Entering Line of Devotion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Evening class, Sri Nrisingha Palli
4 March 2020, part 2, translated from Bengali

How can you get supreme spiritual benefit? By glorifying the Supreme Lord.

মায়ারে করিয়া জয় ছাড়ান না যায় ।
সাধু-গুরুর কৃপা বিনা না দেখি উপায় ॥

mayare kariya jaya chhadana na yaya
sadhu-gurur krpa vina na dekhi upaya

"It is not possible to conquer maya by engaging in maya. I see no other way to get relief except for the mercy of sadhus."

('Ki rupe paibe seva', Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

It is only possible by the mercy of Vaishnavs. I have never wanted to be an acharya, a guru. I always pray that acharya-abhiman (the ego, the pride of being a guru) does not come to me—I pray to always remain a disciple. There is not any need to become a guru. If I can become a true disciple, this is sufficient for me. That is why it is said in the scriptures that you can find many gurus in this world, but the number of disciples in this world is very small. Bona fide disciples always place the disciplining, the order of their Guru on their heads and follow that. Many think, "I have taken initiation from a very big guru." There is no question of somebody being a big guru or a small guru. Many get enrolled into different classes—somebody goes to the eleventh grade, somebody goes to the twelfth grade, somebody goes to a college or a university, but when you take initiation, it means you have got enrolled to the line of devotion, you have entered the line of devotion, you have got enrolled into a spiritual school. Do you pass the final exam by getting enrolled? You do not. When you get enrolled into a school, you must study and practise.

জীবে দয়া, নামে রুচি, বৈষ্ণব সেবা ।
ইহা বহি সনাতন নাহি আর ধর্ম্ম ॥

jive daya name ruchi vaisnava seva
iha bahi sanatana nahi ara dharma

"Be merciful to the souls, chant the Holy Name, and serve the Vaishnavs. Sanatan, besides this, there is no other religion."

It is necessary to be compassionate to the jiva souls, you must get taste for chanting the Holy Name, and you must serve Vaishnavs. If you can do all these things, then you will get supreme benefit.

Whatever service you can do in this world, there is no small service. Somebody collects cow dung, somebody sweeps, somebody washes dishes, somebody does bookkeeping, somebody does shopping—everyone does one and the same service, i.e. they all please the Lord. Sometimes, devotees say, "Oh, they did not give me sannyas. I give so many lectures, I give so many classes..." This is not a question.

I wrote all this in the book (Guidance 4), it is already on the way, it is coming here today. I do not remember everything at all times, that is why I would sit until late at night writing things when they came to my memory. I would give class until 10 p.m., then prasadam, it would be 11 p.m., after that I would sit and write until 1-2 a.m. I would remember different things at different times and would sit in my room and write them down...

Anyhow, you must always remember these things...

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