(4/8) Attaining Unattainable

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Radhapur (Howrah district),
17 November 2020, noon, part 4
Translated from Bengali

Why should we practise Krishna consciousness? We are born in this Age of Kali now. We are conditioned jiva souls ruined by Kali. There is a sloka in Vishnu Purana:

জলজা নবলক্ষাণি স্থাবরা লক্ষবিংশতি
কৃময়োরুদ্রসঙ্খকাঃ পক্ষিণাং দশলক্ষনম্
ত্রিংশললক্ষাণি পশবঃ চতুরলক্ষাণি মানুষাঃ

jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati
krmayo rudra-sankhyakah paksinam dasa-laksanam
trimsal-laksani pasavah chatur-laksani manusah

"There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities, such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and there are 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species."

If you give class, you must remember this sloka by heart.

We have been born 900,000 times in water—we have been born as all kinds of crocodiles, sharks, fish. We have been born 2,000,000 times as all kinds of trees, plants, hills, etc. We have been born 1,100,000 times as all kinds of insects, spiders, frogs, snakes, ants, etc. We have been born 1,000,000 times as birds—you can see so many kinds of birds flying in the sky. We have been born 3,000,000 times as all kinds of animals and 400,000 times as humans. Having travelled through all these 8,400,000 species, we have finally got this human birth. We have been born as humans 400,000 times before in all kinds of places, including Garo, Khasi and Naga. There are people who eat other people, who eat dogs and snakes. We were born not only here in India. You can see these boys here – they come from Venezuela, Mexico, America. So, we have been born before not only in different tribes and castes but also in different countries. When Gurudev travelled around the world, he rescued fallen, lowly souls and engaged them in the service of the Lord, and now these boys and girls chant kirtan and play kartals and mridangas.

So, having travelled through all these 8,400,000 kinds of life, we have finally got this human birth by our great fortune. Among the 400,000 human species, only fortunate souls get the seed of devotion from a bona fide guru:

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥
মালী হঞা করে সেই বীজ আরোপণ ।
শ্রবণ-কীর্ত্তন-জলে করয়ে সেচন ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
mali hana kare sei bija aropana
sravana-kirtana-jale karaye sechana

"Having travelled throughout the universe, some fortunate souls receive the seed of the devotional creeper by the mercy of Sri Guru, who is non-different from Krishna. Becoming gardeners, they plant that seed and nurture it with the water of hearing and chanting."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.19.151–152)

Having got this seed of devotion, we must water it with sravan and kirtan: listening about the Lord and chanting the Lord's glories (practising). We have got this opportunity as the result of much sukriti. There are two types of sukriti, jnata-sukriti (conscious spiritual merit) and ajnata-sukriti (unconscious spiritual merit). For example, there are some flowers growing in a garden, but they are not used for anything, so they just dry up. Some flowers are used at weddings, funerals, festivals, some flower garlands are hung on the necks of dead bodies, some on the necks of politicians, and some flowers are used for the service to the Lord and Vaishnavs. This is not one and the same. Everyone reaps the result of their own fortune – everyone gets what they are destined to get.

It is our great fortune that we have got this human birth. We have a brain that no other species have – animals, birds do not have this kind of brain. Gurudev told one very nice thing. You all have mobile phones. Through these mobile phones, we can talk to people who are very far from us, even as far as America or London. The signal comes through the medium of sound vibration. If you press a button on the remote control of your TV, you can get the news from various places. You can see everything. All this comes through the medium of ether. We too have got a sound vibration:

হরের্নাম হরের্নাম হরের্নামৈব কেবলম্ ।
কলৌ নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব গতিরন্যথা ॥

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

'Chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name. There is no other way, no other way, no other way.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.7.76)

If it is possible to reach such far-away places through the medium of material sound, why can we not reach Goloka Vrindavan through the transcendental sound vibration? Goloka Vrindavan is situated beyond the fourteen material worlds (Bhur, Bhuvar, Svar, Maha, Jana, Tapa, Satya; Atal, Vital, Sutal, Talatal, Mahatal, Rasatal, Patal). Beyond these material words there is Viraja River, Paravyoma, Vaikuntha and then Goloka Vrindavan, where Radha-Krishna reside. In Goloka, if you come to a banana tree and ask it for a mango, it will give you a mango. If you ask a pawpaw tree to give you a jackfruit, it will give you a jackfruit. It is an abode of wish-fulfilling trees (kalpa-vriksa). This is the abode where Lord Krishna exists. In that land, there is no old age, no influence of time, and there is always happiness. So, why can we not reach that abode through the medium of ether? If we chant the transcendental sound vibration properly, sincerely, every day, why cannot we come to the Lord? We definitely can!

'শ্রদ্ধা' শব্দে—বিস্বাস কহে সুদৃঢ় নিশ্চয় ।
কৃষ্ণে ভক্তি কৈলে সর্ব্বকর্ম্ম কৃত হয় ॥

'sraddha'-sabde—visvasa kahe sudrdha nischaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

'Sraddha is a firm, determined faith that by serving Krishna all actions are accomplished.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.62)

Gurudev says that we can do it, and if Gurudev says something, then it must happen – we must be able to reach that abode if we can sincerely practise Krishna consciousness.

This is what you have come to hear. You must listen to these things carefully. I will chant a few kirtans now, and after that, I will speak again.

[His Divine Grace chants kirtans.]

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 26.6 Mb
Length: 63 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Satiating Hunger for Hari-Katha
2) Service Arrangement
3) Humble Service Mood
4) Attaining Unattainable
5) Advent of Govardhan
6) Worship of Govardhan
7) Govardhan-Dhari Gopal
8) Search and Surrender