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Service, Karma, and Devotion His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Question: How can one enter the plane of exclusive dedication to the Guru? How can we fully focus on Guru-bhakti? Prabhu, many things are necessary, it is everything. You cannot buy guru-bhakti with money. Yesterday, a girl called me saying that she had been to an astrologer and the astrologer had told her that she had no guru-bhakti. That girl sometimes donates some money, she sometimes helps me, so when she told me that, I said, "You cannot buy guru-bhakti with money." Guru-bhakti comes through love and affection, it comes from within one's heart—it comes by practising, by giving your heart. Also, I told her, "Why is it necessary to go to an astrologer? To check whether you have guru-bhakti or not?? Are you getting confused?" Question: We hear that in Kali-yuga karma is not created through a negative thought, only when you actually do something wrong. So, can we commit a Vaishnav aparadh by thought? It is good if you do not commit a Vaishnav aparadh. So, it is better not to think also anything bad about a Vaishnav—it is better not to think whether some Vaishnav is good or bad. It is not necessary to think about it. Devotee: I read in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita that Mahaprabhu says, "If somebody even thinks in their mind something wrong about Haridas Thakur, I will not forgive them." Yes, He also told this about Nityananda Prabhu. Once, a brahman came to Mahaprabhu, and because that brahman thought something bad about Nityananda Prabhu, Mahaprabhu chastised him and told him about the glories of Nityananda Prabhu. After that, He said to that brahman, "Go and tell everybody what I have told you about Nityananda Prabhu! Do not make any comments about Him!" So, sometimes even if you only think something bad about a Vaishnav, you will be committing an offence. Another thing is that first you are asking about karma and karma-bandhan. If you do something that is not meant to satisfy your Guru, it is called karma and the result will be karma-bandhan (material bondage); but karma can be transformed into service if you live and act for the satisfaction of your Guru—then it will be seva. So, if you think about any Vaishnav that he or she is bad, it is committing an offence. Question: Is it necessary to observe a full fast on Sri Krishna Janmastami? If you can, it is good. If you cannot do it, then you can take some anukalpa (whatever is taken on ekadasi—some fruit, etc.). In this age of Kali, it is difficult for everyone to observe full fast without even drinking water from morning until midnight, so if you cannot do it, take some ekadasi preparations, and break your fasting (paran) the next day in the morning (on Nandotsav day) with the prasadam of the offering that you make for the Lord at midnight on Janmastami. Question: If the watchful eye of my guardian constantly watches me, why do I then forget, under the influence of maya, that my guardian is watching me? Actually, those who are surrendered souls, are always busy with service, so maya (illusion) cannot attack them. If I am conscious that my Gurudev or my guardian always takes care of me, if I feel he is always with me, then Gurudev will always remove maya from me—Gurudev will always remove any obstacles from my life. A proper Guru can do that. If a devotee has faith in his guru, if a devotee thinks, "My guru is my everything," then, if it is a proper guru, he can remove all obstacles, all maya, etc. from this devotee's life. When a devotee constantly thinks about their guru, how can maya attack them? How will maya stay with them? Maya will run away from them.
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"HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS | HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS" | ||||||||
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