Zest for Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, late morning class
5 February 2020, part 9

In Gurudev's time, from my brahmachari life, I have been going house to house, from one rice mill to another, I have been collecting rice, potato, etc. Now I am teaching Sripad Niriha Maharaj, he is also going house to house—somebody gives him one kilo, two kilos, five hundred grams even, but we collect minimum twenty-five kilos, not less than that (our target is twenty-five, fifty or one hundred kilo per mill). This year everybody told me, "Oh, our business is bad this year," "This is bad," "That is bad," but I have already collected the amount of rice that was collected last year—that amount is already finished and we still have two more days to go after the festival. Ashok Prabhu also told me that this year there may be less collection, but I have already crossed the limit of the last year.

When I went for an operation in 2005, some devotee told Gurudev not to send me that year for collection because of the operation, but Gurudev said, "Maybe he is sick, but he is going door to door, and somebody gives 500 grams, somebody gives 200 grams or 100 grams, but they give their energy for service at Gaura Purnima, for service to the Lord. You cannot destroy that energy!" Later Gurudev told me, "You must remember that I will never buy rice for Gaura Purnima. I can spend so much money and make Gaura Purnima festival, but I cannot buy rice for Gaura Purnima." Then I understood what Gurudev wanted. He wants to give benefit to others, and he wants us to go for collection for that reason.

For that, I think that the Lord arranges everything that is necessary for His service—only our desire, wish, will is necessary. You have heard many times about Mother Yasoda trying to bind Gopal. When Mother Yasoda wanted to tie Gopal, Lord Krishna, she succeeded. Who can tie Gopal? He is all over the universe, and He shows that—no matter how much rope Mother Yasoda tried to tie Him with (there were thousands and thousands of cows, so much rope was there), it was always two fingers too short. Still, Mother Yasoda tried and tried, and she succeeded. What do those two fingers mean? One finger is desire and the other finger is mercy. If you have desire ("I will do it!"), you will succeed. It is necessary to have desire, otherwise sitting idle, laziness will not take you far. You think, "I have already taken initiation from my guru, he has a big temple. Now my job is finished. I am a disciple of a big guru. I have got everything" No, this is laziness. Those who think like this cannot reach their goal.

* * *

When I made the temple in Bankura, I installed there the Deities of Radha Raman. This is Gurudev's favourite name of Deities, these Deities were installed in Kaikhali (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Raman). Sripad Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaj lived in Bankura, he made a temple there. One of his followers later took initiation from me and gave me their house—I demolished that mud house and made the temple there....

* * *

....There are different kinds of culture, different kinds of people. I saw yesterday in the newspapper that an aeroplane evacuated people from China—400-430 people were rescued from there. There is some virus, bacteria in China now, so many people are suffering, and five cities have collapsed. Scientists say they are discovering so many medicines, but Lord Yamaraj says, "You can invent five hundred medicines a year, but I can give you five million diseases a year!" They do not know anything about this virus, they do not know how to cure it, they do not have any medicine for it, and people are dying. This is Kali-yuga—everything is slowly, slowly finishing.

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