(4/7) Service Is Not Formality

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, noon festival class
Sri Nityananda-Trayodasi, 7 February 2020, part 4
Translated from Bengali

How many days will we be alive in this world? You say, "My house", "My room", "My son", "My family", "My wife", "My friend"—but who is your friend?

সেই সে পরম বন্ধু, সেই পিতামাতা ।
শ্রীকৃষ্ণচরণে যেই প্রেমভক্তিদাতা ॥

sei se parama bandhu, sei pita-mata
sri-krsna-charane yei prema-bhakti-data

"Those who give divine love for the holy lotus feet of Sri Krishna are my greatest friends – they are my father and my mother."

(Sri Chaitanya-mangala)

Our mother, father and greatest friend are those who can give us the gift of transcendental loving devotion for Krishna's holy feet. The best friend is the one who can give us prema-bhakti (loving devotion).

In this world, we have many friends and relatives, but they are simply dacoits disguised as your well-wishers (svajanakya-dasyu; স্বজনাখ্য দস্যু). They behave as noble and well-meaning people, but actually they are dacoits—they always covet our money, wealth, house, cars. They will be waiting to suck your blood to the last drop. But the Lord is so merciful—He will never suck your blood. He does not want your blood. If you can give your heart and soul to the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotees, then you will get the highest benefit.

Who in this world serves the Lord out of love? Tell me. You can see this brahman sitting here in front of me here. He goes house to house and does puja. Does he worship the Lord out of love or because he knows that he will get money for worship? Tell it honestly from the bottom of your heart. Worshipping the Lord out of love and worshipping the Lord to get money is not the same. It is necessary to serve the Lord out of love.

Many think that if you garland their Guru, you have done Guru-seva (service to Sri Guru); if you offer some flowers at the feet of Gurudev, if you give ten rupees to Gurudev or if you take the water that has been used to wash Gurudev's feet, you have done Guru-puja (worship of Sri Guru), but nobody thinks that Gurudev is thirsty...

Krishna took Sri Radha's heart and halo and came as Gauranga, and Gaura Nitai are two forms of one body (eka-i dehe dui rupa); there is no difference between them. Do you understand it? We can see two forms—one appeared here from the womb of Padmavati Devi, and the other one appeared from the womb of Sachi Devi. Two personalities appeared in this world in two places, but They are two forms of one same personality. Only the form is different.

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Length: 49 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Life in Sadhu-Sanga
2) Immerse Yourself in Kirtan
3) Path to Promotion
4) Service Is Not Formality
5) Eternal Service Consciousness
6) Giving and Taking Prasad
7) Control Your Urges