(8) Learn the Truth

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, 5 April 2019, part 8
Translated from Bengali

Is religion the cause of downfall? Many people say that religion has destroyed this country. I explained the answer to it in Guidance 3.

It is written in Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's book Bhajana Rahasya, 'Apana bhajana-katha na kahibe yatha tatha (আপন ভজন-কথা, না কহিবে যথা তথা). Do not tell anyone and everyone about your service and spiritual life (bhajan).' It is not necessary to show others your own spiritual practice.

Sri Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu says,

কৃষ্ণং স্মরন্ জনঞ্চাস্য প্রেষ্ঠং নিজসমীহিতম্ ।
তত্তৎকথারতশ্চাসৌ কুর্য্যাদ্ বাসং ব্রজে সদা ॥
সেবা সাধক রূপেণ সিদ্ধরূপেণ চাত্র হি ।
তদ্ভাবলিপ্সুনা কার্য্যা ব্রজলোকানুসারতঃ ॥

krsnam smaran janam chasya prestham nija-samihitam
tat-tat-katha-ratas chasau kuryad vasam vraje sada
seva sadhaka rupena siddhirupena chatra hi
tad-bhava-lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah

"One must have attachment to constant remembrance of Lord Krishna and His chosen dearmost associates and live in Vrindavan; if one is physically too weak to live in Vraja, then they must do so internally, within their hearts. Those who have attained the stage of spontaneous devotion must externally serve following the guidance of a resident of Vraja as a general practitioner and internally as a self-realised soul who has attained spiritual perfection."

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.2.293–294)

বাহ্য, অভ্যন্তর,—ইহার দুই ত’ সাধন ।
‘বাহ্যে’ সাধক-দেহে করে শ্রবণ-কীর্ত্তন ॥
‘মনে’ নিজ-সিদ্ধদেহ করিয়া ভাবন ।
রাত্রি-দিনে করে ব্রজে কৃষ্ণের সেবন ॥
নিজাভীষ্ট কৃষ্ণপ্রেষ্ঠ পাছে ত’ লাগিয়া ।
নিরন্তর সেবা করে, অন্তর্ম্মনা হৈঞা ॥

bahya, abhyantara—ihara dui ta sadhana
'bahya' sadhaka-dehe kare sravana-kirtana
'mane' nija-siddha-deha kariya bhavan
ratri-dine kare braje krsnera sevana
nijabhista krsna-prestha pachhe ta' lagiya
nitrantara seva kare, antarmana hana

"There are two types of practices—external and internal. External practice is to engage in listening and chanting with your body. One must make their mind an abode of the original spiritually self-realised body and serve Vrindavan Krishna day and night within that mind. Internal practice (accomplished within one's mind) means to choose a dear associate of Krishna according to one's preference and engage in their service at every moment."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, 2.22.151–153, 1555)

আদৌশ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গোঽথ ভজনক্রিয়া ।
ততোঽনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্যাৎ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যুদঞ্চতি ।
সাধকানাময়ং প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাদুর্ভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha ruchis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudanchati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

‘First, there is faith; then, saintly association and practising life. After that, unwanted habits gradually go away, spiritual life becomes stable, and spiritual taste comes. Then comes attachment, feeling and, finally, transcendental love. This is how love for the Lord comes to those who practise Krishna consciousness.’

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, 1.4.15–16)

All these things come gradually, and we must accept these various stages one by one. Read these things carefully. Take books with you and read at home. The language of Guidance 3 is difficult, so if you cannot understand something, come and ask. Guidance 3 turned out difficult, not everybody can write or read like that.

I wrote there something about Mahaprabhu's conversation with Ramananda Ray, about hell (what kind of suffering one undergoes in hell), about offenders (who is considered an offender), about devotees' mood (the mood that we must have), about different relationships and moods in service, about temple-interest and house-interest (explaining the difference, I wrote about our Santosh Prabhu as an example to learn from). I also wrote about the distinctive characteristics of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, about what Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is and its distinction. I wrote about why Srila Sridhar Maharaj opened Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. I did not criticise anybody – I did not write what has become of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math now; I only wrote why it was established and what its distinction is. If they read it and run the Math according to that, I have no objection. If they read it and some good intelligence arises in them, it is well and good. If they want to run the temple, let them run it. I have no objection. But if somebody comes and treats the temple that was created and built by Gurudev as an object for their own enjoyment, then I have an objection. A temple is to be served, not enjoyed; it is not a place for having fun and enjoying. A temple is to be served by us. Always remember this...

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