(7/10) Foundation of Knowledge

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Midnapore, 24 April 2019, evening, part 7
Translated from Bengali

[His Divine Grace reads from Guidance 3]

1) Question: What does service to the Lord give?

Answer: We consider taking shelter in the service of the Lord to be the only duty. Fortunate are those who serve the Lord. You must listen about, practise and remember Krishna consciousness despite all difficulties. I have nothing else to offer you except this.

Whatever the situation is – whether it is hot, cold, raining – we must always remember about the Lord. Even if there is a flood or a fire, you must never stop practising Krishna consciousness – never stop thinking, talking and listening about the Lord. Whatever happens, always continue chanting kirtan.

2) Question: How can one escape from the material world?

Answer: This earth, i.e. this material world, is an examination place. Those who want to pass this examination must practise sravan and kirtan (hearing and chanting) in the company of devotees.

The Lord has sent you here to test you, and if you want to pass this examination, you must listen about the Lord from the Lord's devotees – 'passing the exam' means getting rescued from this material world.

4) Question: How can one show kindness to jiva souls?

Answer: The only kindness, or mercy, to jiva souls is speaking to them about Krishna consciousness (Hari-katha kirtan). There can be no other way to show kindness to a jiva soul that could compare to Krishna-kirtan. Mercy to jiva souls means to engage a soul averse to the Lord in the service of the Supreme Lord through the medium of Hari-kirtan.

Is giving somebody a blanket, clothes or some medicine kindness? No. The only kindness is Hari-katha. You can take a poor boy, help him get education and make him a doctor, but what happens after that? I saw it in the newspapper just yesterday – parents sent their son to Australia to study. He passed all the exams, got big-big titles, but what is the result of all that studying? He died in Sri Lanka during a recent bomb blast. Somebody created a bomb and exploded it in a house, killing nearly three hundred people; he and his brother was among them.

I also heard a story just today from my friend, a judge. There were three friends, one of whom was from a rich family, so he had a lot of money, rode a motorcycle, had a fancy mobile phone, etc. The other two friends felt jealous, so they made a plan. One day, when he went out to study, the two friends caught him and took him to the bank of the Ganges. They started drinking and after a while they ended up dumping him into the Ganges. The body was found later and it took the police several years to find out the truth and catch the two friends. When they interrogated them and asked them why they had done it, they replied, 'He had much money, and we were envious when we saw his mobile phone.' Do you see? That is the kind of education people get these days.

জড়বিদ্যা যয়, মায়ার বৈভব,
তোমার ভজনে বাধা ।
মোহ জনমিয়া অনিত্য সংসারে,
জীবকে করিয়ে গাধা ॥

jada-vidya yata, mayara vaibhava,
tomara bhajane badha
moha janamiya, anitya samsare,
jivake karaye gadha

'All mundane learning is a manifestation of illusion (maya) and an obstacle to Your service. It brings about infatuation with the temporary world and turns the soul into an ass.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Jivas turn into asses, losing all intelligence. It is all due to a lack of intelligence...

The main purpose of studying and knowledge is surrender to the Lord and taking shelter at His holy feet; otherwise, you will have to keep coming and going to this world. Always think about this.

— : • : —

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Prodigal's Favourite, Miser's Pensioner
2) Material Diseases
3) Master's Property
4) 'I Am My Gurudev's'
5) Disciple Lives in Guru's Shelter
6) Day for Service, Life for Service
7) Foundation of Knowledge
8) Pitfalls and Benefits
9) Temple Life
10) Keep Well