Lacking Strength or Lacking Effort?

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham
11 December 2010

You must accept what is in favour of devotion and reject what is not favourable to devotion. Every day early in the morning we promise:

ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভাব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥
ষড়ঙ্গ শরণাগতি হইবে যাঁহার ।
তাঁহার প্রার্থনা শুনে শ্রীনন্দকুমার ॥

bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara
sad-anga saranagati ha-ibe yahara
tahara prarthana sune sri-nanda-kumara

"'I will do only what is favourable to devotion and will reject everything unfavourable to devotion.' Sri Krishna hears the prayers of those who surrender in the six-fold way."

(Saranagati, 1, by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

We sing this song every morning, and we must realise it—we must understand how many hours of our time we waste—spend on ourselves, on our own enjoyment—and how many hours we spend on practising. We have come here for service—we have not come for enjoyment. This is our promise. We promised in the mother's womb,

ভজিব বলিয়া এসে সংসার-ভিতরে ।
ভুলিয়া রহিলে তুমি অবিদ্যার ভরে ॥

bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare
bhuliya rohile tumi avidyara bhare

"You came into this world saying, 'O Lord, I will serve You', but, having forgotten this promise, you have remained in ignorance."

('Jiva Jago Jiva Jago' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

The Lord says, "You promised you will worship Me, but you have forgotten it. Why? Because you are covered by the illusory environment."

We are like a piece of dry wood simply floating in the river, and sometimes by some fortune we may get to the bank,

সংসার ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যে কেহ তরে ।
নদীর প্রবাহে যেন কাষ্ঠ লাগে তীরে ॥

samsara bhramite kona bhagye keha tare
nadira pravahe yena kastha lage tire

"Wandering throughout the material world, some souls get good fortune and somehow cross this ocean of material life just as a wooden stick floating in the water gets washed ashore."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.43)

We have got to the bank now, we have got shelter, and we must use that shelter. You take Gurudev's shelter, but you think you have your own raincoat, so that shelter is not necessary. It is a very good example. Sometimes ego comes and we forget that we are in the shelter of our Guru—that we are under his guidance, under his umbrella. We think, "Why do I need this umbrella? I have my own raincoat!" This is our big problem.

That is why, practising life is necessary.

It is said that we are walking down a very thin thread, any time we can meet an accident—we can cut our feet and fall down. "Ksurasya-dhara" (ক্ষুরস্য-ধারা): practising life is like a sharp knife blade—any time we can fall down, any time we can go to the illusory environment. So, practise! Be humble, tolerant, give honour to others—that is Mahaprabhu's conception.

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

That is our main conception, but we forget it...

I remember when I just came and joined the temple Gurudev said to me, "You have got some deposit and through that deposit you have came to the temple, but if your business is lost, you will lose your deposit. Do not lose your deposit!"

We must realise this and practise...

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