(5/8) Make No Mistake

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Hooghly district,
28 February 2019, evening, part 5
Translated from Bengali

A genuine guru can take us by the hand and take us to the Lord. We will have nothing to worry about then – we do not have to look left and right...

Next, we can ask, 'How will I recognise a Vaishnav or a sadhu?' Wearing dreadlocks, a long beard, neckbeads or tilak marks does not make one a sadhu. You must see the behaviour of the sadhu. Another thing is that a sadhu can recognise a sadhu. For example, Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur asked Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj to chant 'Sri Rupa-manjari-pada' indicating his position, and later Srila Prabhupad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj from ISKCON gave recognition to Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj for his western disciples, so everybody knows now Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj as a genuine sadhu. When great souls indicate that somebody is a sadhu, we can understand that this person is a sadhu. You know that our Gurudev left the temple at some point and lived in Kolkata, but Srila Sridhar Maharaj forcefully brought him back and gave him sannyas, making him take the seat of the acharya. There were many other brahmacharis and sannyasis at the temple at that time. Why did he not entrust this position to any of them? Our Gurudev was living a householder life at that time, but he forcefully took him out of that life and made him sit in his chair, making him a guru.

There were many difficulties and much trouble at that time. Gurudev had to suffer a lot, and he could not leave India for four years. When I came to the temple in 1992, Gurudev placed the responsibility for the temple on my shoulders and went abroad. This is not something that happened just yesterday. Gurudev gave me this responsibility twenty-seven years ago [as of 2019]. Gurudev left me behind here and went abroad to preach all over the world and rescue all the fallen soul, to give them the right to serve the Lord. This is how hundreds and thousands of people have come to this mission. In 2009, on his appearance day, Gurudev suddenly declared me his successor acharya. To fulfil his order, I am still with you all to this day. As long as I am alive, I will keep chanting Hari-kirtan, and when my life finishes, my suffering will be over...

I did not come here with all the big temples and rooms, neither will I take them with me when I go. I have made so many buildings, I have done so many things, and it was hard, but I do not mind it. Actually, Mahaprabhu did not have any temples. Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami did not have any temples. But why are they all so widely renown in this world? Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj also did not open any great temples, but his name is also renowned all over the world – we worship them eternally. Therefore, we do not worship any great buildings (ghora, ঘর) – we worship Gaura.

[His Divine Grace notices a devotee standing with garlands] What is it? Are you anxious to give the garland?

Devotee: When should I offer it?

When we do kirtan. You have brought such a big garland – how will I wear it? I will die under its weight. I am a small guru, so a small garland is good. [Devotee places the garland on His Divine Grace's neck.] Jay Gurudev. I will sink into my chair under the weight of this garland...

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Size: 25 Mb
Length: 51 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Steer Clear of Offences
2) Disciple's Life
3) Mahaprabhu's Standard of Cleanliness
4) Shift Your Priorities
5) Make No Mistake
6) Non-Negotiable Stance
7) Be Strong and Straight
8) Do Not Run After Knowledge