(9/9) A Word of Warning

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nrisingha Palli, 3 February 2021, part 9
Translated from Bengali

[His Divine Grace reads from Guidance 4]

It is written here about what is unfavourable to devotion (bhakti-pratikul). Do you know what is unfavourable to devotion? The six urges, gossiping about others, criticising others.

কাহারে না করে নিন্দা, ‘কৃষ্ণ কৃষ্ণ’ বলে ।
অজেয় চৈতন্য সেই জিনিবেক হেলে ॥

kahare na kare ninda, ‘krsna krsna’ bale,
ajeya chaitanya sei jinibeka hele

‘Those who do not criticise anyone and always chant the Holy Name of Lord Krishna conquer the unconquerable Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.’

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, 2.10.312)

Never criticise anyone.

‘Those who do not practise even one of the devotional practices (hearing, chanting, remembering, Deity worship, and so on) are non-devotees – you should keep away from them.’

‘You cannot get sadhu-sanga without giving up asat-sanga: you cannot get holy association without giving up inauspicious, unholy association.’ Always reject bad association.

‘There is less possibility to have bad association at the temple, but if somebody gossips, talks too much, criticises others, discusses others, then their association is bad and must definitely be given up. Such people are greatly unfortunate – they sin and commit offences, that is why they do not feel enthusiasm to practise devotional life, they only suffer from depression, melancholy, danger and trouble.’

‘If you have no feeling of relationship with your gurudev, there is no spiritual benefit – there is only devilry and wickedness. It is impossible to practise spiritual life or serve the Lord without becoming a proper disciple, neither can you get the Lord unless you become a disciple. When you start practising and developing a relationship with your gurudev, you will attain spiritual benefit and progress on the path to the transcendental world.’

We must give advice to ourselves, not to others. If you keep hearing about these things and keep saying these things, then you will start thinking about your own qualification.

What is the use living a very long life? Do you know what Gurudev says? He says that even if you live only ten years, you must live and practise Krishna consciousness – if you live a hundred years but do not practise Krishna consciousness, it is pointless to live so long.

You can see how some people practise Krishna consciousness. What sort of taste do they feel? They go to outside people’s houses to eat nice food, but those outside people are not initiated. It is said in the scriptures:

বিষয়ীর অন্ন খাইলে মলিন হয় মন ।
মলিন মন হৈলে, নহে কৃষ্ণ-নাম গ্রহণ ॥

visayira anna khaile malina haya mana
malina mana haile, nahe krsna-nama grahana

‘If you eat food that comes from materialistic people, it will contaminate your mind. And if your mind becomes contaminated, you will not be able to chant the Name of Krishna.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.278)

They go to outside people’s houses, but those people cook meat and fish there. I also sometimes come to such houses for preaching, but I never eat there – I do not even take their water (I come with my own bottle of water). This is the prescription of the scriptures. If you go everywhere and eat at random, then the scriptures say that your mind will become contaminated and you will forget Krishna consciousness. What for will you go there? You go there because your tongues are greedy, but if you indulge yourselves, it will only increase your desires.

জিহ্বার লালসে যেই ইতি-উতি ধায় ।
শিশ্নোদরপরায়ণ সে কৃষ্ণ নাহি পায় ॥

jihvara lalase yei iti-uti dhaya
sisnodara-parayana se krsna nahi paya

‘Those who, subservient to their tongues, run here and there and are devoted to satisfying their genitals and bellies cannot attain Krishna.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.227)

If you follow the urges of your tongues and stomaches, your minds will always be fickle, and you will always want to eat more.

‘If you run down the path of devotion at a very high speed, you can meet an accident and all your ten years’ practice will be destroyed. A car can be going at a very high speed, but if it meets an accident on the road, it will be crushed to pieces. Similarly, it is very difficult to progress on the path of devotion – it is very easy to go down the hill, but it is difficult to go uphill. It takes so much time to go up, but you can go down within a moment.’

