(4) Throw Away Your Dreams

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kadigachha, festive morning programme,
6 March 2019, part 4
Translated from Bengali

When Jivan Chakravarti arrived in Vrindavan, he asked some local people, 'Do you know where Sanatan Goswami stays?'

'Over there,' somebody told him, 'at Dvadasatila. He serves his Madan-Mohan there.' (The Dvadasatila temple is located behind the temple of Bankti-Bihari.)

Then, Jivan Chakravarti came to Sanatan Goswami and asked him,

'Prabhu, can you tell me where I can find Sanatan Goswami?'

'Why? It is me.'

'Oh, you?' Jivan Chakravarti was surprised.

'Why? Do you not believe me?'

'No... I believe...'

'Then why do you look so surprised? Who sent you to me?'

'Siva Thakur...'

'What for?!'

'To become rich.'

'Rich? But I live under a tree, I have nothing...' Sanatan Goswami replied, puzzled.

'Yes, so I see. I am thinking that at home I at least have some proper pots, but you are using a clay glass and a clay pot, and they are old and broken, with holes in them. I see that you have nothing...'

'Of course. How would I be able to make you rich?'

'I know... I do not know why Lord Siva sent me to you, there must be some mistake. All right, I am going then,' Jivan Chakravarti said and started walking away. Having walked for a while, he suddenly heard Sanatan Goswami calling him,

'Hey, listen! Wait, wait! I have remembered! The other day I went to the Yamuna to bath, I found there a covetable touchstone. I threw it into the sand on the bank of the Yamuna. Go there, you can find it.'

Jivan Chakravarti went to the Yamuna and searched for the stone but did not find anything. He came back to Sanatan Goswami.

'Oh, you are back? Have you got it?'

'No, I have not...'

'All right, I will come with you. You probably do not know the place so well.'

They went to the Yamuna together and Sanatan Goswami found the touchstone.

'Here. Here is your touchstone, take it.'

Jivan Chakravarti had an amulet on his arm, and when he touched the touchstone to it, the amulet turned into gold. Sanatan Goswami went away, and Jivan Chakravarti was satisfied thinking, 'Now I can get a lot of gold.' But then, another thought came to his mind, 'This sadhu found such a good thing, but he threw it away into the sand just like that. He must have something even more valuable than that! People throw away only the things that are less valuable than what they have. Let me go and ask him.' He came to Sanatan Goswami again.

'Oh, you again? I thought you had left. You have got a touchstone, you can go home now – you will be very rich now. You can have many houses, arrange your daughter's marriage and fulfil all your dreams.'

'Prabhu, there is something I want to ask you. What sort of riches do you have that you do not consider a touchstone of any value. I am placing your holy feet on my head and begging you for a speck of that wealth. Can you give it to me?'

'Yes, you are right. I do have something much more valuable. Do you want to take it? To get it, you must throw away your touchstone. You must leave your material attachments.'

'I will.' Jivan Chakravarti went to the Yamuna and threw the touchstone away into the river.

'Will you take my wealth now?'

'Yes, I will.'

'Stretch your hand.'

'Here, take these Tulasi beads. Chant the Holy Name of the Lord. That is the highest wealth.' Jivan Chakravarti accepted the Holy Name and stayed in Vrindavan. At his house, everything was all right – his family came into possession of money and his daughter was married into a very good family. There were no problems. The father stayed in Vrindavan, but his wife and daughter did not die of hunger – the Lord took care of everything.

So, when you come to Lord Siva, you should pray, 'Please show me the right path. Where should I go to find Krishna?' You must search it. Where can you find the Lord? Where can you find Kanu Krishna? You live in this world amidst so many attachments, but one day you will have to leave all this...

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