(11/13) Learn to Behave as Sadhu

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Vyasa Puja Adhivas
Nrisingha Palli, 31 December 2020, evening, part 11

When devotees came for Gaura Purnima, Srila Prabhupad would cry, shedding tears from his eyes, thinking, 'Devotees came, did the parikrama during four days, practised Krishna consciousness, but they have again left...' He would cry. He said, 'Do not betray me.' Do you understand the meaning of the word 'betray'? It means, 'Do not cheat me.' Prabhupad said, 'Do not cheat me. Do not forget me! You and I have entered a relationship, and you must not forget this relationship.'

This relationship between you all and me is a birth-after-birth relationship. The relationship you have with your father and mother in this world is only for this moment: I have got this father in this birth, and in my next birth, I will get another father and another mother. It is so, is it not? But it is not in every birth that you can get a bona fide guru (sad-guru). We have got this human birth now, and we have taken shelter at the holy feet of a bona fide guru, so we have no problem. I am not ashamed of it: I walk everywhere as a free man. They put me into jail, and I am not ashamed of it – I tell about it to everyone freely. What is it to me? I am not ashamed because I have not done anything wrong. Why must I be afraid? I have not stolen anything, I have not robbed any place, I have not committed any murder or any other crime. They filed false cases against me, and after that they came to me and asked for forgiveness, they offered their obeisances. I forgive them, and if Gurudev and the Lord can forgive them, it is well and good.

You can see the example of Durvasa Muni. Ambharish Maharaj forgave Durvasa Muni, but did the Lord let him get away with what he had done? He had to run so much all over the universe. What happened? Ambharish Maharaj was a householder devotee. One day, Durvasa Muni came to this house. That day was ekadasi, so Durvasa Muni was fasting. The next day, in the morning, when Ambharish Maharaj woke up and did the archan of the Lord, he took a little charanamrita. Seeing this, Durvasa Muni became enraged, 'I am a guest at your house! How can you break the fast before me, without telling me anything!' Durvasa Muni insulted Ambharish Maharaj's randomly. Not being able to tolerate the abuse and criticism of His devotee, the Lord sent His Sudarshan chakra (disk) to get Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni fled and ran to Sivaloka, Brahmaloka, and many other planets, but Sudarshan ran after him. Ambharish Maharaj prayed to Krishna, 'O Lord, please save Durvasa Muni! Please do not chase him around anymore!' Do you see what kind of quality a devotee has? A Vaishnav was insulted, and Krishna could not tolerate it, but the Vaishnav forgave the offender. Gurudev also often said, 'If one cannot forgive another person, then what kind of a Vaishnav are they?'

Sometimes, when joking, I tell you one story. There was one sadhu who went to the Ganges to take a bath and to chant the Holy Name. One day, he saw a scorpion on the bank of the Ganges that was going slowly towards the water. What did the sadhu do? He picked the scorpion up and, even though the scorpion bit him, he took it a little far from the water and put on the ground in a safe place. He did this one time. Then, the scorpion again went towards the water. The sadhu again took it away from the water. When a cowherd man was passing by, he saw what was happening, and he said to the sadhu, 'Listen, sadhu, what is it to you if this scorpion dies or lives? How does that harm or benefit you? Why do you keep on saving that scorpion from the water?' The sadhu said, 'If it cannot change its nature, why must I change my nature? Its nature is to bite others, but my nature is to save others.' One can bite, one can swear, one can say and do all kinds of things, but a sadhu's duty is to protect and save everyone. Sadhus must not change their nature. It is necessary to learn this kind of saintly behaviour. We must behave as devotees.

I told you also another story about a sadhu. When a sadhu went to bathe in the Ganges, one man threw cow dung at him. The sadhu went to bathe again. Then, the man threw some dog's stool at him. The sadhu went to bathe again. Then, the man threw his own stool at the sadhu. The sadhu again went to bathe. In the end, the man said, 'Gee, what kind of sadhu is he? I have disturbed him so many times, but he is not saying anything – he just goes and bathed silently again. He does not even swear me! What is this? How can one tolerate so much?' Then, he came up to the sadhu and said, 'Sir, I have committed so much offence at your holy feet. I am disturbing you again and again, and you are bathing again and again. I have thrown such bad things at you, and you have had to bathe three–five times...' The sadhu said, 'But you have done me a great favour! You have not done anything bad to me. Every day I bathe in the Ganges just once, but today I have bathed five times. What is the problem?' It is necessary to have this kind of tolerance.

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi ahankara

'Give up ego and consider yourself lower than a blade of grass, poor, destitute and vile.'

বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji anye karabi palana

'Practise tolerance like that of a tree, stop ill-treating others and nurture everyone.'

(Gitavali, Sri Siksastakam Giti, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

It is necessary to have tolerance. If you have tolerance, you will see only good things. Even if somebody swears and scolds you, you must tolerate it, do not start fighting. If others say something, they can say whatever they want. What is it to you? Whatever others may say, there is no harm for you.

So, I have told you this. I have told you many things actually...

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Spiritual Conscience
2) Trust the Lord
3) Service Is Not a Chore
4) May You Live Clean Life
5) Four Biggest Hurdles
6) Internal Meaning of Initiation
7) Amidst What Are You Sitting?
8) Karma-Misra Bhakti
9) Beyond Jnana-Misra Bhakti
10) Indomitable Power of Mercy
11) Learn to Behave as Sadhu
12) Preparing for Festival
13) External and Internal Opulence