Surrendered Existence

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 16 August 2020, part 2

Are there any questions from anybody?

Question: How can I understand the connection between thoughts, words and actions in order to practise and serve properly?

It is not necessary to think so much—you should always follow the instruction of your Guru. Practise properly, always keep good association (sadhu-sanga), always avoid bad association. Always remember the adi-devata Nityananda Prabhu, always chant the Holy Name, always engage in Nama-sankirtan, listen to Hari-katha, Bhagavat-sravan, always think about the holy dham—there is Nabadwip Dham, Vrindavan Dham, Puri Dham, aways think about these three dhams. If you live in a temple, the Deities are there, and if you live in your house, you should have an altar and follow all rules and regulations in the same way that it is followed in a temple—do arati, wake up for mangal-arati, cook for the Deities, offer the bhog to the Deities, take prasadam, make garlands, do Tulasi seva, etc. This is how you should continue and pass every day. You must pass every day with service. You must always live in service. You should always think about the Lord, remember the Lord. These are the main things, but the problem is that because of bad association we sometimes end up losing our faith and our mind becomes disturbed with many bad things.

So, do not listen to any Vaishnav-ninda, any sadhu-ninda, do not speak any sadhu-ninda. It means you must not gossip—do not talk to anyone about any sadhus or any devotees. Gossiping is actually the main problem in our spiritual life. Our ears, our eyes want to see so many bad things, want to hear so many bad things, that is why we must always, always close our eyes and not see bad things, we must close our ears and not hear bad things. This is very important. Always live in a good way, always engage in spiritual things, then your life will be very spiritual. Try to understand this. How will you understand it? Practise all this, then you will understand what is necessary for your spiritual life and what this human body is for. You have got this human body by a great mercy of the Lord, and you must use this human body, every part and parcel of this body, for the service of the Lord.

Are there any other questions?

Question: Can we reheat the prasadam that has already been offered and distributed?

No, no. No. If it is already offered to the Lord, then we must take the remnants, you cannot make it hot again. It is not good. Not good.

Devotee: What about milk? Can we warm it a little bit?

No, no. It is not good. If it gets cold, then you can take it cold.

Question: What should I do if I see some godbrothers who are older than me do and say things that I know are not correct in our philosophy?

They are not a good example for us.

নিজে আচারি' ধর্ম্ম জীবকে শিখায়
আচার পর্রচার নামের লইনু কার্য

nije achari dharma jivke sikhaya
achara prachara namera lainu karya

Practise yourself and teach the right path to the souls. Your chanting of the Holy Name will be effective when you practise yourself and preach.

If you practise, then you can preach—those who do not practise, cannot preach (they can preach, but it will not work). If somebody practises and preaches, then that preaching will work, it will be fruitful and give a good result.

Another thing is that, it does not matter whether somebody is older or younger. When Mahaprabhu gave His mercy to Narayani Devi, she was only three and a half years old—there were so many old people there at that time, but they did not get Mahaprabhu's mercy. So, whether somebody is younger or older, it is not a question. If somebody practises properly, they can preach, otherwise their preaching will not bring any result.

Devotee: What should one do when they see such a situation, though?

You must not say anything—you must overlook it. Do not pay attention to this. It is actually necessary to ignore this. Our line is that you must do what your Guru says, so you will preach your Gurudev's conception, you will preach what Gurudev says. If somebody says this and that, this and that, do not look left and right—go straight, down the right line.

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