(5/10) Fundamental Questions

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Siliguri, evening, 7 September 2019, part 5
Translated from Bengali

5) Question: What does a show of service mean?

Answer: It is what those who serve the Deity must not become like. If a temple priest worships the Deity for a ten-rupee salary, this cannot be 'serving' the Lord. If someone does 'kirtan' for twenty rupees, this cannot be 'chanting the Holy Name'; if you settle with somebody to give a lecture or read 'Bhagavatam' for fifty rupees, this cannot be 'Hari-katha' – this is amusement for the sake of people's joy or an eloquence display. This is not devotion, this is not Vaishnavism – it is called enjoyment and pursuing your own interest (karma-marga).

Have you heard it? Listen carefully. I am not accusing anybody of anything, but you cannot read Bhagavatam for ten rupees or chant kirtans for fifty rupees. This cannot be 'Hari-katha' – this is amusement for the sake of people's joy or a display of eloquence; this is not devotion, not Vaishnavism – it is called enjoyment and pursuing your own interest.

We are always told about sadhu-sanga, that we must live in the association of saints, but who is a sadhu?

6) Question: Who is a sadhu?

Answer: If one grows dreadlocks and pretends to be a renunciate or becomes a big grihastha, this is not what is called a sadhu. A sadhu is a person who is constantly absorbed in Krishna consciousness (Hari-katha); a person who is constantly busy with the service of the Lord; a person whose every effort is for Krishna, whose every effort is for the service of the Lord.

These are Srila Prabhupad's words, not mine. Sadhus always do everything for the service of the Lord – their every action is aimed at serving the Lord. Those who live like that are called sadhus. Do you understand it now? If somebody has a big beard, long matted hair and wears a garland of rudra beads on his neck, this is not what being a sadhu is about.

7) Question: What is the path of real spiritual benefit?

Answer: As long as the jiva soul does not become inclined to serve the Lord, it will not have consciousness of Krishna, which means the pastimes and teachings of Sri Gaurasundar will not enter its heart. Our only duty is to serve Krishna and Krishna's devotees. We will be cheated for as long as we are not able to realise this. When will we be released from our foolishness? When we sincerely, leaving all deceit surrender and embrace the path of devotion to Krishna. Although the sun is very far, sun rays come near us and give us light; in the same way, the Lord always appears near us within the material world. If we follow and hold the hand of those who worship the Lord, they will open our eyes and we will be able to have the darshan of the Lord. Those who constantly try to practise Krishna consciousness serve the Lord at every step – without service to the Lord they do not use anything, do not do anything. Service to such pure devotees can give us pure Krishna consciousness for Krishna is the ultimate goal of all goals. Krishna, in His form of sankirtan, destroys Agha, Baka, Putana, et al. within the hearts of extremely unqualified people. We have no other engagement except for service to Krishna. Gaurasundar, who is Krishna Himself in the garb of a devotee, taught in so many ways that one must only practise Krishna consciousness.

There is also what is called mano-dharma, a concocted religion that is not established anywhere in the scriptures.

8) Question: Will I get any real benefit if I follow a mano-dharma?

Answer: As long as the rasa (essence) remains concealed by such religions, those who practise it to satisfy their own senses cannot attain Krishna, the reality because even if such devotees glorify His name, form, beauty, and pastimes, they will not realise these things.

9) Question: Why should one become a Vaishnav devotee? What is wrong with being a non-devotee?

Answer: We may think that someone may be a devotee, and someone may be a non-devotee according to their liking, what is wrong with that? If we are non-devotees, then there appear several problems – various miseries (caused by one's body, the nature, other souls, etc.). The only cause of suffering is aversion to the Lord – no matter what we do, if it is not devotion we will suffer. When, instead of worshipping the Lord, jiva souls exercise their independent free will, Maya Devi turns them into her slaves. Thus we pose as masters, but as soon as we get some good association, we can understand that we are not masters – our only duty is service to the Lord.

10) Question: What happens if I listen to non-devotees?

Answer: If we listen to non-devotional talks or take advice from non-devotees, then we will spend millions of lifetimes in illusory bondage serving every single atom of this material world.

If you listen to material talks (everything that is not related to pure devotion), this is how you will live – you will undergo unlimited millions of births, you will keep coming and going, coming and going. Read these things. This book (Guidance 3) has been translated into English also.

11) Question: What happens if I take advice from devotees?

Answer: We can hear from devotees that if one serves Vishnu, then all services to every conscious and unconscious atom are fulfilled. Mahaprabhu said, "Sraddha is a firm, determined faith that by service to Krishna all actions are accomplished."

12) Question: Who can give you God?

Answer:

কৃষ্ণ সে তোমার কৃষ্ণ দিতে পার
তোমার শকতি আছে ।
আমি ত কাঙ্গাল 'কৃষ্ণ কৃষ্ণ' বলি
ধাই তব পাছে পাছে ॥

krsna se tomara krsna dite para
tomara sakati achhe
ami ta' kangala 'krsna krsna' bali
dhaitava pachhe pachhe

'Krishna is yours, you can give Krishna – you have such power. I am very poor – calling out, "Krishna! Krishna!" I am running after you.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Following those who serve the one undivided Absolute brings spiritual benefit to the soul. If someone dresses as a benefactor, he can give others something from the little wealth that he has, but devotees' eternal wealth is the Lord Himself. If the Lord personally gives Himself, there will be something more left, but a devotee of the Lord can give the Lord without withholding anything. It does not harm or diminish the Lord in any way:

om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udachyate
purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He retains the complete balance."

(Brihadaranyak Upanisad, 5.1)

Service to Vaishnavs (devotees) is higher than service to Vishnu, and it is everyone's duty to serve Vaishnavs. The glories of service to Vaishnavs are greater than those of service to Vishnu. When one serves Vaishnavs, service to Vishnu is automatically accomplished.

I tell you about this all the time, too. I have just mentioned mano-dharma, and here there is a question about what mano-dharma is.

13) Question: What is mano-dharma?

Answer: There are many spiritual practices in this world. We do not like to hear that only by chanting the Holy Name can one get spiritual benefit. The Name, form, beauty, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord are non-different from each other, and that which draws a distinction between them is called mano-dharma (religion that springs from one's mind). Sriman Mahaprabhu said,

"dvaite bhadrabhara jnana, saba manodharma
'ei bhala', 'ei manda'—ei saba bhrama"

'In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental speculations. Therefore, saying "This is good" and "This is bad" is all a mistake.'

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Guru: Repository of Divine Love
2) Genuine Practising Life
3) Unconditional Service of Conditioned Souls
4) Be Kind
5) Fundamental Questions
6) Becoming a Devotee
7) Meaning of Spirituality
8) Solution to Internal Debates
9) Soul's Needs
10) Non-Sectarian Conception