Do Not Get Drifted

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
6 December 2014, Bengali class, part 4

Conditioned, fallen souls such as ourselves cannot understand who the Guru is...

সাক্ষাদ্ধরিত্বেন সমস্ত-শাস্ত্রৈ-
রুক্তস্তথা ভাব্যত এব সদ্ভিঃ ।
কিন্তু প্রভোর্যঃ প্রিয় এব তস্য
বন্দে গুরোঃ শ্রীচরণারবিন্দম্ ॥

saksadd-haritvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

"I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, who is said by all the scriptures to be the Lord Himself, and considered to be so by the sadhus, yet is also the Lord's beloved devotee."

(Sri Sri Gurvastakam, 7)

Guru is the Lord Himself, but then at the same time He is a dearmost of the Lord. We do not have the eyes to understand, to know such Guru. If we practise and serve properly, if we keep good association properly, then we can get the super benefit in our life, we can get the Lord's service—there is no other way...

Gurudev said once, "Many think that Guru Maharaj is not here any more, but those who have such vision, who think in this way actually do not have any connection with their Guru." Does Guru go anywhere? He does not. He was there, he is always there, and in future too he will always be there. Our vision is material, it is necessary to see through the eyes that we have inside...

Those who want to do some service, they will always follow their Guru, otherwise it will be service of maya. Guru Maharaj also said that we have got time to serve the Lord, but in the meantime Maya Devi comes and takes this time away—she uses it for her own self, and we are losing our time.

দিন যায় মিছা কাজে নিশা নিদ্রাবশে ।
নাহি ভাবি মরণ নিকটে আছে বসে ॥

dina yaya michha kaje nisa nidra-base
nahi bhavi marana nikate achhe base

My days pass in useless work and nights are wasted on sleeping. It never occurs to me that there is death sitting next to me.

('Durlabha manava janma labhiya' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

Time is passing but we never think that we can leave at any moment. If we can use our senses (eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue) for the service of the Lord, then we can get great benefit. Guru and Vaishnavs try time and time again to do everything so that we do not turn away from the service of the Lord...

যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি ।
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ॥

ye dina grhe bhajana dekhi
grhete goloka bhaya

On the days when I see devotional service taking place in my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there.

('Suddha-bhakata-charana-renu' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

Goloka Vrindavan is always playing in the house where there is service to the Lord.

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥
বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi' ahankara
vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji' anye karabi palana

Give up your false ego, and always consider yourself lower than grass, poor, needy, and mean. Practise tolerance like a tree. Give up vengeance and nurture others.

জীবন-নির্ব্বাহে আনে উদ্বেগ না দিবে ।
পর-উপকারে নিজ-সুখ পাসরিবে ॥

jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe
para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe

"Live without causing anxiety to others; do good unto others without considering your own happiness."

(Sri Siksastakam Giti)

This is written by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, and our Guru Maharaj always preached this.

দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
চারিগুণে গুণী হই করহ কীর্ত্তন ॥

dainya, daya anye mana, pratistha-varjana
chari gune guni hai karaha kirtana

Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name.

(Sri Siksastakam Giti)

Who is able to do kirtan? Those who have humility, who have compassion, who can give honour to others.

We forget the Lord, we forget Krishna, forget our Guru—we are suffering from a disease. Maya is pulling us in one direction, Guru and Vaishnavs are pulling us in the other direction, and our mind is perverted and fickle. If we do not practise all the time, then we will have to come to this position time after time. In his last days, Gurudev said, "Maya can take us away from the service of the Lord at anytime, but we never think about it. Seeing this makes me very sad." If you always practise sravan (hearing) and kirtan (chanting), if you always keep good association (sadhu-sanga), hear Hari-katha, then gradually Maya will run away from you.

মায়ারে করিয়া জয় ছাড়ান না যায় ।
সাধুর-গুরুর কৃপা বিনা না দেখি উপায় ॥

mayare kariya jaya chhadana na yaya,
sadhur-gurur krpa vina na dekhi upaya

"It is not possible to conquer maya by illusory environment (by engaging in maya); it is only possible to get relief by the mercy of Guru, Vaishnav."

That is why we always want mercy of the Guru and the sadhus (Vaishnavs). If we do not get their mercy, then we will never be able to get out of this ocean of material existence...

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