Stay Within Service Line

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Morning class, Sri Nrisingha Palli
4 March 2020, part 3, translated from Bengali

Satisfying the whims of your mind is not bhajan. As you know, many of us say we have taken initiation, but actually we only pretend to have taken initiation, as a result of which we become guru-tyagi (we leave our guru) or guru-bhogi (we use our guru for our own enjoyment)—we are not able to become guru-sevi (servants of our guru). Many think that if they follow their guru, they will get the right for his property, but Gurudev's property is not his temple, building, or money—Gurudev's property, wealth is his mercy, his divine love, his affection, his heart. This the wealth one can get.

মঠ মন্দির দালান বাড়ীর না কর প্রয়াস ।

অর্থ থাকে কর ভাই যেমন অভিলাষ ॥
অর্থ নাই তবে মাত্র সাত্ত্বিক সেবা কর ।

জল-তুলসী দিয়া গিরিধারীকে বক্ষে ধর ॥

matha mandira dalana badira na kara prayasa
artha thake kara bhai yemana abhilasa
artha nai tabe matra sattvika seva kara
jala-tulasi diya giridharike vakse dhara

"Do not endeavour to make monasteries, temples, or big houses, but if you have wealth, brother, then you can make them, as you desire. If you do not have wealth, then simply perform pure worship. Offer water and Tulasi to Giridhari and hold Him to your chest."

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 9.29-30)

We do not need any great houses, temples, etc.—if you have money, you can build it, but if you have no money, then satisfy Lord Govinda with water and Tulasi leaves, by keeping Him in your heart. Always remember this.

When you all come, it is necessary to arrange some accommodation for you, that is why I must do something—it is necessary to build big buildings otherwise devotees stay in a pandal and struggle so much. The place here is small, but every year we are slowly making the arrangement, and I am slowly buying the land here. The fact that you all come every year gives me much inspiration. This is your love. Devotees comes from all over the world out of love. Yesterday devotees also called me late in the evening asking, "Can we meet with you? We know you are always so busy." I told them they could come, I did not mind it. They came and spoke to me until eleven at night. I know they have come from so far, then how can I not see them?

You can meet with me any time, do not hesitate. You are all my friends, you are all members of my family. Always remember that you are all members of this Chaitanya Saraswat family. Some devotees live in Midnapore, some in Hooghly, some in Siliguri, this is not a question—you are all members of this family, and the most important thing is that you must stay in this family. If you come outside this family, if you leave this family, you will be in danger—you can be removed from the service of the Lord. If you become members of maya's family, then you are in danger. Our guru-varga take so much trouble to drag you out of that family of maya and engage you in the service of the Guru and Vaishnavs—you can understand what a great fortune this is. Gurudev has taken you out of maya's family and made you all members of Krishna's family. This is your great fortune.

Leave karma-misra bhakti and jnana-misra bhakti (devotion motivated by pursuits of material benefit or knowledge). You have heard that Mahaprabhu said about it, "All this is external, go further." Rejecting karma-misra bhakti, jnana-misra bhakti, He accepted jnana-sunya suddha-bhakti (pure devotion devoid of knowledge-seeking), and the highest conception is prema-bhakti (pure loving devotion). We must always remember this. Always remember jnana-sunya suddha-bhakti—"I do not know anything, I do not understand anything, I do not know any mantras, nothing. O Lord! I am only trying to serve You—and it is Your matter whether You will accept this service or not." You must always keep this prayer in your heart.

Do not think about practising alone, in seclusion—I told you yesterday, we pray, "O Lord, give me more trouble, give me more suffering." When you practise Krishna consciousness, some problem can come, some danger will come, and many immediately think, "I am going to leave Krishna consciousness." But no, you must tell the Lord, "Give me more suffering!" Vraja gopis left everything, all social rules, all shame, fear, etc. and come to Govinda. Even when Laksmi Devi heard about the beauty of Krishna, her heart became attracted to Him—even Laksmi Devi left everything and ran behind Him. You have heard also that when cowherd boys were grazing cows on the other bank of the Yamuna, all the young wives of Vraja ran behind them to hear about Krishna. We must always remember and keep these things in our hearts.

Srila Rupa Goswami describes Krishna's beauty in this beautiful sloka,

মধুরং মধুরং বপুরস্য বিভোর্মধুরং মধুরং বদনং মধুরম্ ।
মধুগন্ধি মৃদুস্মিতমেতদহো মধুরং মধুরং মধুরং মধুরম্ ॥

madhuram madhuram vapur asya vibhor
madhuram madhuram vadanam madhuram
madhu-gandhi mrdu-smitam etad aho
madhuram madhuram madhuram madhuram

"Krishna's body is very sweet, His face is even sweeter, and His sweet smile is sweeter still. Lo, everything about Him is very, very sweet."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 21.136)

But we have become attracted to material things (visaya), to lust (kama) and women/men (kamini) and live in this material world—we keep coming back to this world, keep rotating in this cycle, keep struggling to keep afloat in this material ocean. What is the solution for us? If we cannot practise Krishna consciousness in this very birth, then this life will have passed in vain. What is the purpose of getting this human birth? If we can serve our Guru, then our life has some meaning.

— : • : —

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

• Listen online (Bengali):

• Download (2.7 Mb)