(6/13) Family Consciousness

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 21 June 2020, part 6

Question: What is real servitorship? Is it slavery?

'Slavery' is not necessary; it must be real service. Real servitors always follow the instruction of their Guru. I have told you many times that anybody can take initiation, but they may not become proper disciples. One can take initiation but not be a disciple. Why? Because not everybody follows their Guru's instruction.

If Gurudev chastises you, but you do not listen to it, you are not a disciple. You must be able to accept Gurudev's chastisement. Who is a disciple? A disciple must follow the chastisement of their Gurudev. Gurudev also always told that somebody surrenders 10%, then they will get 10%; if you surrender 50%, you will get 50%; and if you surrender 100%, you will get 100%. The result depends on the quality of the surrendered soul. Everybody's surrender is not same. There is different percentage in everyone's surrender. So, the quality of your service depends upon your surrender.

Question: What is true slavery, freedom and brotherhood? What is the difference?

[When asked, devotees suggest that 'freedom' can be translated into Bengali as 'svatantrata' (স্বতন্ত্রতা), or 'independence'.] Independence is not good. We want to become servants of devotees, why is it necessary to have independence? It is not good! We are not controllers. There is somebody who is already controlling us. We are under the control of our Gurudev, under the control of great Vaishnavs and under the control of the Lord. If we follow whatever comes to our mind, such independence is not good. Such freedom always creates disturbance in Krishna consciousness.

Question: What is the main principle in devotion life?

The main principle is good association, sadhu-sanga. This is always the main principle.

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

"Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship Deities with faith."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

These are actually five main principles, but first is good association. After sadhu-sanga comes sravan (listening) and kirtan (practising kirtan). "Kirtana prabhave smarana haibe (কীর্ত্তন-প্রভাবে স্মরণ হইবে): chanting (kirtan) arouses remembrance (smaran)."

If you sing, 'Nitai-pada-kamala, koti chandra-susitala (নিতাই-পদকমল কোটীচন্দ্র-সুশীতল): cooling like ten million moons, Nitai's lotus feet soothe the world with their shade' – you can remember Nityananda Prabhu at this time (Nityananda Prabhu's face will come in front of you). When you sing, 'Gurudev, krpa-bindu diya kara ei dase (গুরুদেব কৃপাবিন্দু দিয়া কর এই দাসে),' you can remember Gurudev's face at that time. "Kirtana prabhave smarana haibe (কীর্ত্তন-প্রভাবে স্মরণ হইবে): chanting (kirtan) arouses remembrance (smaran)." Through kirtan, you can remember everything. Sravan-kirtan is the main for us. Even when you are alone, you must always chant kirtan. I always tell all devotees that you must remember and always recite five songs: chant five songs in the morning and five songs in the evening. Chant all the time.

It is also necessary to recite your gayatri, to chant on your beads every day and to wake up early in the morning. In this world I see that all devotees, even sixty-year-old devotees, are always busy with their mobile phones. They always look at something in their phones, and I cannot understand what they look at. I have many mobile phones (I have five mobile phones), but I do not have time to sit and look at something in my mobile phone. I only answer my phone when a phone call comes, or when somebody sends me an occasional message, I read it one or two times. Other than that, I have no time to be always busy with my phone.

You always indulge in laziness (alasata, অলসতা). An idle mind is a devil's workshop (alasa mastiska saytaner karakhan, অলস মস্তিষ্ক শয়তানের কারখানা). It is necessary to always practise sravan and kirtan. It is necessary to always keep good association and to always speak Krishna-katha to each other, not any other katha. Always talk about Krishna consciousness. If you talk about family consciousness (some family problems, this problem, that problem), you are wasting your time.

Time is very short! We will not be alive in this world for very long, so do not waste your time on so many nonsense things. Do not waste your time on family problems.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Without Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur Our Line Is Nothing
2) Mandakini Dhara
3) Spiritual Safety
4) Ignore and Avoid Misconception
5) Practise and Keep Faith
6) Family Consciousness
7) Uncover Yourself
8) Opportunity to Serve
9) Live in Seva-Kunja
10) On Astrology
11) Be Sharp
12) Sincere, Keen and Humble
13) Observing Gundicha Marjan