(2/3) Do Not Cheat Yourself

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to devotees in London
27 April 2019, part 2

Are there any questions from you?

Question: How can we always remember Krishna and never forget Him?

It comes through practising and service. Only through service.

I dream of Gurudev almost every night. It can be any kind of dream, but even if I sleep for four–five hours only, I still always dream about Gurudev giving me some instruction or some other things. But when I wake up, I see, 'Oh, Gurudev is not here...' This is my example. I am busy the whole day, but it gives me energy. I always make a list of service for the next day – I make a list of what service I need to do at what hour. Sometimes I run late. You see today also – I was busy; I thought that I would be here at five o'clock, but I came a little late. There is still another programme waiting for me in Venezuela, then Colombia, and then there is one initiation in America at 10:30 p.m.

So, Gurudev keeps me busy the whole day, and in this way, through his service, I always remember Krishna and always remember Gurudev. That is the only way. Read his books, singing kirtans. Even when you are driving, you can sing 'Sri guru-charana-padma' or:

জয় জয় গুরুদেবের আরতি উজ্জ্বল । গোবর্দ্ধন-পাদপীঠে ভুবন-মঙ্গল ॥

jaya jaya gurudevera arati ujjvala govardhana-pada-pithe bhuvana-mangala

'Glory, glory to the effulgent arati of Srila Gurudev that takes place at the holy foothill of Govardhan, spreading benediction for the whole world!'

শ্রীভক্তিসুন্দর দেব প্রভু শিরোমণি । গোস্বামী গোবিন্দ জয় আনন্দের খনি ॥

sri-bhakti-sundara deva prabhu siromani gosvami govinda jaya anandera khani

'Glory to Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, our Lord, Master, crest-jewel and a mine of joy.'

আজানুলম্বিত ভুজ দিব্য কলেবর । অনন্ত প্রতিভা ভরা দিব্য গুণধর ॥

ajanu-lambita bhuja divya kalevara ananta pratibha bhara divya guna-dhara

'Your arms reaching down to your knees, you possess a divine form filled with infinite genius and divine good qualities.'

And so on.

There are many things you can remember or chant. Gurudev also wrote many poems in his young days, and I sometimes remember those poems, sometimes his lectures. I always remember what instructions he gave me, what he did, and so on. I always remember him. This is how I remember Krishna. You can follow my example and also do like this, then you will also get good association.

It is necessary to have chastity and sincerity. Chastity and sincerity are the main things. If you chant one day and do not chant the next day – it does not work like this. You must chant every day. You must chant the Holy Name every day, you must chant kirtan every day, practise, play the mridanga, do arati, offer bhog, etc. This is how we can remember the Lord. 'Ye dina grha bhajana dekhi grhete goloka bhaya (যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায়). On the days when I see devotional service taking place in my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there.'

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur said, 'Yatha Vaishnav, tatha tirtha (যথা বৈষ্ণব, তথা তীর্থ). A holy place is present wherever there is a Vaishnav.' A holy place (dham) is wherever a Vaishnav is staying.

Question: Sometimes we are very busy with our work, we have to work to maintain our families, so we do not have time to wake up early, do the arati, kirtans, etc. like we do at the temple. Is it OK that we live like this but work with the idea that we are working for service and preaching?

There is a proverb that Gurudev often liked to quote, 'Ye randhe se chula bandhe (যে রাঁধে সে চুল বাঁধে). Even those who cook also tie their hair.' It means that even if you are busy cooking, you still have time to take care of your hair (you comb it, tie it, etc.). So, even if you have to go to work, you must wake up early, have a shower, cook something, offer it to the Deities, tie that prasad to take with you and go to work. Take offered prasad.

What time do you go to work? Oh, different days, different hours... Well, 'Ye dina grha bhajana dekhi grhete goloka bhaya (যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায়). On the days when I see devotional service taking place in my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there.' Actually, you can make a temple in your house. Make an altar where you can keep photographs of the Deities and the guru-parampara, and you can do everything at home. This is what householder devotees do. When you come home in the afternoon or in the evening, do the arati, cook and make an offering for the Deities. You can do in this way, and on other days, you can come to the temple.

I know how difficult family life is – I know that you have to maintain and take care of your children, etc. When your children grow up (when they turn eighteen or twenty in their teens), they become independent and do not need you anymore. Who is their mother? Who is their father? They do not care – they live by themselves and forget you, they will not take care of you. [His Divine Grace chuckles] You clean their stool, you do everything for them, you tolerate everything, but after that they will forget you: 'Who is my mother? I do not know them!' That is family life. Try to understand it.

I have written this book, Guidance 3. Have you read it? You can read it and see what hell is. I explained about it there...

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 9 Mb
Length: 19 min
Language: English

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Cause of All Misery
2) Do Not Cheat Yourself
3) Fix Your Mind