(4) Keep This Current Flowing

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bhanjipur, 2 December 2019, noon, part 4
Translated from Bengali

রূপ-সনাতন-পদে দন্তে তৃণ করি’ ।
ভকতিবিনোদ পড়ে দুই পদ ধরি’ ॥

rupa-sanatana-pade dante trna kari’
bhakativinoda pade dui pada dhari’

‘With a straw between his teeth, Bhaktivinod falls before Rupa and Sanatan, clasping their feet.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

You all know that we belong to Sri Rupanuga-dhara (the current of chaste followers of Sri Rupa). Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu vested His full power to Sri Rupa Goswami. There is a system of guru-parampara (disciplic succession) where the guru usually vests his entire power onto one particular disciple. So, Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave everything to Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu. Our ultimate aspiration is to be able to serve in submissive adherence to this Srila Rupa Goswami. Following the guru-parampara system, Sri Rupa Goswami Prabhu empowered Srila Jiva Goswami, and Srila Jiva Goswami empowered Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Sri Acharya Srinivas and Srila Shyamananda Prabhu, who then started to preach widely. This guru-parampara continues to this day, and if we can take shelter in a bona fide guru of this succession, we will get benefit. A bone fide guru is a guru who genuinely preaches about his guru. What should we preach about in this world? We must preach only about our guru. We must tell everyone about our guru, about Gauranga, about Gaura-Nityananda.

Sriman Mahaprabhu told Nityananda Prabhu, 'Nityananda, go village to village and preach about the Holy Name of Krishna.' But Nityananda Prabhu thought, 'Mahaprabhu cannot say, "Preach about Me," so He says, "Preach about Krishna."' So, what did He do? He is avadhut: instead of preaching about Krishna, He started to preach about Gauranga. This is audarya-lila, divine magnanimity. Wherever He went, whoever He saw, He would say, 'Hare Krishna! Chant "Krishna"!' We should also be like this. When we speak to somebody (on the phone or when we meet somebody), we should forget about saying 'hello' – we must say, 'Hare Krishna.' When you say it, it will also enter the ears of the person who you are talking to. Do not say, 'Hello'; say, 'Hare Krishna.' When devotees speak on the phone, they say, 'Hare Krishna.' When you say, 'Hare Krishna', the other person will hear it and they will also get some benefit.

You call and speak to many people. You call your daughters, sons, husbands, wives, other relatives and friends – if you love somebody in this world (if there is somebody you feel particularly close in this world), you must bring them to this path.

You can see many devotees sitting here. If each of you tries to preach about Krishna's Holy Name and thereby brings five more people every year, then so many more devotees will come. We must try. Each of us must try. If you are determined, 'I will speak Hari-katha, I will tell others about Krishna, I will try to bring people to this line,' then you will see that you will eventually be able to do it, and then you will feel happy and you will get some 'commission' from the Lord. So, everybody should try to bring five more devotees to this line every year, then if there are ten of you, there will be fifty of you. If you only eat yourself without sharing it with others, this is being selfish. You must relish Krishna consciousness yourselves and you must give others an opportunity to relish it. Always remember this. People will not want to listen to you. They will close their doors in front of you, but you must not get annoyed and leave. Have patience. Go to them again and again. If somebody gets angry and does not want to listen, go to them ten more times. This is how you should live, then you will see that you will get supreme benefit. Try it, do it, and you will see – you will like it.

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