Service Hardships

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Morning class, Sri Nrisingha Palli
4 March 2020, part 6, translated from Bengali

If you have any questions, doubts, any problems, you can tell me—by the mercy of Gurudev I will try to face the problem, to solve it. I always tell you that whenever I try to do some service to the Lord, so many problems and obstacles come, but I am getting much happiness through that. If some obstacles or danger come when you are doing service to the Lord, this is the Lord's mercy. When you have to tolerate austerity in your service, you learn to be tolerant. That is what Srila Prabhupad also said about 'brihat mridanga' (lit. great mridanga; here 'printing press'). When you chant kirtans, not so many people can hear it, but when you preach the Lord's message through scriptures (serve 'brihat mridanga'), you can even take a loan for that. Why? Because then people will come to you asking, "Give me my money back," "Give me my money back," and to pay that debt you will have to go door to door preaching even more. At that time, somebody will grab you by the nape of your neck and throw you away, but this is how your power of tolerance will increase day by day. That is why Srila Prabhupad said that for preaching the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, you can even take a loan.

Sometimes, when you go for preaching, instead of giving you some donation people will hit you, people will swear you. Sometimes somebody goes for preaching and after that comes back and tells me, "Oh, I went to that man, and he told me this and that." I say, "This is good—this is your mercy because you went there for your Guru and Govinda." There are also many lady devotees who go for collection in the Hooghly district. It is not easy, I know it. I have heard that many people say, "Oh, they come begging, but they use the money they collect to run their own household!" I know this. So many people have told me such things in Midnapore. Do you know what they told me once? One time, I went there with some foreign devotees, and somebody told me, "Oh, these foreigners always need money—they go collecting money, and then they will divide it among themselves." If people say such thing, let them say it. I do not take these words close to heart. If somebody listens to what we have to say, they will get sukriti. If somebody gives something, we use it for the service of Govinda and they get sukriti. I have told you before also—one time, when I came to Midnapore for collection, somebody told me, "Sorry, I cannot help you!" but I told them, "I have not come to take your help. I have come to help you." In the end, the wife of the man who had said it took initiation, then her husband, daughters, sons-in-law, their whole family took initiation from Gurudev.

You all have come here because you know that you have taken initiation from a guru. If you think that you have taken initiation from a temple, then you should go to the main temple (jal-mandir). Those who have taken initiation from a guru, should stay with the guru. What is more important, the guru or his photo? You offer water to Gurudev, you offer a Tulasi leaf, flowers, etc. but you do not listen to what Gurudev tells you—is that devotion? When Govinda came to Mahaprabhu saying, "Prabhu, I will serve you." Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "One must give honour to the Guru's servant—how can I engage you in My service? Gurur sevak haya manya se amara (গুরুস সেবক হয় মান্য সে আমার, Cc 2.10.142)." Then Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya said, "Prabhu, this is what the scriptures say, but what did Your Guru say? Iswar Puri told Govinda, 'When I leave, you must serve Mahaprabhu.' So, what is bigger, the word of the scripture or the word of the guru?" The word of the guru is respected even more than the word of the scripture! "Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, chittete kariya aikya (গুরুমুখ-পদ্মবাক্য চিত্তেতে করিয়া ঐক্য)—make the teachings from Sri Guru's lotus mouth one with your heart." You must listen to what Gurudev tells you to do. That is why all the foreign devotees come here. We, Bengalis, are foolish, we have no intelligence, but they are not foolish—they practise Krishna consciousness and they know what anugatya (devotion to the Guru) is. That is why they stay with me and they come during all year. If they had not helped me to make this big building, big temple, would I be able to do anything on my own? After Gurudev left, there have been built and opened ten temples, but who do we owe this to? We owe it to those devotees who are with me. How much can Bengali devotees help? They are busy with their families, children, they are always busy with their family life...

Some of you go for collection before Gaura Purnima, but we do not collect only money—we must also collect people. It is necessary to hijack them. We do not hijack money—we must hijack people. We sing in the kirtan, "Kore more atmasath. Gurudev, please hijack me!" Gurudev does not come to hijack your money—Gurudev comes to hijack you. Hijack from where? From this illusory world of maya—he hijacks you from this illusory world and sends you to Goloka for the service to Radha Govinda. Always remember this.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

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