Be Conscious

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Two days before Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Vyasa Puja
Nrisingha Palli, 30 December 2020, evening, part 4

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First of all, I am offering my full obeisance at the holy lotus feet of Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, begging him for his causeless mercy, after that I am offering my obeisance to all Guru-varga, to all my God-brothers and sisters, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees, to all devotees, and I am praying to you all for your mercy to this low soul.

After many days, despite the pandemic situation, you have come for the first time since March. You have been passing your days since then amidst all kinds of difficulties, and you have come here, feeling apprehensive. You have been waiting for the trains to start running again, and as soon as the trains started running and you have got an invitation, you have again come to Sri Nabadwip Dham.

Everyone should use masks, it will be good. I am keeping some distance and speaking from afar, but you are sitting close to each other, so please use masks. If you do not have a mask, we will give new masks tomorrow to everyone. I have brought them from Kolkata. You should be very careful with your own health and the health of others. Remember to wear masks.

Do not go out so much. I have heard that many are going to Mayapur and Nabadwip. Try to be careful. You have come for the festival, and you will spend the time happily, but if later some complications comes, then it is a problem. Therefore, I am requesting everyone to please use masks. If you do not have a mask, we are bringing masks here and will give them to everyone.

Tomorrow is the eve of our Gurudev's appearance. This year, my Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's appearance day is on 1 January 2020...

We are also bringing sanitiser. Everybody must use it, it will be good. Always wash your hands with soap; when you come from outside, always wash your hands. Many people in the world have died in this pandemic. More than 100,000 people have died in India, perhaps 150,000 already. Such pandemic happens every hundred years. There was a pandemic in 1920, and now too, in 2020... We are all praying to the Lord, praying to Gurudev, to Lord Nrisinghadev that 2021 will be good for everyone. 1 January is Gurudev's appearance day. We will spend the first day of the new year with joy, celebrating Gurudev's appearance day, and we pray that we may spend every day like that. Remember this.

You all know that "janma-mrtyu-biye tin Vidhatar niye (জন্ম মৃত্যু বিয়ে তিন বিধাতার নিয়ে)." There are three things—janma means birth, mrityu means death, and biye means marriage—and these three things are not in the hand of anybody, they are only in the hands of the Lord, they come through the Lord. These things—birth, death, marriage—do not happen without the will of the Lord. Although it is not in our hands, we must always be careful. Nobody can save us from death, but scientists have given some ways that can help us avoid it, then it is good if we take advantage of that. Actually, considering the pollution of the air, it is good for everyone to wear masks. When I saw my doctor, the doctor told me that there is a lot of problem that comes through dust. When we go for Nabadwip Dham parikrama, I stand on the cart and so much dust enters my lungs through nose. After that, I went to rice mills for rice collection and inviting people (there are 200-300 rice mills in Bardhaman). I went to every mill, and there is much dust. My doctor told me to be careful with dust. When I am in Kolkata, I always wear a mask, and here too. I try to keep distance. There is much space here, and if you keep sit with some distance from each other, it will be good for everyone.

I want good for everyone—I want everyone to be healthy because if your health is not good, then how will you serve the Lord? It is necessary to take a good care of your health...

From the time immemorial we have become averse to Lord Krishna—we have forgotten the Lord. We are suffering in the agony of three-fold miseries, and the only way to get relief from this suffering is to practise Krishna consciousness. During the lockdown, we have got time to write books, to chant the Holy Name, to practise spiritual life. I did not go so much door to door, but I gave classes online in zoom, facebook, etc. I have not been to so many places. After the situation had stabilised, I did some small programmes in a few places. I thought that the Lord was testing us in that kind of situation, "Will they leave Krishna consciousness? Will they leave the Lord and spiritual life in this situation or not? Will they stop their service or not? What will they do?" But everything is still running—money, eating, sleeping, etc. Everything is running. Everybody found themselves locked in their houses, not being able to go outside so much. Those who work may have gone to work, but those who have government jobs did not have to go to work—schools, colleges are still closed, and children are studying now online. However, we have many temples and services, and we cannot close our temples. Our temples have been open all this time. Those who live at the temple continued their regular daily service and practice—they served the Deities and did everything as before.

Time will pass...

জীবন অনিত্য জানহ সার
তাহে নানাবিধ বিপদ-ভার ।
নামাশ্রয় করি' যতনে তুমি
থাকহ আপন কাজে ॥

jivana anitya janaha sara
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhara
namasraya kari' yatane tumi
thakaha apana kaje

"Understand the essence: life is temporary and filled with all sorts of adversity. Carefully taking shelter of the Name, engage in your work."

(Gitavali, Arunodaya kirtan, 1.3, by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

Life is passing and we can leave at any moment, but we must think what is the purpose of getting this human birth? What is the meaning of this human life? If we do not practise Krishna consciousness, if we do not serve the Lord, then such a life devoid of religion is an animal life (dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah).

আহার-নিদ্রা-ভয়-মৈথুনং চ
সামান্যম এতৎ পশুভির নরাণাম ।
ধর্ম্মো হি তেষাম অধিকো বিশেষো
ধর্ম্মেণ হীনাঃ পশুভিঃ সমানাঃ ॥

ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam cha
samanyam etat pasubhir naranam
dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso
dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah

"Eating, sleeping, sex, and defence—these four principles are common to both human beings and animals. The distinction between human life and animal life is that a man can search after God but an animal cannot. Therefore a man without that urge for searching after God is no better than an animal."

We are spending all our days worrying only about eating, sleeping, fearing, and copulating, but what living entity do not do that? All trees, all grass also eat. We are busy only with these gross needs of eating, sleeping, fearing, and copulating—we work the whole day and sleep at night, then wake up and again spend the whole day in the same way, then again sleep—we spend moment after moment, hour after hour, day after day in this way, but life is finishing. If you never think about life, "What should I do in this life? What should I do to get supreme benefit? What is good for me to do? What can I do to reach the Lord?" If you can practise Krishna consciousness from a young age, it is good. I also think, "If I had come when I was younger, it would have been so good." I came to the temple when I was 28-30 years old. Days are passing, but I am thinking, "I have not been able to do anything. What have I managed to do for the Lord? I could not do anything..."

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