(4/4) Read and Learn

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar, evening class,
12 April 2019, part 4
Translated from Bengali

Always remember this. Read about the ten offences to the Holy Name, about the urges, about the thorns on the path of devotion. Always read what the six urges are, what the six defects are. Actually, they are basically similar, but there are some nuances.

One of the six defects is gossiping and idle talks. Eating too much. Having too many material desires. Not accepting what is favourable to devotion. Being uninterested in associating with sadhus and always eager to associate with material people. And fickle-mindedness – our minds are always going here, there, there. These are the six defects, or faults.

The six urges are the urges of speech (we must not swear or say anything bad to others), mind (mental anxiety, worry), anger (being angry or making others angry), tongue (we always want to eat this, this, this), stomach (we always want to fill the stomach), genitals (we always feel lust).

All these things are written very nicely at the end of the calendars. There is the calendar at the beginning, and at the end there are some very nice and important things written.

There are also sixty-four limbs of devotion described here. There are also steps towards perfection outlined here:

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-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.4.15-16)

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

'Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship Deities with faith.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

There are also nine kinds of devotion that are practices on each of the nine corresponding islands of Nabadwip: sravanam (hearing about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord's Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord's lotus feet), archanam (worshipping the Lord's Deity), vandanam (offering obeisances and prayers to the Lord), dasyam (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhyam (serving the Lord as a friend), atma-nivedanam (submitting yourself to the Lord).

Read all these things properly, you will get benefit. Read and learn these things. Read the books. Take books home and read them nicely. You must read every day. Service must be done every day, eternally.

[His Divine Grace then requests Sripad Parivrajak Maharaj and Srila Ashram Maharaj to speak and after that concludes the evening class.]

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Heal Yourself
2) Good Qualities
3) Qualification for Chanting Holy Name
4) Read and Learn