Poverty of Mind

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vaishnav Seva Programme, Kolkata,
29 January 2021, part 8

There is one more thing I want to say. I did not see so many people in the morning, but now everyone is starting to crowd. Do you know why? I will read you what Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says. In this country, people have the cult of feeding 'Nara-Narayan' (feed people, thinking they are personification of Lord Narayan), but can a human (nara) ever become Narayan (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)? We call feeding people "service to poor Narayan," but you tell me—can Narayan, who is the original master of Laksmi Devi (goddess of wealth and prosperity), be poor? He is the master of the whole world, He is the owner of all wealth in this world, and they call Him "poor Narayan"! This is an offence to say this. Never utter such things.

One time, when Srila Prabhupad finished Nabadwip Dham parikrama from Chaitanya Math, there was a big festival—all the sadhus, devotees, brahmacharis, and sannyasis had come from all temples. At this time, one man came to the temple and asked, "When will they give food for the poor?" All of us would feel pain to hear this. "Tell me, dear mind, are you a beggar for food (bhojan) or a beggar for spiritual life (bhajan)?" We sing Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's song "Sarvasva tomara, charane sapiya":

তব নিজ-জন প্রসাদ সেবিয়া
উচ্ছিষ্ট রাখিবে যাহা ।
আমার ভোজন পরম-আনন্দে
প্রতিদিন হবে তাহা ॥

taba nija-jana prasada seviya
uchchhistha rakhibe yaha
amara bhojana parama-anande
pratidina habe taha

"Whatever remnants your devotees leave behind after honouring Your prasad, I will eat that every day with a great joy."

Yet when prasadam is distributed, they take paneer out and keep it separately, giving mostly juice to others. What is this? I asked once, "What is all this paneer here doing?" They said, "Oh, we have kept some in case nothing is left for us after prasad distribution." Yet you sing in the kirtan, "Whatever remnants your devotees leave behind after honouring Your prasad, I will eat that every day in great joy"...

You can remember the example of Kalidas. He never even sat together with Gaudiya Vaishnavs. He would hide in the forest at that time, and when Vaishnavs finished taking prasad and threw their plates away, he would come and lick those plates.

Later, Mahaprabhu gave him a certificate. It was generally prohibited for anyone to touch Mahaprabhu's feet. We also tell everyone, "Do not touch the feet." Why do we say this? Because why will such highest Vaishnavs as you touch the feet of such a lowly soul as myself with your pure hands? That is the rule. On the other hand, what do devotees think? "Gurudev, I am a lowly soul, how can I touch your feet?" You must remember this. So, what happened that time with Kalidas? You know that when you enter Jagannath Temple through the Lion Gate, there is a place where water is coming and where you can come and wash your feet. One time, Mahaprabhu was washing His feet there, and one devotee (Kalidas) came and, touching Mahaprabhu feet, drank that water from His feet. Everybody rushed at him, "Do not touch Prabhu's feet! Do not touch the feet!" However, Mahaprabhu said, "Do not prohibit him." Why? Mahaprabhu said, "Because he has become a 'jhanu vaishnav' ('a seasoned, or crafty, Vaishnav'). He ate all the Vaishnavs' remnants and have become a veteran Vaishnav." How? Because Kalidas never sat in one line together with Vaishnavs to take prasad, but he took everyone's remnants. How much humility he has! We must learn from his example.

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