(9/14) His Things, For His Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Uluberia, 12 January 2021, part 9
Translated from Bengali

[His Divine Grace resumes the class after kirtan.]

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

‘The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill – all it takes is mercy from gurudev.’

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First, I am offering my full obeisance at the reddish soles of the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, begging him for his causeless mercy and aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all assembled guru-varga and godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees and all the devotees. I am offering my obeisance at your holy feet and praying for your mercy to this lowly soul.

It is not always that we get an opportunity to hear Hari-katha and kirtan. It is said that a bad day is not a cloudy day – a bad day is the day without Hari-katha. If any day we do not get a chance to hear about the Lord, to hear Hari-katha and kirtan, this day is a bad day for us.

I have told you earlier today that taking initiation is not the final destination. If you take initiation and receive the mantra, it does not mean that you have got everything. After taking initiation, you must listen to Hari-katha (practise sravan) and practise spiritual life (do kirtan).

আদৌশ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গোঽথ ভজনক্রিয়া ।
ততোঽনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্যাৎ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যুদঞ্চতি ।
সাধকানাময়ং প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাদুর্ভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha ruchis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudanchati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

‘First, there is faith; then, saintly association and practising life. After that, unwanted habits gradually go away, spiritual life becomes stable, and spiritual taste comes. Then comes attachment, feeling and, finally, transcendental love. This is how love for the Lord comes to those who practise Krishna consciousness.’

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.4.15–16)

There are nine stages of devotion: first is faith (sraddha), then good association (sadhu-sanga), then you must practise (bhajana-kriya), after that your offences will gradually go away (anartha nivritti), your faith will grow stronger (nistha), then taste will come (ruchi), followed by attachment (asakti), love (bhava) and the strongest love (prema). We must follow these steps of devotion in our lives. It is also said in the scriptures: sravanam (listening about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord’s Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s lotus feet), archanam (worshipping the Lord’s Deities), vandanam (offering obeisances and prayers to the Lord), dasyam (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhyam (serving the Lord as a friend), atma-nivedanam (submitting yourself to the Lord).

When you come to do Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama, you must know about the nine islands of Nabadwip. Nabadwip is comprised of nine (nava) islands (dvipa), and each of the nine kinds of devotion (sravanam, kirtanam, etc.) resides on a corresponding island. For example, our Nrisingha Palli temple is situated on the island of Godrumdwip, it is the domain of kirtan (chanting the Lord’s Holy Names); Simantadwip is the island of sravanam (listening about the Lord); and Koladwip, where our old temple stands, is the domain of pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s lotus feet).

First of all, it is necessary to have sukriti. There is jnata-sukriti (conscious spiritual merit) and ajnata-sukriti (unconscious spiritual merit). Dal, flowers and other items are not used in the service of the Lord at every house. There are many flowers sold at the market – there are flowers that are bought for the sraddha places (ceremonies for the deceased), some flowers are bought to be placed on dead bodies, some flowers are used at birthday parties, and so on; but here, flowers are used for decorating the temple and to make garlands for devotees and the Lord. This is how (ajnata) sukriti comes – although flowers do not realise it, if they are offered to the Lord, they get some benefit. For example, people make sweets from milk, but are all sweets offered to the Lord? If some sweets are offered to the Lord, then the cows that gave that milk get some unconscious sukriti. Sukriti means that everything is His, and everything must be used for His service: ‘Tad vastu tadiya sevaya (তদ্ বস্তু তদীয় সেবায়). His things – for His service.’

For example, somebody donated two hundred rupees for the temple in Uluberia yesterday – they think that they have given that money, but they only used the Lord’s money for the Lord’s service. People are full of ego, so they use money for their own enjoyment, but when they give something for the Lord’s service, they get benefit. They think they give their own money, but what they actually do is they worship the Ganges with the Ganges water (Ganga jal Ganga puja, গঙ্গা জল গঙ্গা পূজা): you are serving the Lord with the Lord’s things.

This is the rule. Everything that is created in this world – trees, plants, insects, worms, animals, birds, mosquitos, flies, anything and everything – exists for the service of the Lord. Everything is used in, and is meant for, the Lord’s service in one way or another. The Lord has created everything for one purpose or another, but not every living entity gets a chance to serve the Lord. This is what sukriti is. Sukriti is the very first step on the path of spiritual progress.

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Length: 101 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) What Is Surrender?
2) Proper Recipient for Proper Taste
3) Highest Stance
4) Cry and Pray
5) Seeking Respite
6) Greatest Choice
7) Nityananda Prabhu's Mercy
8) Mahaprabhu's Mercy
9) His Things, For His Service
10) Faith Is Not Idle
11) Devotion or Display?
12) Example to Follow
13) Shelter of Sri Guru's Mercy
14) Service or Offence?