(5/13) Have a Heart for the Temple

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bankura Temple Anniversary Festival,
26 January 2021, part 5
Translated from Bengali

You can stay here at the temple.

বিষয়ে যে প্রীতি এবে আছয়ে আমার ।
সেই মত প্রীতি হউক চরণে তোমার ॥

visaye ye priti ebe achhaye amara
sei mata priti hauk’ charane tomara

‘May I have the same kind of love for Your holy feet as I now have for this material world.’

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

You must feel and say that this place is your home. You can continue working in the field, you can continue earning money, and if anything is required to be repaired or purchased for the temple, you can use the money to pay a worker to repair it. It is important to have a heart for the temple. You are staying in a room, and you must think that this is your own room – you must take care of it as your own room. This is how love comes. Many blame others – they say, ‘I have told him to do it, but he has not done it.’ You must never look for faults in others. Always look for faults in your own self. I have told you before – you can be doing so much service, but if there are holes (shortcomings), then all result will come out through those holes. If you pour water into a pot with holes, all water will fall through the holes. Gurudev also told me, ‘You are making so many temples, but you should also prepare somebody.’ I am trying to do that – I am looking for a fit person. I am already training some devotees, but I have not got the right person yet. It is impossible to keep water in a pot with holes… I will give all charge to the person who can hold and take care of everything.

A father also thinks, ‘I have many sons, but I will give charge for the land to the son who can protect and take care of it. When I see that any of my sons is fit for this, I will give all charge for taking care of the family to him.’ Sometimes, even while still alive, the father can give all charge to one of his sons. It does not matter who is elder – sometimes the younger brother or the middle brother works well, then he can get all responsibility. It is necessary to give charge to those who are qualified for it.

The problem is that many do not practise. I wrote books in clear Bengali, and if somebody still cannot understand it, then what can I say? It is necessary to read. One person can read, and others can hear. Do not keep water in a pot with holes (you must close the holes – remove anarthas and practise properly).

One time, some paint had come off in some place in front of the nat-mandir, and Gurudev said, ‘So many people stay at the temple – has no one noticed before that it has to be painted? It came off a long time ago, and Vinod [His Divine Grace’s brahmachari name] has brought workers to get it painted. Everybody can see it in front of them, then how come only Vinod noticed it and nobody else did?’ Everybody can see that there is some leakage near the door – am I the only one responsible for fixing everything? You can take care of everything yourselves. You must understand this.

— : • : —

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Length: 108 min
Language: English

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Remembering Guru-Varga
2) Sacrifice For Preaching
3) Loving Interactions
4) A Hole In Surrender
5) Have a Heart For the Temple
6) Power of Service
7) Origin of Bhagavatam (1)
8) Origin of Bhagavatam (2)
9) Origin of Bhagavatam (3)
10) Lacking or Slacking?
11) Feeling Hungry?
12) Main Target
13) Determination and Surrender