(2/16) Live As a Member of Krishna's Family

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Temple inauguration programme, Hooghly
26 January 2020, noon, part 2
Translated from Bengali

Those who know their identity (who live as eternal servants of Krishna) understand that the Lord is the master of everything in this world, and they do not see anything as theirs.

Everything belongs to the Lord. For example, if the Lord stops the wind, then everything will die. All your great display of skills, all your bravado will be over! You are enjoying the Lord's wind—the Lord is giving so much oxygen all over the world, allowing all entities to breathe, but if the Lord stops the wind or stops all water, then our life will come to an end (we will have to leave this body at once).

Yet we have forgotten this Lord, and thinking, "This is my house", "This is my son", "This is my family", we always flounder in this ocean of material existence. We are wasting our time! Our days pass in all kinds of work, and all our nights are spent on sleeping. When are you going to practise Krishna consciousness?! When will you serve the Lord?!

দিন যায় মিছা কাজে নিশা নিদ্রাবশে ।
নাহি ভাবি মরণ নিকটে আছে বসে ॥

dina yaya michha kaje nisa nidra-base
nahi bhavi marana nikate achhe base

"My days pass in useless work and nights are wasted on sleep. It never occurs to me that there is death sitting and waiting right next to me."

(Sri Kalyan-Kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We never think, "Oh, death is coming near."

জীবন অনিত্য জানহ সার
তাহে নানাবিধ বিপদ-ভার ।
নামাশ্রয় করি' যতনে তুমি
থাকহ আপন কাজে ॥

jivana anitya janaha sara
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhara
namasraya kari' yatane tumi
thakaha apana kaje

"Know that the main thing is that life is temporary and filled with all sorts of danger. Carefully take shelter of the Name and do your work."

(Sri Gitavali, by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We do not prohibit you to continue your life, we do not prohibit you to work, to cultivate your land or run your business, but whatever you do, live as a member of Krishna's family! When you take shelter at the holy lotus feet of Gurudev, you must submit yourself at his holy feet. What does Gurudev do then? He gives you a ticket. What ticket? A ticket to Vrindavan. The problem is that Gurudev has given you a ticket to Vrindavan, but instead of going to Vrindavan, you get off in Bardhaman in the middle of the way and go in another direction. Will you ever get to Vrindavan like that?

Gurudev has given you a ticket to Vrindavan, but in the middle of the way, you leave your service, you leave the Holy Name and take up another path. You will not get to Vrindavan like this. If you do not use the ticket that Gurudev has given you, what will you do? If you get off in the middle of the way, it is your loss. If you take to another path, it is your responsibility. Always remember this.

Gurudev has given you a ticket to Vrindavan, brother, but you are following your mind and going in another direction! You are sitting on the train, but when you see something interesting, your mind tells you to go and see it. You get off the train, and the train leaves. Do you think the train will be standing and waiting for you? The train can stop somewhere for one minute, and if you get off and go for a walk to look around some place, the train will go away, and your ticket will not be valid anymore. You will have to buy a new ticket. You will have to come again to Gurudev and say, "Gurudev, I have lost my ticket."

It is the same in spiritual life. Sometimes, you practise and practise Krishna consciousness, but then you end up taking to another path. You leave Krishna consciousness, leave you Gurudev, leave the Lord, you do not follow what Gurudev says. You cannot practise spiritual life like that, and you will not reach Vrindavan timely if you live like this. Always remember this.

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Size: 58 Mb
Length: 120 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Opening Temple—Opening Your Eyes
2) Live As a Member of Krishna's Family
3) Meaning of Surrender (1)
4) Meaning of Surrender (2)
5) How to Pray to Vaishnav Thakur
6) Orphaned and Blind
7) Satisfying Lord and Your Soul
8) Trade Secret of Krishna Consciousness
9) Taste for Hari-Katha
10) Eternal Nourishment
11) Align Your Life
12) Two Keys to Success
13) Ekadasi Vrata (1)
14) Ekadasi Vrata (2)
15) Practise Day and Night
16) If You Want, You Can