(6) Cultivate Your Heart

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme, morning class
Translated into English from Bengali
15 February 2020, part 6

[After chanting four–five kirtans.] What kirtans have you heard just now?

সংসার ভজিলি শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গ ভুলিলি
না শুনিলি সাধুর কথা ।
ইহ-পরকাল দুকাল খোয়ালি (মন)
খাইলি আপন মাথা ॥

samsara bhajili sri-gauranga bhulili
na sunili sadhura katha
iha-parakala dukala khoyali (mana)
khaili apana matha

"You worshipped your material life, forgot Sri Gauranga and never listened to the sadhus' words. O mind, you have wasted both this life and next life—you are eating your own brain (ruining your own life)."

(Srila Lochan Das Thakur)

Is that not so? We only always think about our material life: How will I eat? How will I dress myself? How will I sleep? How will I live? As soon as we wake up in the morning, we always think about our bodies the whole day. But all these worries and thoughts are about the body which is temporary, which will be thrown into fire and burnt. We have been living thinking about this material body all the time. We do not think about spiritual matters; we do not think about our future. I have told you many times that just as there is promotion, there is also demotion. Having crossed 8,400,000 species, we have got this human birth. We have been born as all kinds of insects, worms, beasts, birds, trees, plants, crocodiles, sharks, various kinds of fish—how many kinds of species we have gone through!

[Noise in the audience.] Will you stop talking or will you carry on talking? If not, then you can speak, and I will listen. The Lord says, "Narad, I am not in the hearts of yogis; neither am I in Vaikuntha. Where do I live? I am present wherever My devotees glorify Me."

যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি ।
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ॥

ye dina grhe bhajana dekhi
grhete goloka bhaya

"Any day there is devotional service at home, I see Goloka manifest itself in it."

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

If there is Hari-kirtan (glorification of the Lord) taking place in any place, that place is dear to the Lord—it is Goloka Vrindavan, and the Lord stays there. "Yatha Vaishnav, tatha tirtha: wherever a Vaishnav is, that is where a holy place is." Whenever the Lord is spoken about, the Lord comes there, but we cannot see Him with these eyes. Even though we cannot see Him, if somebody disturbs such narratives, they are big offenders. Those who speak during Hari-katha are big offenders.

I told in the holy dham of Sri Nityananda Prabhu that Gaura-Nityananda rescued Jagai and Madhai, but they were sinners, not offenders. Offences are very dangerous. There are offences to the Holy Name, to Vaishnavs, to the holy place and to service. So, I am asking you with folded palms: please do not speak because it is harmful for you, you are committing an offence. I have told you before too that you must not speak during Hari-katha. Listen with your mind, heart, soul. If you do not like to hear, then you can get up and leave. I have no objection. Such souls are unfortunate. Only fortunate souls can hear about the Lord, can hear the glorification of the Lord (Hari-katha, Hari-kirtan).

Therefore, it is by great fortune that we have got an opportunity to hear some Hari-katha.

সাধুসঙ্গে কৃষ্ণনামে—এই মাত্র চাই ।

সংসার জিনিতে আর কোন বস্তু নাই ॥

sadhu-sange krsna-nama—ei matra chai
samsara jinite ara kona vastu nai

"I desire only to chant the Name of Krishna in the association of sadhus. There is no other way to conquer this material world."

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 6.13, Sri Jagadananda Pandit)

Do you know the reason why you do not like to hear the Holy Name of Lord Krishna, why you are speaking during Hari-katha and feel envious? Because there are enemies within your heart. Enemies are not outside; they are inside, within us. Kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (illusion), mada (madness), matsarya (envy); rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda, sparsa (desire to enjoy through the senses of sight, taste, smell, sound, touch); kanak (money), kamini (women) and pratistha (name and fame)—all these diseases are there inside us, and until and unless they go away, Hari-katha will not enter our ears. By listening and listening to what sadhus say, by listening and listening about the Lord, these diseases can go away.

Gurudev has given you the Holy Name, but you must clean your heart to make space where you can keep this Holy Name. If you take care to cultivate and fertilise the land and then plant potato there, it will grow; but if throw potato or mustard seeds or anything else on the land that is dry and has not been cultivated for twenty years, then nothing will grow. In the same way, it is necessary to make your heart fertile. Bhakti Devi wants a clean place—she never stays in a dirty place. So, if we keep listening to Hari-katha and our hearts become clean from all impurities, then we will be able to hear Hari-katha; in other case, we will keep coming and going to this world.

— : • : —

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Our Golden Chance
2) Detach Yourself from Mental World
3) Awaking from Lethargic Sleep
4) Become Aloof to Material World
5) Calling Out for Mercy
6) Cultivate Your Heart
7) Imperilling Imprudence
8) Take Shelter