(15/18) Service Is Not a Rite

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Vyasa-Puja Adhivas, Tarakeswar,
Evening, 28 September 2019, part 15
Translated from Bengali

I started speaking about it earlier in the lecture today:

Gaudiya Vaishnavs take shelter at three holy abodes: Sri Nabadwip Mandal, Sri Ksetra Mandal, and Sri Vraja Mandal. Sri Nabadwip Mandal is best for the kanistha-adhikari (those who are covered with bad elements, who have just begun practising devotion). Those who have the lowest qualification are in a greater need of mercy. Those who have not become strong in their practising life, who have just started practising Krishna consciousness can do Sri Nabadwip Mandal, this is good for them. Sri Ksetra Mandal is for those who have progressed a little, who have started to practise seriously and who have no preliminary problems. Sri Vraja Mandal is for those who can remember the pastimes of the Lord, who can serve purely, i.e. those who have achieved perfection. These three holy abodes are the main shelters of Gaudiya Vaishnavs.

In whichever of the three places one may stay, everyone should practise Krishna consciousness, make an effort and assist the service there. Those who cannot do that (those who cannot take shelter at any of these places or have not got such an opportunity in their life) should then remember the holy dham, serve the holy dham, help the holy dham – then their deficiency (that they cannot stay and serve in the dham) becomes compensated to some extent. If you cannot take shelter of the holy dham, you can serve by helping the residents of the holy dham, the servants of the holy dham, and the dham itself with the funds, collection, etc. – some of your deficiency will be fulfilled through that, i.e. you will get some benefit. These three holy places of pilgrimage are the main places for the Gaudiya Vaishnavs.

There are holy places in South India too, there is nothing wrong with them. Yet, those who want to practise Krishna consciousness seriously, should direct their vision and service hankering and effort towards these three holy dhams.

We can also see that from all the three places all the guru-varga who are in the line of Sri Bhaktivinod Thakur took shelter of Sri Nabadwip Dham. Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj, Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, Srila Prabhupad, Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaj – they all stayed in Sri Nabadwip Dham and served there.

Srila Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj and Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj served in Kuliya, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur in Sri Godrum, Srila Prabhupad in Sri Dham Mayapur. They have much affinity or affection towards Sri Nabadwip Dham. It is not true that they were indifferent towards Sri Ksetra Dham and Sri Vraja Dham, but they all established their centres, practised and served in Sri Gaura Mandal.

গৌড়-ব্রজ-জনে, ভেদ না হেরিব,
হইব বরজবাসী ॥

gauda-vraja-jane, bheda na dekhiba,
haiba varaja-basi

'I will see no difference between the residents of Gauda and the residents of Vraja, and I will become a resident of Vraja.”

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

A holy place is a place where the pastimes of the Lord, the pastimes of devotees take place. Devotees always take shelter of the place where the Lord's pastimes are going on. When those who practise heart and soul (who live by practising), who are smart, skilful and wise in their service, get to do some service for Sri Nabadwip Dham, they consider themselves fortunate.

All life is service life. One must practise Krishna consciousness the whole life. We find in the Bible that if you come to the church, kneel down and pray to the Lord, He will cleanse all the sins, all the wrongdoing, all the uncleanness and impurities that have accumulated in your heart during the whole week; if you pray humbly, then the filth accumulated in you over the week will be cleansed and removed. They do it once a week, but pure devotees spend every day, every moment in the service of the Lord.

A good doctor prescribes medication and also gives a dietary chart and draws a treatment plan to cure the disease quickly. In the same way, our guru-varga have given us a daily programme chart so that we could progress in our spiritual life quickly. Guru-varga are the guardians of our spiritual life. They want benefit for their disciples (for those who have taken shelter in them), that is why they say, 'Continue in this way, serve like this, follow all the rules and processes properly, and you will get spiritual wealth.' If we follow all their orders (ades), direction (nirdes) and advice (upades) properly, our practising life will be all right. If a real practitioner wants to follow Krishna consciousness properly, they must follow the path their gurudev shows them and follow the order, direction and advice they receive from him.

Guru-varga give instruction and indication that sravan (hearing), kirtan (chanting), parikrama (circumambulation of the temple or holy dham), service, etc. are favourable. If you start any work following this instruction, you will definitely get a good result. Those who practise their gurudev's instruction seriously, can see the result very quickly. If Krishna consciousness is just some passing fad for you, if you are not firmly fixed in your devotional practising life, and if you do not particularly care for the methods of practising life, then your success is not certain.

If a student studies what he likes, if he does desultory reading, he will not get a good result. It is necessary to practise Krishna consciousness seriously, sincerely, unswervingly. If you follow your gurudev's instruction, you will get a good result even within just one year. Those who are not serious, who are not firm in their practice, they will not get the result soon, it will come later. Being serious is also a spiritual practice. Seriousness comes from gurudev – you must keep everything he says, whatever instruction he gives, whatever indication he gives, in the chamber of your heart.

If your guru says something, you hear it and then forget it, it will not do. It is necessary to tie and keep the words of your guru in your heart. Remember this.

— : • : —

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Length: 83 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Disciple's Dependence
2) How Does Devotion Come?
3) Indispensability of Guru's Mercy
4) Stop Threshing the Husk
5) Disciples' Hypocrisy
6) Strong Desires, Wrong Desires
7) Identifying Yourself with Kirtan
8) Patience Is a Virtue
9) Internal Hypocrisy
10) Unhappy Mind
11) Kirtan Is Not a Show
12) Cook to Perfection
13) Install Gurudev in Your Heart
14) Submission without Resistance
15) Service Is Not a Rite
16) Vaishnavs' Ornaments vs Demons' Ornaments
17) Vaikuntha Vani
18) Absolute Self-Submission