(3) Real Hunger

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to devotees in Caracas
27 April 2019, part 3

Question: What is the proper mood to read Srimad Bhagavad-gita? And can we read it anywhere?

Yes, you can read Bhagavad-gita everywhere. As for the mood, it must always be surrendered mood.

You can chant the Holy Name everywhere. Chant more and more. Chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra loudly. Always chant Doyal Nitai's Name. Nityananda Prabhu will send you food, do not worry. You must have strongest faith, and Nityananda Prabhu will send everything.

Question: I have a little daughter, and I want her to become a devotee, but I am afraid that I can lose her by controlling her too much. What should be my attitude?

Yes, you can teacher her. It is not a problem.

Question (from a guest who frequently comes to the temple): How can I continue my material life and also do service? Sometimes, when I try to do service, I have to neglect my material responsibilities...

It is not a problem. Sometimes you take good association, sometimes you practise sravan and kirtan, and sometimes you go to work. What is the problem? Whenever you get time, chant the Holy Name, sing some songs. Practise singing four–five songs every day: chant a Vaishnav Thakur song, Nityananda Prabhu's song, Gurudev's song, and so on. Practising singing kirtan. The main thing is that you must always engage yourself in sravan and kirtan. Sravan and kirtan are the main practices in our spiritual lives. 'Kirtana prabhave smarana haibe (কীর্ত্তন-প্রভাবে স্মরণ হইবে). Chanting (kirtan) arouses remembrance (smaran).' Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, 'You can remember me through kirtan.'

Question: What should I say or pray when I am offering bhog?

You should say, 'I do not know anything, I do not know any mantras. I have cooked this for You, but actually I do not know how to cook. I do not have any quality or qualification to serve You, but I am giving this to You, please take it.'

[Aside] They do not know what is called durbhiksa (দুর্ভিক্ষ, famine)... Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, 'There is no famine, no dearth of food in this world. The only dearth in this world is dearth of Hari-katha.'

Question: Why do the morning and evening songs have different tunes?

Yes, the tunes are a little bit different, but it does not matter – even if you sing them with the same tune, it is not a big mistake. It is not necessary to think so much about the tune. You are singing, and that is sufficient. Krishna always wants to see whether devotees are praying from their hearts or not, whether they are singing sincerely or only pretending. This is the main thing. The tune is not important. What is important is whether you are singing from your heart, sincerely.

Question: How can we attract Krishna to our hearts? What is the best way to do it?

Through sravanam (listening about the Lord) and kirtanam (chanting the Holy Name of the Lord and practising Krishna consciousness).

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)

These are these five ways, but the main two among them are sravan and kirtan. 'Kirtana prabhave smarana haibe (কীর্ত্তন-প্রভাবে স্মরণ হইবে). Chanting (kirtan) arouses remembrance (smaran).' You can keep Krishna in your heart through kirtan.

Also, you can serve Krishna's devotees; this is another way how you can keep Krishna in your heart. Actually, Krishna is the property of Srimati Radharani, and gurudev is non-different from Her. So, if you can continue practising Krishna consciousness under the guidance of your guru, then you can automatically keep Krishna in your heart. There is a guru in your heart, and that guru (the chaitya-guru) will take you to the bona fide guru (mahanta-guru) if you have service desire and service mood.

— : • : —

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