His Things, For His Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Uluberia, 12 January 2021, part 9
Translated from Bengali

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, I am offering my full obeisance at the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj begging him for his causeless mercy, aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all assembled guru-varga, godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees, and all the devotees. I am offering my obeisance at your holy feet and praying for your mercy to this low soul.

It is not always that we get an opportunity to hear Hari-katha and kirtan. It is said that a bad day is not a cloudy day—a bad day is the day without Hari-katha. If we do not get to hear about the Lord, hear Hari-katha and kirtan any day, this day is our bad day.

I have told you earlier today that taking initiation is not the final destination. If you take initiation and receive the mantra, it does not mean that you have got everything. After taking initiation, you must hear Hari-katha (practise sravan) and practise spiritual life (do kirtan).

আদৌশ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গোঽথ ভজনক্রিয়া ।
ততোঽনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্যাৎ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যুদঞ্চতি ।
সাধকানাময়ং প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাদুর্ভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha ruchis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudanchati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

"In the beginning there is faith, then good association, then practising life. After that, the offences gradually go away, faith becomes stronger, taste comes, then attachment, then there arises affection and love. This is how love to God comes to those who practise Krishna consciousness."

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhuh, 1.4.15-16)

There are these nine stages of devotion: first is faith (sraddha), then good association (sadhu-sanga), then you must practise (bhajana-kriya), after that your offences will gradually go away (anartha nivritti), your faith will grow stronger (nistha), then taste will come (ruchi), followed by attachment (asakti), love (bhava), and strongest love (prema). We must follow these steps of devotion in our life. It is also said in the scriptures: sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, archanam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam, atma-nivedanam, pada-sevanam—hearing, chanting, remembering the Lord, serving the Lord's lotus feet, worshipping the Deity of the Lord, rendering service as a servitor, as a friend, self-submission, and offering obeisance.

When you come to do Nabadwip Dham parikrama, you must know about the nine islands. Nabadwip is comprised of nine (nava) islands (dvipa), and nine kinds of devotion (sravanam, kirtanam, etc.) reside on those islands. For example, our Nrisingha Palli temple is situated on the island of Godrumdwip, it is the abode of kirtan; Simantadwip is the island of sravanam; and Koladwip, where our old temple is, is the place of pada-sevanam.

First, it is necessary to have sukriti. There is jnata sukriti (conscious spiritual merit) and ajnata sukriti (unconscious spiritual merit). Dal, flowers, etc. are not used for the service of the Lord in every house. There are many flowers sold at the market: here, some flowers are used for decorating the temple, some flowers are used to make garlands for devotees and the Lord, but there are also flowers that are bought for sraddha places, some flowers are bought to be placed on dead bodies, some flowers are used at birthday parties, etc. This is how (ajnata) sukriti comes—although flowers do not realise it, if they are offered to the Lord, they get some benefit. For example, people make sweets from milk, but are all sweets offered to the Lord? If some sweets are offered to the Lord, then the cows that gave that milk will get some unconscious sukriti. Sukriti means that everything is His, and everything must be used for His service (tad vastu tandiya sevaya).

For example, yesterday somebody gave two hundred rupees for the temple in Uluberia, but they use the Lord's money for the Lord's service. Because people are overcome with ego, they use money for their own enjoyment, but when they give something for the Lord's service, they get benefit. They think they give their own money, but what they actually do is they worship the Ganges with the Ganges water (Ganga jal Ganga puja, গঙ্গা জল গঙ্গা পূজা): you are serving the Lord with the Lord's things. This is the rule. Everything that is created in this world—trees, plants, insects, worms, animals, birds, mosquitos, flies—exist for the service of the Lord. Everything is used in and meant for the Lord's service in one way or another. The Lord has created everything for one purpose or another, but not every living entity gets a chance to serve the Lord. This is what sukriti is. Sukriti is the very first step on the path of spiritual progress.

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