(7/10) Devotion Comes from Devotion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Hooghly district,
26 February 2019, evening, part 7
Translated from Bengali

You worry so much about trifle things. You do not want to give up eating fish and meat, but when you were cats, you ate so much raw fish; when you were pigs, you finished off mountains of stool; when you were elephants, you finished so many banana trees. But now you can just eat two hundred grams of rice and satiate your hunger. 'Prasada-seva karite haya sakala prapancha-jaya (প্রসাদ-সেবা করিতে হয় সকল প্রপঞ্চ জয়). By honouring the Lord's prasad we shall conquer all worldly illusions' (Saranagati).

Where is the Lord? The Lord is wherever there is Hari-katha spoken. Where is a holy place? A holy place is wherever there are Vaishnavs. 'Ye dina grha bhajana dekhi grhete goloka bhaya (যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায়). On the days when I see devotional service taking place in my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there' (Saranagati). Where is Goloka? Where is Vrindavan? Whenever you worship the Lord at home, Goloka manifests itself there. Worshipping the Lord means service. This is the only way we can rescue ourselves from this material world.

There is one more thing. It is impossible to chant the Holy Name of Lord Krishna if we are covered with anarthas (unwanted, inauspicious habits). Anarthas means we always have some material thoughts. However, there is one advantage in this Age of Kali. Remember this. Sri Gaurahari brought one great thing in this age. This Age of Kali is called an age of quarrel (kalah), there is an ocean of faults in this age – there are always many problems, dangers and difficulties in this world, countries are fighting, people are fighting, and so on. Despite that, there is one good thing about this age: Gaurahari and Nityananda Prabhu come in this age. So, although it is impossible to chant the Holy Name of Lord Krishna when you are covered with anarathas, it is possible to chant Gaura-Nityananda's Holy Names even when you are covered with anarthas. Always call out, 'Nitai-Gaura Hari bol, Nitai-Gaura Hari bol' and your anarthas will be removed, then you will have taste for chanting the Holy Name of Lord Krishna. So, if you cannot chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra all the time, then chant, 'Nitai-Gaura Hari bol, Nitai-Gaura Hari bol, Nitai-Gaura Hari bol.' Do this and you will see that all your unwanted habits and thoughts will go away, then you will feel taste for chanting the Holy Names of Lord Krishna and get a wonderful opportunity to call out to Lord Krishna. Always remember this.

যে দেহের এই গতি তার অনুগত ।
সংসার বৈভব আর বন্ধুজন যত ॥

ye dehera ei gati tara anugata
samsara vaibhava ara bandhu-jana yata

'The same fate befalls all extensions and paraphernalia of this body – whatever family, wealth and friends there may be.'

(Sri Kalyan-kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We spend all our time enjoying the extensions of this material world – friends, family, and so on. But what do intelligent people do? 'Ye jana Krsna bhaje sei bada chatur (যে জন কৃষ্ণ ভজে সেই বড় চতুর). Those who worship Krishna are very clever.'

অতএব মায়া মোহ ছাড়ি বুদ্ধিমান ।
নিত্যতত্ত্ব কৃষ্ণভক্তি করুন সন্ধান ॥

ataeva maya moha chhadi buddhimana
nitya-tattva krsna-bhakti karuna sandhana

'You are intelligent, so leave illusory charm and search for that which is eternal – search for devotion to Krishna.'

(Sri Kalyan-kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Intelligent people leave all illusory charm and always think about the Lord. Search for Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful. Search for devotion and real, genuine beauty.

You cannot buy devotion with any amount of money or any other material things. How does devotion come? 'Bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-sangena parijayate (ভক্তিস্তু ভগবদ্ভক্তসঙ্গেন পরিজায়তে). Devotion comes through the association of devotees' (Brihan-naradiya Purana). In other words, you cannot get devotion through any material activities (karma), mystic powers (yoga), knowledge (jnana) or meditation (dhyana). The only way to come to the Lord in this Age of Kali is through devotion. How can you have devotion? Through the association of devotees. It is necessary to practise devotion. If you practise devotion, then it will come to you. Your duty is to do service, and the Lord may or may not accept this service, it is His matter. We always aspire for this kind of devotional mood. It is impossible to come to the Lord except through devotion to Him.

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Length: 66 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Our Predicament
2) Life Worth Living?
3) Grow Up
4) Relief from Burden
5) Wrecked Intelligence
6) Misdirected Love
7) Devotion Comes from Devotion
8) Lost and Languid Souls
9) Grasp onto Guru, Not Maya
10) Surrender and Thrive