(4/4) Happy Life

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar area, 10 February 2021 (noon), part 4

Many say, ‘Oh, I have no money, I will commit suicide!’ I once went to a house where the son had taken his life. What happens when people commit suicide? Do you think they get relief? They do not. They suffer even more after they die like this because they do not get another body for fourteen days. How much they suffer during this time! They roam around in the sky, remaining suspended in the air because they can neither stay on the ground nor go to heaven or hell. When fourteen days pass, they get another body. So, do not think you will get peace by ending this life. You will not.

You can see the example of California: people there have so much money! When a child is born in a family, they present the child with ten cars! Even though people in California have so much money, why is the suicide rate so high there? Because they do not have happiness and peace. Even if you have money, it does not mean that you will live in peace. You make a fancy room in a big house for yourself, you marble the floors, do everything, but if there is no peace in that room, you cannot call it home. Material life is also like that: if there is no genuine service to the Lord in your life, if there is no practice of Krishna consciousness, you cannot call it a happy life – this is a griha-medhi life (a life filled with material attachment to the household).

যে দিন গৃহে, ভজন দেখি’,
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ।

ye dina grhe, bhajana dekhi’,
grhete goloka bhaya

‘Any day there is devotional service at home, I see Goloka manifest itself in it.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

This is what real home is. When you practise Krishna consciousness, when you serve the Lord every day, eternally, then your home becomes Goloka Vrindavan. Only offering some flowers or a garland will not do. You must cook and offer bhoga to the Lord every day. If it is meal time and you give me ten garlands, will that fill my stomach? It will not. But if you give me something to eat, then my stomach will be full. It is the same with the Lord. When it comes to midday and other particular times of the day, you must feed the Lord. This is how you must practise Krishna consciousness.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s gift is so great!

শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য-দয়া করহ বিচার ।
বিচার করিলে চিত্তে পাবে চমৎকার ॥

sri-krsna-chaitanya-daya karaha vichara
vichara karile chitte pabe chamatkara

‘Just consider Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy! If you do, you will feel astonished in your heart.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.8.15)

People say, ‘Dhanam dehi, vidyam dehi, rupam dehi, bharyam dehi, yasam dehi. Make me rich, make me clever, make me beautiful, give me a good wife, make me famous,’ but what did Mahaprabhu say?

ন ধনং ন জনং ন সুন্দরীং কবিতাং বা জগদীশ কাময়ে ।
মম জন্মনি জন্মনীশ্বরে ভবতাদ্ভক্তিরহৈতুকী ত্বয়ি ॥

na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi

‘O Supreme Lord (Master of the Universe, Jagadiswar)! I do not desire any wealth (religion, money or material desires), any followers (wife, sons, servants or maidservants) or material knowledge (beautiful poetry). My only prayer is that I may birth after birth have pure devotion to You, devoid of seeking any result.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.20.29)

ধন জন আর, কবিতা সুন্দরী,
বলিব না চাহি দেহ-সুখকরী ।
জন্মে জন্মে দাও, ওহে গৌরহরি,
অহৈতুকী ভক্তি চরণে তোমার ॥

dhana jana ara, kavita-sundari,
baliba na chahi deha-sukha-kari
janme janme dao, ohe gaurahari,
ahaituki bhakti charane tomara

‘When will I say that I do not want any wealth, followers, poetic gift or any other bodily happiness? O Gaura Hari! Birth after birth, please give me unconditional devotion to Your holy feet!’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We pray, ‘Please give me causeless devotion!’ You cannot get the Lord through any material activities, knowledge or mystic practices. If you want to get the Lord, you must have devotion. How will devotion come? Devotion comes from devotees’ association (‘bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-sangena parijayate’; ভক্তিস্তু ভগবদ্ভক্তসঙ্গেন পরিজায়তে). Who must you associate with? Not with those who are bad association. Bad association means those who do not practise even one of the nine devotional practices: sravanam (listening about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord’s Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), archanam (worshipping the Lord’s Deity), 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), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s lotus feet). If somebody practises at least one of these practices, their association is good.

There are sixty-four kinds of devotion in total. The nine practices I have just mentioned are the main among these sixty-four practices. Among these nine main practices, there are five that are the most important. And among those five most important practices, there are two that are the highest: sravan (listening) and kirtan (chanting).

তার মধ্যে সর্ব্বশ্রেষ্ঠ নাম-সঙ্কীর্ত্তন ।
নিরপরাধে নাম লৈলে পায় প্রেমধন ॥

tara madhye sarva-srestha nama-sankirtana
niraparadhe nama laile paya prema-dhana

‘Of all practising processes, Nama-sankirtan is the best. If you chant the Holy Name without offences, you will get the wealth of divine love.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.4.71)

If you chant the Holy Name without offence, you will get the transcendental love for Lord Krishna. It is necessary to chant the Holy Name without offence. Wherever you stay, always chant the Holy Name: ‘Grhe thaka, vane thaka, sada “Hari” bale’ daka (গৃহে থাক, বনে থাক, সদা হরি বলে’ ডাক). Whether you stay in a house or in a forest, always call out to the Lord – always chant His Holy Names.’ When you are happy, you forget the Lord, and only when you get into hospital or something happens, you remember the Lord and start calling out to Him. You must never forget the Lord, no matter whether you are happy or sad: ‘Sukhe duhkhe bhulo naka, vadane Harinama kara re (সুখে দুঃখে ভুলো নাক, বদনে হরিনাম কর রে). In happiness and in sadness, do not forget it: loudly chant the Lord’s Names’ (Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur).

This is what I wanted to say. It is time to finish now. Please offer bhoga and give everyone prasad. I will be at the temple in the evening – everyone can come there. No invitation is necessary to come to the class. Everybody can come, you have my standing invitation. Always come for the class. [To the hosts of the programme] If it is not possible to give prasad to everyone, you can give everyone some fruit. What is the problem? It is prasad, too. Nobody says you must give rice, luchi and a full meal to everyone. If it is not possible, you can give everyone some fruit; it is also prasad.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

[His Divine Grace chants ‘Hari Haraye Nama Krsna’ and recites Jaya Dhvani, completing the noon programme.]

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 10 Mb
Length: 20 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Service Outlet
2) Do Not Waste This Human Life
3) Do Not Waste This Human Life
4) Happy Life