(5/6) Non-Sectarian and Non-Liberal

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme, 1 January 2020, part 5
Translated from Bengali

Mahaprabhu said:

হরের্নাম হরের্নাম হরের্নামৈব কেবলম্ ।
কলৌ নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব গতিরন্যথা ॥

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

'Chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name. There is no other way, no other way, no other way.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.7.76)

In the Age of Kali, there is no other path except the path of chanting the Holy Name. That is why we must always chant the Holy Name of Krishna – when we are eating, lying down, sitting or doing anything else. Try to also serve Vaishnavs and try to engage yourself in the brhat-mridanga of this Math. Do you know what brhat-mridanga is? It means preaching the Hari-katha of our guru-varga that is printed in our books. You should buy the books: read them yourself and tell others what is written in them.

What do people do in the evenings? They play cards, chess, etc. or they visit each other's homes. When mothers-in-law gather together, they start talking, 'My daughter-in-law is like this', 'My daughter-in-law is like that' and so on. Does that give you anything?

গ্রাম্যকথা না শুনিবে, গ্রাম্যবার্ত্তা না কহিবে ।
ভাল না খাইবে আর ভাল না পরিবে ॥
অমানী মানদ হঞা কৃষ্ণনাম সদা ল'বে ।
ব্রজে রাধাকৃষ্ণ সেবা মানসে করিবে ॥

gramya-katha na sunibe, gramya-varta na kahibe
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe
amani manada hana krsna-nama sada la'be
vraje radha-krsna seva manase karibe

'Do not listen to village talks, do not speak about village news. Do not eat fancy food, do not wear fancy clothes. Do not expect honour to yourself and give all respect to others. Always chant the Holy Name of Krishna and serve Radha-Krishna in your mind.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.236-237)

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

'One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.239)

These are Mahaprabhu's teachings.

Men are also like that. They work the whole day and go out in the evening. If you go to the market in the evening, you will see so many crowds there! Both Muslim and Hindu people gather at the market and start talking about politics, discussing and criticising what this or that party has done. If somebody supports CPI (Communist Party of India), they will criticise BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party); if somebody supports BJP, they will criticise Trinamool; and if somebody supports Trinamool, they will criticise BJP, and so on. What is the use discussing all this? It is pointless.

Sometimes, I am asked, 'Why do you not vote?' My answer is this, 'Who will I vote for? Mahaprabhu is not in the list, then who will I give my vote to? When Mahaprabhu is in the list of candidates, then I will give my vote.' One devotee became my disciple, but he told me, 'Maharaj, there is a voting place over there, can I go and vote?' I replied, 'You want to leave the Lord's service to go to give your vote? Who are you going to vote for? Is Mahaprabhu listed as a candidate?!' You may not like to hear it, and some may hear it and swear me, but we are not afraid of anybody! We are not involved with any political party or any fights between Hindus and Muslims.

Mahaprabhu said, 'Chandale brahmane kare kolakuli, kabe va chhila e ranga (চণ্ডালে ব্রাহ্মণে করে কোলাকুলি কবে বা ছিল এ রঙ্গ): the lowest dog-eating men and brahmans affectionately embraced each other! When has such joy ever been seen before?' These are Mahaprabhu's teachings – even the lowest and the highest should hug each other. Mahaprabhu said, 'Tell whoever you see to chant the Holy Name of Krishna!' Has Mahaprabhu said that you must not go to poor people's houses or to rich people's houses? No. He said that we must go to every house, door to door. He did not say, 'Do not go to Muslim people's houses', 'Do not go to Christian people's houses.' There are areas where everyone is Christian – does that mean you will not go there? In fact, I am going to one of such places the day after tomorrow. I will not think, 'Oh, they are all Christian, let them then.'

We must understand this and think in the right way.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Krishna-Centred Renunciation
2) Live for Guru
3) His World, His Will
4) Escaping Foreign Land
5) Non-Sectarian and Non-Liberal
6) Adjust Your Faith and Priority