Relation With Guru: Watch Out

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 19 July 2020, part 2

This is our practising life. Sambandha-jnana (knowledge of the relationship) does not come through the mantra. Sambandha-jnana comes through heart, through service. It is necessary to take initiation, to take the mantra, but only mantra is not enough to get sambandha-jnana.

Sometimes, we think we are great devotees—I have seen many of Gurudev's godbrothers had taken sannyas from Gurudev, but after that they started thinking, "I am a sannyasi, and Srila Govinda Maharaj is also a sannyasi. We are equal, I can sit on a chair just like him..." Gurudev gives honour to every sannyasi, but they must think and show respect. Otherwise, they think, "Oh, Govinda Maharaj is my godbrother!"—they do not accept Gurudev as their siksa-guru or Divine Master. That is their disqualification. This is how you lose faith in Gurudev and demote yourself—as a result, slowly, slowly, you become unable to practise properly and think straight. We must listen to this, we must tell about this, and we must understand this.

It is necessary to say these things also because tomorrow is the disappearance day of our beloved Srila Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Everybody glorifies Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj in so many ways, but I want to say that Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's best quality is that he made our Gurudev his successor. Try to understand this. Srila Sridhar Maharaj received so many letters from devotees and even his godbrothers saying so many bad things to Srila Sridhar Maharaj because he had appointed Gurudev his successor. Srila Sridhar Maharaj tolerated it.

Later, Srila Gurudev started preaching abroad all over the world and he made so many branches of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math all over the world—after Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, Gurudev was the only person who was preaching all over the world and who fulfilled the desire of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Srila Sridhar Maharaj. That is why Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj himself wrote in Gurudev's pranam mantra, "Gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam. He perfectly fulfils his Gurudev's most cherished desires and is fully adorned with the blessings of his Gurudev's associates." Srila Gurudev fulfilled his Guru's desire. I must tell about his. Therefore, it is Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's best quality that he made Srila Gurudev his successor. Srila Sridhar Maharaj was durdarsita, he could see far into the future. He had many brahmacharis, many sannyasis, but he did not choose any of them—instead, he chose one householder man (Srila Gurudev was a householder at that time), and he forcefully brought him to the temple and made him his successor. That is the best quality of Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Gurudev was always very humble—Gurudev said, "I was a very naughty boy, but just as a blacksmith takes a piece of iron, burns it and turns it into a sword, my Guru Maharaj took me and made me a good boy." Gurudev would always say, "I am a very naughty boy, I am unqualified..."

Srila Gurudev gave much honour and much respect to everybody, both his godbrothers and his disciples. However, a disciple should also understand—if Gurudev gives me respect, it does not mean I will now jump and sit on his head. It is necessary for a disciple to understand this. Sometimes, Gurudev gives respect to a disciple, but it is not a joke. Gurudev tells us to sit on a chair, but we must get shy, "Oh, Gurudev told me to sit in front of him on a chair, but he is my Guru, why should I sit on a chair?" One time, I was in Puri with Srila Gurudev. Srila Gurudev went to see Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj, and, when he came there, Srila Puri Maharaj again and again requested him, "Govinda Maharaj, sit on a chair, sit on a chair," but Gurudev never sat on a chair in front of him. I saw it. Actually, Gurudev could not sit on the floor, it was difficult for him, but when Srila Puri Maharaj insisted, "Govinda Maharaj, sit on a chair!" Gurudev said, "No, Maharaj, I am like a disciple to you, how can I sit on a chair in front of you?" That time I learnt something: Gurudev can request me, "Sit on a chair," but I must give respect to my Gurudev's chair—I am not his equal, I must sit on the floor, that is better for me.

This is how Gurudev showed so many things to us for our spiritual life, and we should try to understand these things...

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