(3/6) Live Within Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Ganga Sagar, evening class
12 January 2020, part 3

Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said that we do not come to this world to become carpenters and brick-layers—we are only messangers of Mahaprabhu's teachings in this world. We become proud of building great houses, temples and so on, but great buildings and temples alone are of no use.

মঠ মন্দির দালান বাড়ীর না কর প্রয়াস ।

অর্থ থাকে কর ভাই যেমন অভিলাষ ॥

matha mandira dalana badira na kara prayasa
artha thake kara bhai yemana abhilasa

"Do not endeavour to make monasteries, temples, or big houses, but if you have wealth, brother, then you can make them, as you desire."

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 9.29)

If you have money, you can make temples, but the main thing is that you must keep the Lord close to your chest, worshipping Him with the Ganges water and Tulasi leaves. That is why we are told that we have not come to this world to become carpenters and brick-layers—we have come only to be messengers of Mahaprabhu's teachings.

পৃথিবীতে আছে যত নগরাদি গ্রাম
সর্ব্বত্র প্রচার হইবে মোর নাম

prithivite achhe yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama

"My Name will spread to every village and town on this earth."

We are to deliver this message and the message of our guru-varga—our Gurudev, Param Gurudev, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur—door to door all over the world. That is why it is necessary to listen to what they say first. When you go for preaching or collection, people will tell you many things, but you must not become disheartened. You must think how Mahaprabhu rescued Jagai and Madhai, and at heart, you must always aspire for Nityananda Prabhu's mercy:

আর কবে নিতাইচাঁদ করুণা করিবে ।
সংসার-বাসনা মোর কবে তুচ্ছ হ'বে ॥

ara kabe nitaichand karuna karibe
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuchchha ha'be

When will Nitaichand give me His mercy? When will my material desires lose all their importance?

(Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

"Material desires" (samsara-vasana) means attachment (asakti) to the material world and everything in it (visaya).

কবে নিত্যানন্দ মোরে করি' দয়া ।
ছাড়াইবে মোর বিষয়ের মায়া ॥

kabe nityananda more kari' daya
chhadaibe mora visayera maya

When will Nityananda be compassionate to me and relieve me from the mundane illusion?

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

"When will Nityananda Prabhu bestow His mercy on me? When will material illusion leave me?" Gurudev would always sing it. He did not have any attachment to his previous life, but he was always attached to his service. He would also always sing:

(হরি হে) এমন দুর্ম্মতি সংসার-ভিতরে
পড়িয়া আছিনু আমি ।
তব নিজ-জন কোন মহাজনে
পাঠাইয়া দিলে তুমি ॥

(hari he) emana durmati samsara bhitare
padiya achhinu ami
tava nija-jana kona mahajane
pathaiya dile tumi

"O Lord! I am very wicked-minded and have fallen into this material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your associate (to rescue me)."

দয়া করি' মোরে পতিত দেখিয়া
কহিল আমারে গিয়া ।
ওহে দীনজন শুন ভাল কথা
উল্লসিত হবে হিয়া ॥

daya kari more patita dekhiya
kahila amare giya
ohe dina-jana suna bhala katha
ullasita ha'be hiya

Seeing me so fallen and being merciful, he came to me and said, "O humble soul, listen to this wonderful message and your heart will rejoice.

তোমারে তারিতে শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য
নবদ্বীপে অবতার ।

tomare tarite sri-krsna-chaitanya
navadvipe avatara

"Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in Nabadwip to deliver you."

Who has let us know about it? Who has explained everything to us? Our Gurudev. He comes to call us to this path. We say in the pranam mantra of Sri Guru:

ওঁ অজ্ঞানতিমিরান্ধস্য জ্ঞানাঞ্জনশলাকয়া ।
চক্ষুরুন্মিলিতং যেন তস্মৈ শ্রীগুরবে নমঃ ॥

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
chaksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

'I offer my obeisance unto Sri Gurudev, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, applying the kajal of divine knowledge on my eyes.'

We were ignorant, but who gave us the eyes to see? Gurudev. We must always think about it. We must serve our Gurudev and Vaishnavs. The pull of love for Gurudev and the Lord must come to us. Where am I to go to find the Lord? Where can I find my Kana? Where can I go to find Krishna? Where can I find service connection? Search for Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful. Search for the Lord! Search for reality! Search for that seeing which, hearing which you will have nothing else to aspire for. We have become entangled in the net of illusory environment, and we must search how we can get rescued from here. If you want to get out of this entanglement, you must take exclusive shelter of Lord Chaitanya's lotus feet: "Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane (ভাগবত পড় বৈষ্ণবের স্থানে, একান্ত আশ্রয় কর চৈতন্য-চরণে). Read Bhagavatam under the guidance of bona fide Vaishnavs and take shelter at Mahaprabhu's lotus feet." Nitaichand and Gaurachand are very merciful.

"Why does Radharani chant My Name? Why does She cry so much for Me? What sort of happiness does She feel when She is serving Me?" To taste Her mood, Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appears in Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a combined form of Sri Radha-Krishna. Going house to house, He told everyone:

জীব জাগ, জীব জাগ, গোরাচাঁদ বলে ।
কত নিদ্রা যাও মায়া-পিশাচীর কোলে ॥

jiva jaga, jiva jaga, gorachanda bale
kata nidra yao maya-pisachira kole

Sri Gorachand says, "O souls, awake! O souls, awake! How much longer will you sleep in the lap of the witch Maya?"

"Wake up! Arise! How much longer are you going to sleep?"

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই আর ত সময় নাই
'কৃষ্ণ ভজ' বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে

uthare uthare bhai ara ta samaya nai
'krsna bhaja' bale uchchaihsvare

"Wake up, wake up, brother! There is no time! 'Worship Krishna!' they call out loudly."

(Acharya Vandana)

There is no time left! We can leave this body at any moment, but you must chant the Holy Name for as long as you have life in this body. You must serve the Lord. As long as you have hands, legs, eyes, ears, nose, use everything for the service of the Lord. Our minds live in all kinds of places and situations, but now we can focus it on chanting the Holy Name. We must always keep our mind within service. As far as possible, avoid outside talks, outside discussions and association with non-devotees, then you will come to the Lord.

Anyhow, much has been said. We shall chant some kirtans now.

— : • : —

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

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 19.7 Mb
Length: 41 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Daily Duty
2) Unfaltering Determination
3) Live Within Service
4) Clouded Intelligence
5) Play of Maya
6) Answers to Many Questions