(2/2) If You Want to Get Right for Service...

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Translated from Bengali
January 2020, part 2

We have come to this world, and we are always busy the whole day, twenty-four hours a day—we work from the time we wake up in the morning and spend nights on sleeping. This is how we spend day after day, and before we even know it, a whole year passes. "Days pass in useless work and nights are wasted on sleep (dina yaya michha kaje, nisa nidra-base)" (Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur). But when the time comes and we close our eyes, everything will be left behind. Is that not so? All the great houses, cars, all your money and wealth—everything will stay behind. But you feel so much love and attachment to all these things, you take your material environment as so dear to your heart. You have no time for Krishna consciousness...

You have no time to call out to the Lord, to think about the Lord. Only when some unhappiness comes, when you fall ill, then you find time to call the Lord. And as soon as some problem comes, you give up Krishna consciousness. Those who do like hardships wish to live without problems and disturbance in their lives. But what can you do in this world without any difficulties or struggle? Those who do not want any difficulties and troubles are liberation-seekers. Such people should go to a cave and stay there meditating. The problem is that in this Age of Kali, you cannot come to the Lord by staying in a cave. If you want to get the right to serve the Lord, you have to go through austerity and hardships. You must cook for the Lord, you must offer bhog for the Lord, you must offer worship to the Lord. You must practise eternally, every single day without fail.

Moreover, I want trouble! I want difficulties! No matter how much austerity comes, no matter what happens, everything is the will of the Lord. Even when there is some problem at your home, you must understand that it is the Lord's mercy. This is how the Lord bestows His mercy. If you want to practise Krishna consciousness, then many obstacles and problems will come, and when they come, you must think that this is the Lord's mercy—the Lord is bestowing His mercy on you. Many problems and hurdles will come, and we do not wish for them to go away—we want problems and hurdles! We want more and more problems!

Do you know what Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says? You can even take a loan to preach Mahaprabhu's teachings in this world. Why? Because when you borrow money, the person who you borrow from will come to you and ask you for that money, and you will have to go for collection. When you go for collection, people will beat you, people will swear you, and this is how your tolerance will increase. You will have to be more tolerant than a tree and humbler than a blade of grass. This is how Srila Prabhupad instructed us to preach Hari-katha in this world.

This is how we must practise Krishna consciousness. No matter what criticism, no matter what abuse, no matter what austerity comes, we must never leave Krishna consciousness.

I spoke yesterday and forgot to say one thing. In this world, there is guru and there is also guru-maya. Guru-maya is a person who comes in disguise of a guru and guides you towards a wrong path and danger. The guru who gives initiation because they want to get something from the disciple, and the disciple who takes initiation because they want to get something from their guru—both go to hell. When you come to your Guru's ashram, you must come to serve your Guru.

Our duty is to serve our Guru and Vaishnavs, but there are societies in this world that preach, "Become a devotee of Krishna!" We do not follow this line. You hear singers sing sweet, melodious kirtans, playing the harmonium and other instruments, but this is enjoyment for senses. Such singing is done for the pleasure of senses. It is actually song-singing, it isnot kirtan proper. If you sing kirtan, it brings happiness to your Guru, Vaishnavs and the Lord. Kirtans and songs are not one and the same. Remember this. You will see people singing kirtans melodiously, playing the harmonium, playing the flute, but this is not kirtan—they do this for the pleasure of their own senses and for the pleasure of the audience's senses. It gives happiness to senses—to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, skin...

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Language: Bengali

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1) Ten Offences
2) If You Want to Get Right for Service...