Clear Conception

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 2 August 2020, part 6

Question: On the disappearance day of Srila Guru Maharaj, you said that the greatest qualification of Srila Guru Maharaj was that he had given us Srila Govinda Maharaj as the acharya. Could you please explain this a little more?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj himself said, "I observe and I can see that in many points, in many things, Srila Govinda Maharaj knows better than me. Srila Govinda Maharaj is more qualified than me." Also, when Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Srila Prabhupad left this world, he left so many foreign devotees who later came to Srila Sridhar Maharaj, but Srila Sridhar Maharaj said that he could not maintain, or take care of, such foreign people properly, so he told Srila Gurudev (Srila Govinda Maharaj), "I am giving them all to your hands. You will take care of them." Then, you can understand something. Now, all foreign devotees, especially the disciples of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, claim, "I am a disciple of Srila Sridhar Maharaj! I have a special connection with Srila Sridhar Maharaj!" But they must understand: Who made you a devotee? Who made you a proper servant? Who gave you the teachings? Who gave you association? Srila Gurudev did. Srila Gurudev gave you more association—none of you got as much association of Srila Sridhar Maharaj as you got from Srila Gurudev. You may have taken initiation from Srila Sridhar Maharaj, but you did not get so much association from Srila Sridhar Maharaj. You all have got much more association from Srila Gurudev. This is what they have to understand. Even if they do not admit, this is their matter, but this is the truth. They must understand that Srila Gurudev gave position, gave respect and pratistha to everybody—and he gave it to everyone as must as they wanted.

Are there any other questions?

Question: I have a question regarding prasadam. Sometimes we cook, we think of Gurudev, but we do it in a simple way—we offer it, but we sometimes do not have a properly arranged altar. So, how important is it to do the offering with the proper mantras, etc.?

It is not necessary to recite so many mantras. I will tell you the mantra that is important—that mantra is, "I am a fallen soul. I have no quality and qualification. I have no quality and qualification to cook. I have cooked this for You, please take it." That is the mantra.

Question: Could you please tell about the three worlds (Patal, Martya, Svarga)?

Why is it necessary to know it?? I do not know Patal-loka, Talatal, Vital, Rasatal, etc. There are actually fourteen worlds, not three, but what is it necessary to know it for? It is not important to know all this. Yes, there are fourteen planets within a brahmanda (they are also called chaudda-bhuvan), but Krishna will not keep us in this brahmanda. We are serving the Lord, we have got such an opportunity, and Krishna will take us to His loka—to Krishna-loka, which is Goloka Vrindavan. Why will we think about all this—what is hell, what is heaven, what is this, that? It is not our duty. These are all imaginary thoughts, it is not necessary to know so many things. That is why it is said that we must not read too many scriptures or know too many things. Simple things are sufficient. You must do some service, practise, chant the Holy Name, and this Holy Name can rescue you from kind of environment—you can go to Goloka Vrindavan. These are the main things for us.

Question: We hear that Sri Hari Smaran festival has begun. What activities or reading do you recommend for us?

You can read Srila Sridhar Maharaj's book Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam, that will be good. Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamritam is a good book, you can read it and remind yourself of many good things (practise smaran). I have also given you some books—Guidance 4, Guidance 3. You can read all these books and you can get everything in them. My books are very easy to understand, I am not writing in very high language, it is easy to understand, and if you do not understand some part, you can ask me, I will tell everything, I will try to solve your problem by the mercy of Gurudev.

Devotee: Gurudev, we want more books from you!

I am writing now. Guidance 5 is coming. Have you already read Guidance 4?

Devotee: Almost, Gurudev, but I am reading it in Bengali.

Yes, good. The Bengali version is good. You can understand everything nicely. Do you like this book?

Devotee: Yes, it is very nice, and I have also distributed some copies as well.

That is very nice. Guidance 4 gives a clear conception. Guidance 3 also has so many things in it—what is Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, there are also so many questions and answers, so many things are explained there, what is devotion, who is a devotee, who is a karmi, who is a jnani, what is karma-khanda, what is jnana-khanda, etc. There are so many questions and answers in Gudiance 3.

[Addressing one of the devotees:] Do you have any news about ** and his family?

Devotee: ** Prabhu lives here in New Jersey, and he has a new wife now.

He is an old man, and an old man is taking a new wife?? He also has a grown-up son...

They think if they live as devotees and stay alone, who will take care of them in old age (when they become old)? Then, they take a new wife. You must know that Krishna always takes care—if somebody is a devotee of Krishna, Krishna always take care of them. If we have such a great, strongest faith, then Krishna will take care of us. The problem is that we do not have faith. We always say, "Marabi rakhabi, yo ichchha tohara (মারবি রাখবি—যো ইচ্ছা তোহার): whether you keep me or kill me, it is up to You." We say that Krishna will protect us, that Krishna will look after us, but we do not have the strongest faith in that. So, sometimes we lose faith and Maya comes to attack us. If you have the strongest faith for Gurudev, Krishna, the Lord, then Krishna will always protect you, but if you lose your faith, then Maya will attack you. That is sure.

Anyhow, I am trying... Loving search for the lost servant—I am trying to remember them...

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