(1/3) Genuine Advice of Genuine Guru

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, morning class
16 February 2019, part 1
Translated from Bengali

Suppose somebody is attacked by a ghost. An ojha (healer) comes and uses mantras to remove the ghost. But what happens if that healer is possessed by a ghost himself? In the same way, the guru comes to rescue us from the three-fold material miseries (adhibhautik, adhyatmik, adhidaivik, আধিভৌতিক, আধ্যাত্মিক, আধিদৈবিক: miseries caused by others, by your own mind and by gods), but if the guru is suffering from these three-fold material miseries himself – if he himself is attacked by the illusory environment – how can he save you? You must always think about this.

You must think what guru you take initiation from. Will the guru you want to take initiation from really save you? Sivji Maharaj said, 'O Devi! There are many vitta harankari gurus (বিত্ত হরণ কারী গুরু, gurus who take away your money, steal your property, and so on) in this world, but there are very few santap-harankari gurus (সনতাপ হরণ কারী গুরু, gurus who take away the three-fold miseries). What will a genuine guru do with your wealth and property? The number of genuine gurus who can remove all your miseries and save you from this world of births and deaths is very small.

You can remember this verse from Srimad Bhagavatam:

গুরুর্ন স স্যাৎ স্বজনো ন স স্যাৎ,
পিতা ন স স্যাজ্জননী ন সা স্যাৎ ।
দৈবং ন তৎ স্যান্ন পতিশ্চ স স্যান্ন,
মোচয়েদ্ যঃ সমুপেতমৃত্যুম্ ॥

gurur na sa syat svajano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis cha sa syan
na mochayed yah samupeta-mrtyam

'It is not your guru, it is not your family, it is not your father, it is not your mother, it is not your god, it is not your husband if that person cannot save you from the world of birth and death.'

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 5.5.18)

Who is your guru? Your guru is he who can rescue you from this material illusory world. We are in great danger – we have fallen into this ocean of material existence. If somebody cannot save you from this situation, you must never accept them as your guru.

There are many sadhus roaming all over this world. They have long beards, big dreadlocks, etc. But you cannot recognise a sadhu just by his clothes or external behaviour. You cannot know your guru unless you receive his mercy, just as you cannot know the Lord, Nityananda Prabhu or Mahaprabhu without Their mercy.

ঈশ্বরের কৃপা-লেশ হয় ত' যাহারে ।
সেই ত' ঈশ্বর-তত্ত্ব জানিবারে পারে ॥

isvarera krpa-lesa haya ta' yahare
sei ta' isvara-tattva janibare pare

'The Lord can be known only by those who have got at least a drop of His mercy.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.6.83)

If you have no mercy of your gurudev, then how will you understand him? If you receive his mercy, then only can you understand your guru. This is the main thing.

'Achara-prachara Namera adhikarya: one earns the right to chant the Holy Name by practising and preaching.' It is necessary not only to preach but also practise what you preach. It is necessary to have humility and tolerance.

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi ahankara

'Give up ego and consider yourself lower than a blade of grass, poor, destitute and vile.'

বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji anye karabi palana

'Practise tolerance like that of a tree, stop ill-treating others and nurture everyone.'

(Gitavali, Sri Siksastakam Giti, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

If somebody does something bad to you or criticises you, you must not do that in return to them. You must think, 'I must have some fault.' It is not a problem for you if somebody says something to you. If somebody has ten good qualities and ninety bad qualities, we must always think about their good qualities – we must not think about anybody's bad qualities. Always concentrate on others' good qualities. If you can do that, then you can understand that you are practising Krishna consciousness.

Those who practise Krishna consciousness do not have to tell about it to others. 'Apana bhajana-katha na kahibe yatha tatha (আপন ভজন-কথা, না কহিবে যথা তথা). Do not tell anyone and everyone about your own bhajan, service and practice. Keep it private.' Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has a book called Bhajana Rahasya (The Secret of Devotional Life). You should not speak about own devotional life anywhere and everywhere. Others do not need to know what you do. You do not need to show others how much you are practising, how much you are chanting.

One time, a man who took sannyas from Gurudev asked, 'How many rounds does Govinda Maharaj chant? I chant 100,000 Names every day!' You can understand what kind of practice he is doing... He is not chanting 100,000 Names – he is actually chanting 100,000 offences of the Name and Vaishnavs every day! We must understand these things. This is what my Gurupadpadma taught me.

How long are you going to be in this world? You are always worrying about money, food, clothes, but is there time for this? There is no time!

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই আর ত সময় নাই
'কৃষ্ণ ভজ' বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে

uthare uthare bhai ara ta samaya nai
'krsna bhaja' bale uchchaihsvare

'Wake up, wake up, brother! There is no time! "Worship Krishna!" they call out loudly.'

(Acharya Vandana)

Wake up! Wake up! Do not waste your time! There is no time to waste on all kinds of attraction to material things. You have no time to think about that. You must think about Nityananda Prabhu, you must think about your guru, you must think about your service. There is no time at all for all those other things. We must always talk only about Krishna.

There are many people in this world who are expert at literature, poetry, etc. but how scholarly was Sriman Nityananda Prabhu? You must consider that. How much devotion Nityananda Prabhu has and how much He preached about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in this world! We must always think about this. You must pray and cry:

আর কবে নিতাইচাঁদ করুণা করিবে ।
সংসার-বাসনা মোর কবে তুচ্ছ হ'বে ॥

ara kabe nitaichand karuna karibe
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuchha ha'be

'When will Nitaichand give me His mercy? When will my material desires become trifle?'

(Prarthana, Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Genuine Advice of Genuine Guru
2) Sincere, Firm and Ardent
3) Immerse Your Life in Kirtan