Sitting on Two Chairs

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila Gurudev's Vyasa Puja Adhivas, Nrisingha Palli
13 December 2019, part 4

People always worry about their food, their clothes, etc. They want to eat nice things, wear nice clothes. They cannot live without meat, fish. How much meat people eat! In China, people eat dogs, cats, sheep, yaks. In some countries, they pork, including raw pork(!). In Nagaland, people catch dogs and swirl them until the dog vomits, and then they eat that vomit. This is Nagaland, here in India. Because we want all these trifle enjoyments, we cannot come to this path. We say, "If you come to Gaudiya Math, you have to give up eating fish, meat, garlic, onion"—that is why we cannot come to this path. All because of some trifle interests. If I say today, "Eat whatever you want—eat meat, fish, etc." a hundred people will come tomorrow to take initiation. There are such gurus in this world—they say, "We do not prohibit anything. Eat and do whatever your soul pleases." But this is not what the soul lives for! The purpose of atma is to serve Paramatma.

My father, mother gave me this body, but they did not give me that who I am. Remember this. My parents gave me this body, but I am a soul and I come from the Lord. So, first know who you are, then do what your soul wants. Always remember this.

But what is the use saying all this?... How long I have been telling you all this... Before Gurudev left in 2010, I spoke to him. He said to me, "Acharya Maharaj, how many people I have given initiation to. Tell me, how many people have become my disciples?" Gurudev asked me this question. So, taking initiation does not mean becoming a disciple. It is written in the scriptures that a disciple is the one who takes the chastisement of their Guru on their head and follows it (corrects themselves and lives following their Guru's order). Gurudev told an example. Suppose you are walking down the street and see a snake. You are saying to Gurudev, "Gurudev, there is a snake! A snake!" but Gurudev says, "No, it is a rope." And you must believe it. Even if I see a snake—if Gurudev says it is a rope, I must believe it and must not have even a slightest doubt in my mind. This is what Gurudev said. Yes, we are always pulled apart in two opposite sides. You are making a fire sacrifice and giving one spoon water, and one spoon ghee, then again one spoon water, one spoon ghee. Do you think the fire will burn like this? You cannot make a yajna like this. When you make a yajna, you chant 'Om svaha' and put only ghee. You cannot put water and ghee together. Therefore, accept that which is favourable to devotion and reject that which is unfavourable to devotion.

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