(4/5) Srila Prabhupad's Teachings

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disappearance
Nrisingha Palli, 3 January 2021, part 4

Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj often said that Srila Prabhupad’s words were very hard, like a stone or thunderbolt, but inside he could be soft as a lotus. Everybody knows that fathers are always very loving and affectionate to their sons, but Srila Prabhupad gave more love and affection than any father could give.

Srila Prabhupad told:

‘You may not like what I am saying, but you will remember me after my death.’

‘We have not come to this world to become masons, marble workers or carpenters – we have come to this world to distribute Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message everywhere.’

‘You must go door to door, knock at the door of every materialist who is averse to Lord Krishna – bring these people, change them and turn them into devotees for the service of the Lord.’

‘You can make millions and millions of hospitals, you can serve so many patients or work in a hospice, it is good, but if you can change one single materialist and turn them into a devotee, it is a far greater achievement.’

‘Tosamod kari’ kakhon guru hate pare na (তোষামোদ করি' কখনো গুরু হতে পারে না). A flatterer can never be a guru.’

‘In this world, 99% people will not come to Krishna consciousness, but you must not be disheartened – do not lose your enthusiasm; try to preach more and more.’

‘So many problems will come, so many dangerous situations will come in your life (sata ganjana, sata lanchana [শত লাঞ্চনা, শত গঞ্জনা] – you will be humiliated and abused hundreds of times), but you must not leave Krishna consciousness. You must stay in Krishna consciousness no matter what.’

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur established Nama-hatta (the market of the Holy Name), and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur increased and expanded this Nama-hatta programme.

‘Devotees dedicated to the Lord’s service are eternal servants of Sri Guru and eternal servants of Sri Krishna. Devotees eternally serve Sri Krishna following their guru with faith and in strict adherence. If someone tries to practise Krishna consciousness without faithfully following their guru and Vaishnavs, this is not service to the Lord – it is service to maya. If someone does not faithfully follow their guru but, following their own ideas, behaves virtuously, visits holy places, performs the sixty-four practices of devotion to the Lord, practises renunciation, austerities, Nama-sankirtan, japa, meditation or engages in any other devotional(?) practices, they do not do even a little service to the Lord thereby; rather, they are simply fulfilling their desire to gratify their own senses.

‘When service to the Lord appears to be sense gratification in disguise, many people are often cheated by such disguised enjoyment. A deceitful show of service to the Lord motivated by the desire for fame, wealth and women is not “service to the Lord” – it is simply hypocritical cheating of oneself and others.

‘Service to the Lord is based on following your guru and Vaishnavs with chaste submission. Pretending to serve the Lord without faithfully following your guru is a nonsensical idea compared to trying to eat by jumping over the plate.’

So, on this day, we pray to Srila Prabhupad: wherever you may be, wherever you may be staying, please let us be servants of the servants of your disciples or followers. We only wish to serve them. I am a beggar, and I am begging you all: please give me some mercy so that I can serve my guru-varga and Vaishnavs. This is all I am praying for…

— : • : —

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Illustrious Acharya
2) Advent of Hari-Kirtan Murti
3) Srila Prabhupad's Mission
4) Srila Prabhupad's Teachings
5) Unimaginable Service