(5/8) Faith and Determination: Foundation of Krishna Consciousness

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme
Translated into English from Bengali
20 February 2020, part 5

If you have faith, you can even cross ten thousand births in one moment. You all know about Mukunda. Mahaprabhu said that it would take him ten thousand births to come to Krishna, but when He saw Mukunda's faith, He said that He could come to Krishna at once. At first, Mahaprabhu called Mukunda khar-jhatiya: He told Mukunda that he had made an offence – he would go to this place and that place, he would listen to what they say at this place and that place, and he would come and eat this place and that. Wherever there was the Holy Name chanted, he would go everywhere. That is why Mahaprabhu called him khar-jhatiya. When Mukunda asked, 'Will I never get mercy now?' Mahaprabhu said, 'You will. After ten thousand lifetimes!' Everybody was taken aback to hear it, but Mukunda was glad – he had faith, 'I will get it one day! I will get the Lord's mercy after ten thousand lives! I have some hope!' But how many thousands and thousands of lifetimes have we passed already? There is no count!

We have got a human birth now, but we are wasting it. There is no certainty whether we will get a human birth again or not! There is no certainty that we will be born as humans next time if we do not truly practise Krishna consciousness. If we cannot worship and serve the Lord in this life – if we cannot keep proper faith in the Lord and remain attached to this world – we will have to keep coming to this world again and again. If we can chant the Holy Name at our last moment, we can achieve everything, but do you think the Holy Name will come to everyone's mouth at the end? We do not think about the Holy Name the whole year, then how can you think about the Holy Name at the time of death? That is why it is necessary to practise starting from now. Not from tomorrow. From today – from this very moment.

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই আর ত সময় নাই
'কৃষ্ণ ভজ' বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে

uthare uthare bhai ara ta samaya nai
'krsna bhaja' bale uchchaihsvare

'Wake up, wake up, brother! There is no time! "Worship Krishna!" they call out loudly.'

(Acharya Vandana)

We must practise Krishna consciousness. We must chant the Holy Name. Taste for chanting the Holy Name must come to us. Why must I chant only four rounds? Why must I chant only sixteen rounds? What is the problem if we chant the whole day? We can chant when we are working. Sevonmukhe kaha Krsna Nama: you can do some service and chant the Holy Name at this time. You can work with your hands and chant the Holy Name with your mouth. We do service, but our mouths are closed: what prevents us from chanting the Holy Name? What problem is there if we chant, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.' There is no problem, but we have to keep telling you about it again and again...

The more you chant the Holy Name, the more taste for chanting will come to you. Along with that, it is also necessary to throw anarthas (unwanted elements) away from our lives. There are some anarthas in us: we have desires for enjoyment (bhukti), liberation (mukti) and various perfections (siddhi); we want religiosity (dharma), wealth (artha), material fulfilment (kama), liberation (moksa). We have some diseases inside us: ignorance (avidya) false identification (asmita), misdirected love (raga), aversion to anything that goes against one's enjoyment (dvesa) and being unable to give up unfavourable habits (abhinivesa). There are also six enemies: lust (kama), anger (krodha), greed (lobha), illusion (moha), envy (matsarya). We want money (kanak), women (kamini) and prestige (pratistha). We want to enjoy with our eyes (rupa), tongue (rasa), nose (gandha), ears (sabda), skin (sparsa). By the influence of association and as we chant kirtan more and more, all these unwanted elements must go away from our hearts. Until and unless the disease is not cured, we will not have appetite; in the same, as long as there are these enemies within our minds, we will not feel taste for chanting the Holy Name and attachment for the Lord's service (we will only always feel attached to our desires).

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 19.4 Mb
Length: 44 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) My Soul's Well-Being
2) Unhealthy Mindset
3) Sincere Faith Does Not Come from Knowledge
4) Best Birth
5) Faith and Determination: Foundation of Krishna Consciousness
6) One-Pointed Life
7) Chanting or Vomiting?
8) Watch Yourself