We are wasting our time. It is said in the scriptures:

চারি বর্ণাশ্রমী যদি কৃষ্ণ নাহি ভজে ।
স্বকর্ম্ম করিলেও সে রৌরবে পড়ি মজে ॥

chari varnasrami yadi krsna nahi bhaje
svakarma karileo se raurave padi maje

‘Whatever varna (a priest, fighter, manager or worker) or ashram (a celibate, householder, renouncer of the household life or monk) you belong to, if you do not worship Krishna but engage in your prescribed duties, you will have to fall into a terrible hell.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.26)

Time is going, but people are attached to fish and meat. They only know how to eat. There are so many wonderful vegetarian dishes, but they do not like to eat that.

‘Srila Prabhupad used to say, “You have been given a ticket to Delhi, but before reaching Delhi, you get off in Bardhaman. This is your loss. If you come to practise Krishna consciousness but cannot get the result, this is your loss. You leave your home and come here, but if you cannot get love and devotion, if you cannot serve properly, then your life passes in vain.”’

‘Gurudev can save his disciple from fire. It is difficult to understand how and when one does service, but if a disciple comes across some thorns, this is very distressing. Vaishnav-aparadha is a great hindrance on the path of devotion. Can you recognise who is a Vaishnav and who is not? Therefore, if you behave inappropriately with Vaishnavs, you will face thorns on the path of devotion. What will there be left if you commit an offence at the feet of gurudev? Your devotional life will burn to ashes.’

Always remember this.

একলা ঈশ্বে কৃষ্ণ, আর সব ভৃত্য ।
যারে যৈছে নাচায়, সে তৈছে করে নৃত্য ॥

ekala isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya
yare yaichhe nachaya, se taichhe kare nrtya

‘Lord Krishna is the only supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.5.142)

‘Sri Krishna is everyone’s object of service – He is the only worshippable Person, everybody is striving to serve Him. Some pick flowers, some make flower garlands, some worship the Deity, some cook, some chant kirtan, some go on collection, some sweep, some wash the dishes, some distribute prasad – everyone is contributing to His happiness. Everyone does different kinds of service according to their individual qualification and taste. All jiva souls are His servants and maidservants, and everyone engages in different services of the Lord, that is why there is no conflict among servitors.

‘There is no quarrel, rivalry, envy and jealousy towards each other. Vrajendra-nandan Sri Krishna is the Lord of all Lords, and all are His servants. If everyone has this vision, then there is no rivalry, envy, fighting and quarrelling. “All are the Lord’s servants.” Therefore, do not criticise or offend anyone, do not be jealous of anyone, do not hate, envy or spite anyone. Those who have become firmly fixed in servitude to Krishna do not have any kind of separate vision. Vaishnavs think that everyone is a creature of the Lord. The King of Heaven Indra, the God of Moon Chandra, the God of Sun Surya, the God of Wind Varuna, et al. all serve the Lord. “Prabhura arati kare chandra o tapana. Moon and Sun do the arati of the Lord.” There are so many demigods and demigoddesses, but their purpose is one. However, everybody’s function is not the same. Demigods, demigoddesses, Brahma, Siva, governors of different planets, et al. – they all do their appointed service.’

Many forget about this. When they see somebody make cow dung patties or wash the dishes, they laugh at them, but this is wrong. They are also servitors. If you remember this, you will not be able to criticise anyone. You should never criticise anyone.

‘Sri Radharani worships Krishna pretending that She is offering Surya. She does not disrespect Surya (the God of Sun) – She prays to Surya for Krishna-prema. Vraja-basis and Vaishnavs do not dismiss Lord Siva – they pray to him, “O Sambhu! You always chant the Holy Name of Krishna with your five mouths. You have so much devotion and love for Krishna, please give us such love, too.”’ Vaishnavs worship Siva, too.

Read this book (Guidance 4). Did you not like what you have heard? Is what is written here not true?

[His Divine Grace then chants ‘Sarvasva tomara’ and ‘Hari Haraye Nama Krsna’ and recites Sri Jaya Dhvani, concluding the evening class.]

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CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

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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