav? Many people want to become Vaishnavs. Srila Prabhupad says that one can never become a Vaishnav without service to Vaishnav. We all want to be masters, we all want to be Vaishnavs. Srila Prabhupad also says that even when you give up everything, there is still one thing that cannot be given up. What is it? On the one hand, one can never give up anaratha (unwanted habits); on the other hand, devotees can never given up paramartha (their highest benefit).

On the one hand, artha (material wealth) is called anaratha (unwanted), but on the other hand, even artha can be used in service. So, money or wealth should not be given up. For example, people travel by plane and enjoy, but the sadhus of the Gaudiya line travel by plane for preaching, to go to other countries to tell people about the Lord. The sun rose today in the morning and sets again in the evening, and through that, we can understand when is day, when is night, when the next day comes. Does the sunrise determine the time or does the time determine the sunrise? The sunrise determines the time. The sun is not subservient to time – our time reading is subservient to the sun. We must understand these things. People say that Columbus discovered America, but it is not that America did not exist before that. Even though nobody knew about America before that, it did exist, and we have to believe it.

As you know, we are here today to honour the late mother of the host. We always think about our bodies and we identify ourselves with our bodies. Until and unless you realise who you are, you cannot practise spiritual life. The knowledge of the self (atma-jnana) is the main thing. First know who you are! First you must understand that you are not this body. If you take your blood and compare it to the blood of your parents, you will see that it is the same blood. Our parents give us these bodies, but even though they give us these bodies, they do not give us that which we actually are. People say, 'We must serve our parents.' Your parents give you your bodies, but they do not give you your souls. We must understand this. This is the knowledge of the self – you are not this body. You must not only say this lip-deep; you must realise this. You have read the ten offences of the Holy Name. One of the offences is to think in terms of 'I' and 'mine' – until and unless this mentality leaves you, you cannot even chant the Holy Name. Have you read the ten offences of the Holy Name? You think through the lens of 'I' and 'mine' – my eyes, my body, my everything – you are always fussing over your body, but this body will be gone one day. Our parents give us these bodies, but they do not give us that which we are.

I was writing about hell a few days ago. There are many kinds of hells, and if you read what kind of suffering the soul undergoes there, you will be terrified. You will understand that death is much worse than birth. The life force within us, our soul, never wants to leave the body, but it is forced to suffer again and again...

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Size: 54 Mb
Length: 109 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Your Sreyo Must Become Your Preyo
2) Joy in Sadness
3) Who Will Understand?
4) Vaishnavs' Dignity
5) Read and Absorb
6) Sincere Self-Realisation
7) Mahaprabhu's Conception
8) Gist of Spiritual Life
9) Prison of Misconception
10) Learn and Live the Ideal
11) Service Alertness
12) Be Attached and Detached