(5/9) Humility and Dedication

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nrisingha Palli, 3 February 2021, part 5
Translated from Bengali

If you send your letter to the Lord, you will not get a reply from Him, and one does not become a disciple just by taking the mantra. To become a disciple, you must first take initiation from a guru who belongs to a proper guru-parampara (discipline succession); after that, you must follow what your guru says, and you must be able to tolerate his chastisement.

I feel that I myself have not been able to become a disciple yet, and it is my aspiration to always be one: ‘Sisya tava thakiya sarvada (তাই শিষ্য তব, থাকিয়া সর্ব্বদা). I want to always remain your disciple.’ These words are from one of the kirtans (‘Krpa kara Vaisnava Thakura’). We must feel that everyone in this world is my master and behave as disciples. Even when somebody comes to take initiation from me, I feel that this person is coming to give their mercy to me. This is how initiation must be given. Gurudev must never think, ‘I will make somebody my disciple.’ No. He will always think, ‘This person is coming to give me mercy.’ Such humility must be there.

Mercy is followed by service – if you have mercy, you will have service, and if you have no mercy, you will have no service. It is necessary to remember and practise this.

You must follow ekadasi. Next Monday is ekadasi.

শুদ্ধ ভকত- চরণ-রেণু,
ভজন-অনুকূল ।
ভকত-সেবা, পরম সিদ্ধি,
প্রমলতিকার মূল ॥

suddha-bhakata- charana-renu,
bhajana-anukula
bhakata-seva, parama siddhi,
prema-latikara mula

‘Pure devotees’ foot dust is favourable to devotion. Serving devotees is the supreme fulfilment and the root of the creeper of divine love.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We must serve pure devotees. Unless you serve pure devotees, you will not achieve anything.

যে দিন গৃহে, ভজন দেখি’,
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ।

ye dina grhe, bhajana dekhi’,
grhete goloka bhaya

‘Any day there is devotional service at home, I see Goloka manifest itself in it.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

When you do service, you have to exert yourself. You know, when I was doing the construction of Govinda Kunda in Nabadwip, I lost seven kilograms. Later, when I left Nabadwip, I put on weight again. At that time, two–three hundred trucks came every day to take out soil, and fifteen tractors were excavating the ground. So much soil was taken out.

তোমার সেবায়, দুঃখ হয় যত,
সেও ত’ পরম সুখ ।

tomara sevaya, duhkha haya yata,
seo ta’ parama sukha

‘Even any unhappiness that may come in Your service is my greatest happiness.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘Whatever unhappiness comes when I serve you, it is my happiness.’ When you serve the Lord, you have to struggle, you have to exert yourself.

…Muri is Bengalis’ favourite food. If there is no muri, many will not say anything, but they will be hungry in the afternoon. I saw in Nabadwip that all devotees kept muri in their rooms and ate it in the afternoon. Anyway, what is the problem? There is no lack of food. Always keep some muri in the temple. You can keep some in the storeroom, and devotees can take some to their rooms also. People are used to eating muri in the afternoon, this is their habit, and I also sometimes eat muri in the afternoon. Just yesterday, I took some muri with mustard oil and green chilli. I do not eat outside food – I do not like all that chanachur and similar things.

শুদ্ধ ভকত- চরণ-রেণু,
ভজন-অনুকূল ।
ভকত-সেবা, পরম সিদ্ধি,
প্রমলতিকার মূল ॥

suddha-bhakata- charana-renu,
bhajana-anukula
bhakata-seva, parama siddhi,
prema-latikara mula

‘Pure devotees’ foot dust is favourable to devotion. Serving devotees is the supreme fulfilment and the root of the creeper of divine love.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

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Length: 81 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Have You Forgotten?
2) Morning Shows the Day
3) Genuine Surrender
4) In Search of Hidden Treasure
5) Humility and Dedication
6) Jnana-Sunya Bhakti
7) Taking a Stand Against Maya
8) Be One-Pointed
9) A Word of Warning