Do Not Get Mixed Up

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day Four
Evening class, 27 March 2021, part 11
Translated from Bengali

[An indistinct question about somebody chanting some kirtans and speaking some Hari-katha.]

We have Gaudiya Gitanjali (Kirtan Guide) at our Temple, these are the kirtans you should sing. Take Gurudev's books—you can read them during the class. I have also Guidance (Volume 1, 2, 3, 4)—you can read them during the class and this is Hari-katha. I wrote Hari-katha in those books. When I went for the parikrama today, I saw a new book and I wanted to buy it. I am habituated to reading. For example, we have Srimad Bhagavad-gita published by our temple, but I wanted to see what is the difference between Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's explanation. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's Srimad Bhagavad-gita is a very thick book, and I will read it when I get time.

Actually, not everybody can digest everything. For example, as I told you before, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur mixed with bauls, but he did not become a baul himself—he brought them to this path. So, we can listen to what other sampradayas say but we must watch out that we do not become polluted by that. You can see an example in front of you—there is a devotee who listened to wrong people and ended up rejecting both Srila Prabhupad and Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. He is a big pandit, big scholar, but he has rejected Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's teaching. This is an offence at Sri Gurudev's lotus feet. That is why Srila Prabhupad himself told, "Bahu grantha na paribe, bahu kalabhyasa na karibe (বহু গ্রন্থ না পড়িবে, বহু কলাভ্যাস না করিবে): do not read so many books, and do not practise so many things." It is not necessary to know too many scriptures, it is not necessary to do too many things in general...

Are there any other questions?

[A devotee invited His Divine Grace to their place for a programme and what is required for a programme.]

All right, I will come. I do not need any money, and I do not come to your houses to waste your rice. I will come only to speak Hari-katha. You must arrange for some prasadam for the people who will come, and I will come and do kirtan, speak Hari-katha. I will come wherever you call me. I have gone to Muslim countries, and I had no fear of death or anything.

Question: What happens if we hear the Holy Name from the mouth of those who do not respect Gurudev.

You should not listen to the Holy Name from their mouth. They are against Gurudev, why will you listen to the Holy Name from them?

[A devotee is asking about somebody collecting money and then misusing this money.]

They will get a reaction. If you produce an action, you will get a reaction. If you give them money and they misuse it, you will also get a reaction. If I take money from devotees and use it for myself, then I will get a reaction for that. So, we must not go to such people. It is said in one of the kirtans composed by Srila Lochan Das Thakur, "I will not go to the place where there is no Nitai. I will not see the face of those who are against Nitai." Nitai means Gurudev. We must not even see the face of those who are against Gurudev. Did you understand? Lochan Das Thakur is saying this.

It is necessary to have chastity. Women can understand what chastity is. If a lady mixes or makes love with somebody else besides her husband, then it is an insult to her husband. Here also, there is a Guru—Gurudev told who the Guru is, he seated him in this place, and if you do not listen to what that Guru says, and if you go somewhere because you want to satisfy your own desires, then it will not give you anything—it will destroy your spiritual life.

Devotee: But a devotee can be collecting for the temple...?

Who does the collection? Somebody who does not live at the temple?

Devotee: No, people at other temples say that when they come to collect for the temple it is an offence to do that.

What offence is there in doing collection? If you go to do the collection, I will give you a bill book, and you will bring it back after that for the Lord's service, what offence is there? Others can say whatever they like. Why will we listen to what they say? They are against our Gurudev. They left Gurudev. They are guru-tyagi. There are three types of people—guru-tyagi (those who renounce, or reject, their Guru), guru-bhogi (those who use their Guru), and guru-sevi (some few persons who are servitors of the Guru). Those who you are talking about are guru-tyagi, then what is the need to even talk about them? When Gurudev was there, they made Gurudev very angry. Whatever. Leave it, it is not necessary to talk about all this. [Devotee mentions a name, about to say something about them.] It is not necessary to tell or pronounce anyone's name. It is not necessary to complain about anyone. Do not look for holes in others. Do not look for faults in others. I have told you that many times. Who does what, who says or not says what—it is not necessary to know all this. Do not look for holes in others. We must always think, "I am at fault." "Vaishnav habe adosa-darasi—a Vaishnav will not see others' faults, he will see his own faults." First we must see our own faults.

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