(2/13) Sacrifice For Preaching

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bankura Anniversary Festival,
26 January 2021, part 2
Translated from Bengali

After Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur left, many sannyasis gathered at Devananda Gaudiya Math, founded by Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj (previously, Vinod Bihari Brahmachari), and preached from there. Srila Prabhupad’s last sannyasi disciple was Srila Jajavar Maharaj. Srila Bhakti Kumud Shanta Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kiran Giri Maharaj, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj took sannyas later (after Srila Prabhupad’s disappearance). Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj also took sannyas later, from Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj also took sannyas from Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj took sannyas from Srila Keshav Maharaj (on the order of Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj).

When Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj bought the land and was going to open the ISKCON temple in Mayapur, he invited all Gaudiya Maths, but none of them came. Only Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj came; the others thought that Srila Swami Maharaj had gone abroad and become polluted by foreigners. They criticised and fussed about these small matters. Srila Swami Maharaj went abroad and did everything for preaching, he even took their prasad for the sake of preaching. For example, people invite us to programmes, and sometimes we do not like to take prasad from the hands of certain people, but if we refuse to take it, the host will be dissatisfied, so we have to taste a little. Sometimes, it is necessary to do this.

One time, somebody offered Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to open a temple and a hostel in London. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, ‘Yes, and if necessary, you can supply non-vegetarian food also.’ A sannyasi objected, saying, ‘What is the use of making this hostel if we supply meat, eggs, and so on?’ In reply, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, ‘I already thought about it a thousand lives ago!’ When Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj went for preaching to America, he would cook something in the morning before going out for the whole day because he did not know if he would be able to have anything to eat during the day, and in the evening there could be some preaching programme or some people could come to meet him. So, Srila Swami Maharaj cooked in the morning and kept some prasad for the evening in the same fridge where the man at whose house he stayed kept beef. He tolerated it for the sake of preaching.

In his brahmachari days, Srila Sridhar Maharaj went with a few other devotees to Kashmir for preaching (his name was Ramendra Sundar Prabhu at that time). One day, feeling very hungry, the devotees tried to find a place where they could eat; finally, they managed to find a Hindu hotel. They ordered some rice, dal and fried potato, but when the food came, they saw that there was onion in the dal. One of the devotees said, ‘What is this smell? Can you not feel it?’ Srila Sridhar Maharaj replied, ‘Mahaprasadam has come!’ and started reciting the prayers before taking prasadam. His vision was like that.

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Length: 108 min
Language: English

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Remembering Guru-Varga
2) Sacrifice For Preaching
3) Loving Interactions
4) A Hole In Surrender
5) Have a Heart For the Temple
6) Power of Service
7) Origin of Bhagavatam (1)
8) Origin of Bhagavatam (2)
9) Origin of Bhagavatam (3)
10) Lacking or Slacking?
11) Feeling Hungry?
12) Main Target
13) Determination and Surrender