Sacrifice For Preaching

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bankura Anniversary Festival,
26 January 2021, part 2
Translated from Bengali

After Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur left, many sannyasis gathered at Devananda Gaudiya Math, founded by Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj (previously, Vinod Bihari Brahmachari), and preached from there. Srila Prabhupad's last sannyasi disciple was Srila Jajavar Maharaj. Srila Bhakti Kumud Shanta Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kiran Giri Maharaj, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj took sannyas later. Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj also took sannyas later—from Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj; Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj also took sannyas from Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj took sannyas from Srila Keshav Maharaj.

When Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj had bought the land and was going to open the ISKCON temple in Mayapur, he invited all Gaudiya Maths but nobody came. Only Srila Sridhar Maharaj came—the others thought that Srila Swami Maharaj had gone abroad and was polluted by the foreigners. They criticised and fussed about these small matters. Srila Swami Maharaj went abroad and did everything for preaching, he even took their prasad for preaching. For example, people invite us for some programmes, and sometimes we do not like to take prasadam from the hands of certain people, but if we refuse to take it, the host will be dissatisfied, so we have to taste a little. Sometimes it is necessary to do this.

One time, somebody offered Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to open a temple and a hostel in London. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, "Yes, and if necessary, you can supply non-vegetarian food also." One sannyasi objected saying, "What is the use if we supply meat, eggs, etc.?" In reply, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, "I have thought about it a thousand lives ago!" So, you can see that when Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj went for preaching to America, he would cook something in the morning before going out for the whole day because he did not know if he would be able to have anything to eat during the day, and in the evening there can be some preaching programme or some people can come to meet him. Srila Swami Maharaj cooked in the morning and kept some prasadam for the evening in the same fridge where the man at whose house he stayed kept beef(!). He tolerated it for the sake of preaching.

In his brahmachari days, Srila Sridhar Maharaj went to Kashmir for preaching (his name was Ramendra Sundar Prabhu at that time). One day, the devotees who went there with him got very hungry. They kept looking for a place where they could eat, and finally they managed to find a Hindu hotel. They ordered some rice, dal, and some fried potato. When the food came, they saw there was onion in the dal. One of the devotees said, "What is this smell? Can you not feel it?" Srila Sridhar Maharaj said, "Mahaprasadam has come!" and started reciting the prayers before taking prasadam. His vision was such.

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