(7/7) Practise and Pray

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, evening festival class
Sri Nityananda-Trayodasi, 7 February 2020, part 7
Translated from Bengali

It is necessary to always maintain chastity. We must not go anywhere and everywhere. Do not become a khada-jathiya [খড়জাঠিয়া, lit. khada খড়, straw, jathi জাঠি, stick—i.e. sometimes humble, sometimes opposing; sometimes strict, sometimes fickle]. You know that Mahaprabhu called Mukunda khada-jathiya. Mukunda was a very good kirtan singer and a dear devotee of Mahaprabhu, but Mahaprabhu did not spare him—he called him khada-jathiya! It means going everywhere, staying everywhere and trying everything. It is like going everywhere and skimming and tasting cream from milk everywhere. Those who live like that can never practise genuine spiritual life. Such people can never change. Guru Maharaj told about such people: "He is not practising properly, but how can he? Can you uncurl a dog's tail after pouring a maund [approx. 37 kg] of ghee on it? You cannot."

We must practise and maintain our spiritual life properly.

“গোরার আমি, গোরার আমি” মুখে বলিলে নাহি চলে ।

গোরার আচার, গোরার বিচার লইলে ফল ফলে ॥

"gorara ami, gorara ami" mukhe balile nahi chale
gorara achara, gorara vichara la-ile phala phale

"Just saying, 'I am Gora's! I am Gora's!' will not do. Only when you follow Gora's practice and Gora's conception will you get the proper result."

লোক দেখান গোরা ভজা তিলক মাত্র ধরি ।

গোপনেতে অত্যাচার গোরা ধরে চুরি ॥

loka dekhana gora bhaja tilaka matra dhari'
gopanete atyachara gora dhare churi

"You put on tilaks and show the whole world that you serve Gora, but secretly you do outrageous things. Gora will catch you, thief (hypocrite)!"

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 8.6-7)

Gora knows whether we are following the proper behaviour and practices, whether we are practising spiritual life properly and whether our spiritual life is going in the right direction. Even if Gurudev kicks us out, we must always stay with him. It is necessary to have this kind of mood, and it is necessary to have tolerance.

সকল সহনে বল দিয়া কর
নিজমানে স্পৃহাহীন ॥

sakala sahane bala diya kara
nija-mane sprha-hina

"Please give me the power to tolerate everything and to be free from any selfish desires."

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We must pray to Gurudev for this every single day. We must sing this kirtan ("Gurudev, krpa bindu diya") every day. Even if you stay alone, you must chant kirtans alone. It is necessary to chant kirtans eternally, every single day. Those who stay at the temple must always come and sit for kirtans and lectures.

সকলে সম্মান করিতে শকতি
দেহ' নাথ ! যথাযথ ।
তবে ত' গাইব হরিনাম সুখে
অপরাধ হবে হত ॥

sakale sammana karite sakati,
deha natha! yatha yatha
tabe ta' gaiba hari-nama sukhe,
aparadha habe hata

"Master! Give me the strength to give everyone appropriate honour; then I will happily chant the Holy Name and all my offences will be destroyed."

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

If you keep chanting the Holy Name all the time, we will become absolved from all offences. Always remember this.

আর কবে নিতাইচাঁদ করুণা করিবে ।
সংসার-বাসনা মোর কবে তুচ্ছ হ'বে ॥

ara kabe nitaichand karuna karibe
samsara-vasana mora kabe tuchchha ha'be

"When will Nitaichand give His mercy to me? When will my material desires become trifle?"

(Prarthana, Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

কবে নিত্যানন্দ মোরে করি' দয়া ।
ছাড়াইবে মোর বিষয়ের মায়া ॥

kabe nityananda more kari' daya
chhadaibe mora visayera maya

"When will Nityananda be compassionate to me and relieve me from mundane illusion?"

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

It is necessary to be able to tolerate; it is necessary to have patience. We must not be vindictive; instead, we must nurture everyone:

বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji anye karabi palana

Practise tolerance like that of a tree, stop ill-treating others and nurture everyone.

Anyhow, I will not take more of your time now. I will chant some kirtan now and finish. Hari bol. Hare Krishna. The festival has not finished yet, but everyone has their return tickets ready for tomorrow, is it not so? I am thinking everyone has come with a return ticket and will jump back into the ocean of Maya again—drowning and struggling in that ocean, you will become busy with your lives. Leave this family of Maya and come to the family of Krishna...

[His Divine Grace chants "Hari Haraye namah Krsna" and recites Sri Jaya Dhvani, concluding thus the evening class on the holy appearance day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.]

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Sinful Souls' Scrape
2) Two Unexpected Questions
3) Do Not Lose This Pull
4) Great Mercy for Great Hearts
5) Kali-Yuga Servants
6) Why Have You Come?
7) Practise and Pray