(2/3) Spiritual Shield

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
19 October 2019, Nrisingha Palli, evening, part 2
Translated from Bengali

Like Hriday Chaitanya, Srila Narottam Das Thakur also did very much service to his gurudev and other Vaishnavs. In particular, he served Acharya Srinivas very much. When Acharya Srinivas left, Srila Narottam Das Thakur was there, serving Acharya Srinivas. Nobody could understand where Acharya Srinivas had gone – he as if merged into water. Acharya Srinivas has no samadhi. He is Mahaprabhu's parsada, so he has no samadhi, like Nityananda Prabhu, who also has no samadhi. Those great associates of the Lord simply disappeared, vanished.

Acharya Srinivas evaporated like camphor. Nobody could trace where he had gone. When you do arati and burn camphor, can you see where camphor goes? It just evaporates, even there is no ash remaining after it. One time, Srila Narottam Das Thakur went to bring some Ganges water for Acharya Srinivas's bathing, and when he was bathing him with that water, Acharya Srinivas suddenly vanished in that water. When he left, Narottam Das Thakur chanted kirtan, 'Ye anila prema-dhana karuna prachura, hena prabhu kotha gela acharya thakura. Where has Srinivas Acharya Thakur, my Master who has very mercifully brought the wealth of divine love to this world, gone?' This was when Srila Narottam Das Thakur composed that song...

Where is a tirtha (a holy place of pilgrimage)? Wherever there is Hari-katha (spiritual talks about the Lord), Hari-kirtan (glorification of the Lord), that place is a place of pilgrimage. Who is your protector? God is the only protector. As soon as we think that we have no guardian, when we lose faith and start thinking, 'I have nobody to protect me,' then all the enemies surrounding us will attack us. These enemies are kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (illusion), mada (madness), matsarya (envy). All these enemies will pounce at us. Hari-katha from the holy mouths of bona fide sadhus can protect and rescue us from all dangers.

Why do we see others' faults? When we cannot adjust and correct our own minds, then see others' faults. It is necessary to correct your own mind. Why cannot Rupa-Raghunath's teachings enter our ears? As long as we have material desires, discussions about the Lord will not enter our ears. How can you get news about God? From the guru and God's devotees. You will not get a letter from the Lord Himself, but if you approach a chaste devotee of the Lord, you can learn about God from them. We can learn everything and get all news from God's devotees.

[To a devotee] Are they cooking many subjis?

Devotee: No, they are making soya-rasam.

Why? Are there no vegetables?

Devotee: There are, we brought some, but they are cooking soya.

Why? Is soya a subji?

Devotee: They say that foreign devotees like it more, so I told them to make soya.

Foreign devotees always like soya? But why? I heard that soya is dog's food!

The temple is a centre for Hari-kirtan. Hari-kirtan is its life and soul. A Math is where laziness, unrighteous behaviour, 'village' thoughts, 'village' talks or base material desires have no place whatsoever. That is why when you go door to door for collection, you will usually go through examination. Householder people will swear and kick you out without giving you anything, and as the result, your ability to tolerate will increase. You will have an opportunity to be humble and give honour to others. Just by seeing your qualities of being humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree and respectful to others, common jiva souls will be benefited.

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 14 Mb
Length: 28 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Power of Service
2) Spiritual Shield
3) Purity and Imitation