(6/8) Load of Luggage

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

You have got this human birth and enjoy it, but you forget why you have got this human birth. When you stay for ten months and ten days in the womb of your mother, you promise, "O Lord, I will serve You. I will see Your Deities with my eyes..."

ভজিব বলিয়া এসে সংসার-ভিতরে ।
ভুলিয়া রহিলে তুমি অবিদ্যার ভরে ॥

bhajiba baliya ese samsara-bhitare
bhuliya rahile tumi avidyara bhare

"You came into this world saying, 'O Lord, I will serve You', but, having forgotten this promise, you have remained in ignorance."

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We are filled with ignorance (avidya). Just a few days ago, we worshipped Saraswati—there is Vidya Saraswati (goddess of material learning), and there is Suddha Saraswati (goddess of pure, transcendental knowledge). People worship Vidya Saraswati to increase their knowledge. Even thieves worship Saraswati to learn how to steal better. Even dacoits, even pickpockets learn their trade. Everyone, even bad people, learn and acquire knowledge. But those who worship Suddha Saraswati aspire for transcendental knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge (vidya): para-vidya (pure, transcendental knowledge) and apara-vidya (mundane knowledge). The real knowledge is attraction and attachment to Lord Krishna's lotus feet.

The problem is that we cannot attain this kind of pure attraction and attachment because we have a fifty-kg sack of rice on our heads. We are so heavily burdened that we cry, "Oh, I cannot take it anymore!" Somebody will take us to an A/C room to give us some relief, but will we feel peace there? We will not because even if we stay in an A/C room, we still have that sack of rice on our heads. This burden is the burden of ego: we are proud of our wealth, knowledge, beauty, qualities and merits, family, friends and so on. We are burdened with all this ego, but how can we remove this burden from our heads? When we place our heads at the holy feet of Sri Guru and Vaishnavs. Only when we do that can we finally feel peace and happiness.

But we do not do this. When we see sadhus, gurus or Vaishnavs, we do not offer our obeisances to them—we do not lower our heads when we see them. We are very proud, and our pride presses on us. "Ahankare matta haina, Nitai-pada pasariya (অহঙ্কারে মত্ত হৈঞা নিতাই-পদ পাসরিয়া): intoxicated by ego we forget the lotus feet of Nitai" (Srila Narottam Das Thakur). "My mother", "My father" but if it was your mother, then why does your mother leave you and go away? If your daughter is really yours, then why does she leave you and go away? Your father has left you and gone away, but if he was your father, then why would he do that? "Se kabhu na haya para (সে কভু না হয় পর): He never leaves me" (Siksastakam Giti, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur). He who does not leave me, who does not go away from me is my near and dear. This person is the Lord.

— : • : —

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Length: 38 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Bhajana-Siddhi
2) Ignorance Is No Excuse
3) Where There Is No Will There Is No Way
4) Mind Over Matter
5) Choice Is Yours
6) Load of Luggage
7) Caught!
8) Internal Poison