(7/8) Pillars of Spiritual Life

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, last evening class
18 February 2019, part 7
Translated from Bengali

What is favourable to devotion?

উৎসাহান্নিশ্চয়াদ্ধৈর্য্যাৎ তত্তৎকর্ম্ম-প্রবর্ত্তনাৎ ।
সঙ্গত্যাগাৎ সতো বৃত্তেঃ ষড়্ ভির্ভক্তিঃ প্রসিধ্যতি ॥৩॥

utsahan-nischayad-dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato-vrtteh sad-bhir-bhaktih prasiddhyati

'These six increase devotional mood: (1) enthusiasm; (2) firm faith and determination; (3) patience; (4) engaging in favourable practices; (5) rejecting bad association; and (6) following in sadhus’ footsteps.'

(Sri Upadesamrita, 3)

(1) Utsaha, enthusiasm. It means hankering, 'Oh, Gauranga Mahaprabhu's festival is coming – I must go there!' You will always think about it. For example, when we invite people to this festival, many think, 'Why should I go there? I will not get a room there...' They have no enthusiasm. Many also do not want to come to Nrisingha Palli because there may not be sufficient facilities – they do not think about coming there and doing Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama; instead they worry about where they will sleep and eat and what they will do there. What is there to worry about? The Lord will arrange and provide everything. Why do you think about yourself? You are worried about so many things, but is there need for you to worry? If you think about yourself, then the Lord will say, 'Oh, you are taking care of your needs yourself, so why must I look after you? I will stay out of it and keep away from you.' The Lord does not tell us to be like that. He says, 'Leave everything to Me! I am giving light, air, and I make sure that there is no want of food or money in this world, then what is your problem?' But you rely on yourself, worrying about your needs, then what will become of you? Many people think now, 'How will I go to Nabadwip? Now the temple is in Nrisingha Palli, it is a small place – how will I stay there?' What is there to worry about?! It is a parikrama of the Lord's holy abode, so He will arrange everything. Why must we think about ourselves? 'Where will I stay? Where will I eat? Where will I sleep?' What are you thinking about? Depend upon the Lord. Surrender to the Lord, leave everything to Him, and He will arrange everything. This is His matter, why must you worry about it? Krishna says, 'If you think about yourself, you are wasting your time – I will go away from you. I do not want to stay with you. But if you surrender to Me and My devotee, then I will look after you.' So, why are you wasting your time worrying about yourself?

(2) Nischayat means having a strong internal faith. You have faith and hankering, 'Yes, I must go there!'

(3) Dhairya, patience. Srila Gurudev always said, 'Wait and see. Do not do anything on the spur of the moment (sahasa vidadhita na kriyam, সহসা বিদধীত ন ক্রিয়াম্).' He always wrote this quote on his door. 'Wait and see, everything will be sorted out. Have faith in the Lord, He will arrange everything.'

(4) Bhakti-posaka karma. Practising sravan, kirtan, etc. and abandoning for Lord Krishna personal pleasures and enjoyment.

(5) Asat-sanga tyaga. It is necessary to reject the association of unfavourable persons; it includes mixing with women or associating with those who always mix with them (yosit-sanga, যোষিৎ-সঙ্গ). Associating with gross materialists is also described as yosit-sanga. You must avoid such association in your life. Avoid the association of even those who are proud of their religion, 'Oh, I am a Hindu!', 'Oh, I am a Muslim!', 'Oh, I am a Christian!', 'Oh, I am a Buddhist!' All such identifications are nothing – the main thing is surrender to the Lord.

(6) Sad-vrtti, internal purity. It means following the practices of sadhus, such as Srivas Pandit. Mahaprabhu told him once, 'Do not go begging anymore.' Srivas Pandit used to go for collection because Mahaprabhu had ordered him to have kirtan at his home every evening – many devotees would join his kirtan and he would feed everyone. But some people criticised him, saying that he was collecting money to serve his own family. Who was his family? His only son died, so it was only he, Srivas, his wife, Malini, and his small niece, Narayani, and a maid. Basically, they were just two people, but others criticised him. When Mahaprabhu heard about it, He was upset, 'They are making so much offence at Srivas's holy feet! I have to put a stop to it.' So, Mahaprabhu came to Srivas and told him, 'Srivas, from tomorrow you are not to go for collection again.'

'Prabhu, how is it possible?' Srivas Pandit asked. 'I do not have a job, I do not have money – how will I host kirtan and give prasad to all the devotees who come every day?'

'I do not know these things. But My order is that you are not go begging ever again.'

'All right,' Srivas Pandit replied. 'Ek-tali, du-tali, tin-tali (one – clap; two – clap; three – clap)!'

'What language is that? I do not understand what you are saying,' Mahaprabhu asked, puzzled.

'Oh, you cannot understand? This language comes from Bangladesh. It means this: I will fast the first day, I will fast the second day, and on the third day, not able to manage anymore, I will jump into the Ganges. If I cannot serve devotees, what for will I stay in this world? I will just jump into the Ganges and commit suicide.'

'All right, no problem.'

But then, next day, Srivas Pandit saw so many vegetables, groceries, rice, dal came! Everybody started giving so many things.

We must always rely on Gurudev – we must leave everything to him. Always remember this.

— : • : —

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Length: 91 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Capture Nityananda Prabhu's Heart
2) Hope of the Hopeless
3) Purifying Shelter
4) Do Not Imitate
5) Live as a Devotee
6) Obstacles to Spiritual Life
7) Pillars of Spiritual Life
8) Dedication without Offences