(13/14) Spiritual Progress

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila Gurudev's Vyasa Puja Adhivas, Nrisingha Palli
13 December 2019, part 13

Those who serve with chaste adherence and submission to their guru can quickly progress in their spiritual lives. Prahlad Maharaj attained perfection by remembering the Lord. Sukadev Goswami attained perfection by chanting the glory of the Lord. Laksmi Devi attain perfection by serving. Prithu Maharaj attained perfection by Deity worshipping. Akrura attained perfection by offering prayers to the Lord. Hanuman attained perfection by rendering service to Lord Rāmachandra. Arjuna attained perfection simply by being Krishna's friend. And Bali Maharaj attained perfection by giving everything to the lotus feet of Krishna (through atma-nivedan, submitting himself to the Lord). But devotees headed by Sri Ambarish Maharaj attained divine love for Sri Krishna by practising many devotional processes.

যে যথা মাং প্রপদ্যন্তে তাংস্তথৈব ভজাম্যহম্ ।
মম বর্ত্মানুবর্ত্তন্তে মনুষ্যাঃ পার্থ সর্ব্বশঃ ॥

ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante, manusyah partha sarvasah

'Howsoever people surrender to Me, I accordingly reward them. Being the ultimate goal of all paths, I am the objective to be attained by all. O Partha, all men follow My various paths.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 4.11)

If you have a natural taste for a particular practice, you must encourage yourself to practise it. However, when there are kīrtans being sung, what will you do? Some like going for collection, but when there is no collection going on, what will you do? Will you spend the rest of the time in sluggishness, talking nonsense, or criticising others? No.

Many people say, 'I will not do it. I do not like collecting! I do not want to go house to house, begging people. People will swear me.' But if gurudev gives you some service, this is the service you must do. You must remember one thing. You think, 'Oh, if I do not do this service, so it will not be done,' but gurudev does service with all his parts of body, so his service will never be stopped. If you do not do the service, gurudev will do it through somebody else. Remember this.

A holy place is where there is a Vaishnav, where there is Hari-katha – if there is no Vaishnav and no Hari-katha in some place, that is not a holy place. Yatha Vaisnava tatha tirtha.

Even honouring prasad and taking rest can help you progress in your spiritual life. It is also necessary to rest, to sleep, to take prasad, and so on. All these things are necessary, too. You cannot omit anything. We are not told to become yogis or phalgu-vairagis (false renunciates). We are told to become yukta-vairagis (proper renunciates). We must not show false renunciation. That is why Mahaprabhu told Srila Raghunath Das Goswami:

মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥

markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

'Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.16.237-238)

It is not necessary to practise monkey renunciation to impress others.

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Size: 38 Mb
Length: 78 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Golden Time for Golden Purpose
2) Emerging from Darkness
3) Leaving Maya's Shelter
4) Sitting on Two Chairs
5) Deep Chastity
6) Accept and Appreciate
7) Join Service Festival
8) Meaning of Chastity
9) Leave Bargaining Mentality
10) Appreciate and Care
11) Who Is Your Own?
12) Spiritual Determination
13) Spiritual Progress
14) Service, Submission and Purity