(1/7) Eternal Faith, Eternal Patience

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, Sri Gaura Purnima Day,
21 March 2019, morning class, part 1
Translated from Bengali

You must not talk unnecessarily. You should come, offer your obeisance and sit here quietly. At the end of our calendars, we wrote what the thirty-two offences to service are and what the sixty-four limbs of devotion are. You should read what those offences and practices are. You must all take calendars with you – you can see there when you must fast on ekadasi and also why you must fast on ekadasi. It is also written there what destroys devotion. Read all these things. There are obstacles to devotion. Why does devotion not come to us? Read about it carefully.

You must remember what is favourable to devotion. It is necessary to have enthusiasm for devotional programmes. It is necessary to have strongest faith in the Lord – to believe that 'the Lord will protect me'. It will not do to have just faith; your faith must be deep and strong. You must also have patience. You think that you took initiation a long time ago, but then, seeing no result, you give up; or you take initiation and think that this is it – you have come to the Lord. This is not so. Whatever you do, you must do it with devotion: you must practise sravan and kirtan and give up all enjoyment and happiness for the Lord.

Today is Sri Gaura Purnima day, so you must only chant the Holy Name today – only speak and listen about the Lord, nothing else. I told you yesterday that if you have some problem and cannot fast, then you can take something (anukalpa – non-grain prasad; the same as what is taken on ekadasi). It is not a problem. If you do not get anything to eat, you can also take some bel juice at noon – it will be given to everyone.

The association of non-devotees, materialists, impersonalists must be given up. There are people who make business, realising their own ambitions, in the name of religion, who sell the Lord in the name of religion – who use gurudev's and the Lord's Names for their own enjoyment. The association of such people must be given up.

[To some devotees taking their leave] You have just taken initiation, what is the rush to leave so soon? You must not worry about your house. Have faith in the Lord, He will look after everything. If you have no faith in the Lord, then where will you get patience? After you take initiation, you must wait day after day, day after day. This is the meaning of being a disciple. You cannot think, 'Oh, I have come to take initiation, so gurudev will be sitting and waiting for me.' I am not such a guru! I told you yesterday: what is the problem if you stay for one day longer? You can take prasad tomorrow in the morning and leave tomorrow if you must. Why do you need to leave today?

You must follow the right path. Today is the day when you must chant the Holy Name. You take initiation, and you must chant the Holy Name after that – it is not like you take the beads, go back to your home and spend time gossiping and talking nonsense. This is how devotion, or love for devotion (bhakti-priti), become destroyed. I tell you when you take initiation that when you wake up, you must first chant at least four rounds on your beads, then only you can talk. Why do I say this?

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

'Having travelled throughout the universe, some fortunate souls receive the seed of the devotional creeper by the mercy of Sri Guru, who is non-different from Krishna.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.19.151)

Because gurudev gives you this seed, but if you do not water it, the seed will dry out. Always have patience. Remember it.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Eternal Faith, Eternal Patience
2) Service Is Privilege
3) Service Insight
4) Service Mishaps
5) Listen and Follow
6) Irreconcilable Difference
7) Entering the Right Current