(7/7) Deficiency in Practice

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata—Worldwide, 17 January 2021, part 7

Are there any questions from anyone today?

Question: I have been reading about the holy places in Ekachakra Dham, and I have two questions. Is Bankaray also a son of Padmavati Devi and Hadai Pandit?

No, Bankaray is Krishna.

Question: There is a place at Janu Kunda, where a dome is showing, is it Bankaray’s samadhi?

No, it is not correct. Bankaray disappeared there. He was playing there, and after that He disappeared in that pond. Actually, Nityananda Prabhu is non-different from Balaram, and Krishna and Balaram are inseparable – wherever Balaram is, Krishna is always there. Once, some village people noticed that a boy was playing with Nityananda Prabhu at the pond, but later, only Nityananda Prabhu came back from that place – the boy had disappeared. Many years later, Jahnava Devi went to the Yamuna River in Ekachakra Dham and found two Deities there. This is how she got Bankaray Krishna’s Deity. So, Bankaray is not a son of Padmavati Devi and Hadai Pandit. In another way, you can say He is their son because even in the pastimes of Krishna and Balaram, both Balaram and Krishna called Mother Yasoda ‘mother’. ‘Eka deha-i, dui rupa’ – Their body is actually one, but They expand themselves into two different forms. Such is the relation between Gaura-Nitai and Krishna-Balaram. So, in one way, you can say that about Bankaray, but Bankaray did not actually come from Mother Padmavati. Bankaray came when Jahnava Devi found the Deities of Krishna and Balaram, many years later.

Are there any other questions?

Question: How can I develop affection for devotees?

You can develop affection by practising Krishna consciousness. All souls in this world are sons of nectar (amrtasya putra). We all belong to one family, to the family of Krishna. You have affection for your mother, father, and you should feel the same affection towards all devotees because they are also your family, as much as your parents are. You should not see any difference between your parents or bodily family and devotees.

[To one of the devotees] You are very fortunate because you have got the association of devotees. You are present now in this zoom meeting, and you are getting so many devotees’ association. It is very nice to see you, I am very happy. You are a very fortunate soul because you have come to this programme from very far away. You can join again and again, and if you have any questions about Krishna consciousness, you can ask them.

Question: Who can avoid death?

Death is not just the death of this body – death means you leave this family and go to another family life, and next life you will again face death. It is necessary to overcome this kind of death, not just the death of this body, but the life of repeated births and deaths. We do not want to face it. It is possible to overcome this situation, but we need to practise properly. We must serve devotees, we must preach for devotees, we can send a message to devotees. These are the main things. Practise very nicely. Krishna is always with you, and I also always think about you. Do not worry.

Question: If a devotee wants to leave the temple and asks me to help them leave the temple, should I support them?

You can give them some advice, explain to them that it is not necessary to move out of the temple. They can speak to the senior devotees also. You can ask the leader or the temple manager in your area to help. It is necessary to consult with senior devotees in such cases.

Question: How can I identify whether I am ready to take the second initiation?

It is not necessary for you to ‘identify’ that. The guru is always the one who identifies whether you are ready or not. Your guru can understand that. If you want to engage yourself more in puja and cooking services, or if you want to learn puja, cooking and other services related to Deity worship, if you have this desire, then you can take the second initiation. If you only show that you have taken the second initiation but after that do not practise properly, it is not good. After you take the second initiation, you must recite the gayatri mantras every day, you should cook and do the puja services. This is what the second initiation is mainly necessary for. If you feel, ‘I should do some puja, I should offer bhoga to the Deities on my altar,’ then it is necessary for you to take the second initiation.

Taking the second initiation or taking sannyas only for the sake of taking it is meaningless. It is meaningless if you take sannyas and do not preach but instead always think about your health and about your own things. Sannyas means constant preaching. This is the main service of a sannyasi. Even brahmacharis should also always take this position – they must be determined to preach Krishna consciousness. Even householder devotees who have taken the second initiation must first learn to do puja themselves and then teach others how to do it. It is very important. I have seen so many devotees who have taken the second initiation, but one, two, five, etc. years pass, and they cannot even remember the gayatri mantras, they have not learnt how to do puja, and they cannot even recite the Jay Dhvani. There are so many deficiencies in devotees. It is necessary for everyone to learn and practise.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Latest Events
2) Memorable Day In Bamunpara
3) Remembering Mahaprabhu's Sannyas-Lila
4) Ten Days in Shantipur
5) Heart-Breaking Decision
6) Deceitless Dealings
7) Deficiency in Practice