He Waits for the Lord's Mercy

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During the centennial celebrations of Vyāsa-puja of our Guru Mahārāj Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj in 1997, many stalwart Vaiṣṇavas came to Śrī Gopīnath Gauḍīya Maṭh, Mayapur. In that ceremony, Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāj, Ācārya Mahārāj, Bhakti Vijnan Bhārati Gosvāmī Mahārāj, Bhakti Sarvasva Niṣkiñcan Gosvāmī Mahārāj, and so many other ācāryas came. We made two stages: one stage only for our Gurudeva with a siṃhāsan (throne), and another stage for Vaiṣṇavas. When it was full, additional sannyasis were sitting down in the audience. Then Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj came and offered puṣpāñjali to Guru Mahārāj, went on the stage, and started kirtan. His kirtan offering was in such an enchanting mood that the entire venue turned into a saṅkīrtan hall, the atmosphere filled with the loud spiritual sound of big kartals. Mahārāj was joined by Rasabihārī Prabhu, Śrīkanta Prabhu, Bhūtabhāvan Prabhu, and others. 

As I was very much junior to the assembled Vaiṣṇavas, I felt very reluctant to sit in the group. I'd been sitting in the temple office room when I was called by Śrīla Bhārati Mahārāj who handed me the microphone and told me to speak. I felt completely uneasy, unqualified, and I did not know what to speak. I remember explaining to all the Vaiṣṇavas that we are poor financially but not at heart and requested them not to leave the temple before taking prasādam.  

The space inside was very small and the gathering of Vaiṣṇavas was huge. That time I saw Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj, our Gurudeva, and other sannyasis honoring prasādam in the same room. Every aspect of Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj's behavior was exemplary. He was sitting and waiting until my Gurudeva would come and honor prasādam. In every instance, all the time, his mood and his activities teach us how to offer respect. 

So it was on a perfect day that Lord brought him in this world on the day of Śrī Ramachandra's appearance, as Śrī Ramachandra is an incarnation of etiquette. I believe that among Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda's second-generation disciples, Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmi Mahārāj is the most perfect personification of this divine etiquette.

I hesitate to speak about another instance, but I feel I need to as it may be good for you to know. Once in 2000 or 2002, such a situation appeared in the mission that I wanted to resign from the ācārya post, thinking I am unqualified to run the mission, and gave my resignation letter. Śrīla Bhakti Kumud Sant Gosvāmī Mahārāj, Narayana Mahārāj and others called me and spoke. Then through Bhakti Prajñān Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāj, Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāj called me to come at midnight to meet him at Kolkata maṭh. Then at the appointed time when I met him in his bhajan-kuṭir, he left his chair and sat on a mat on the floor with me and spoke.

"Close your eyes, close your ears, and close your lips and wait for the mercy of the Lord. After some time, he said, "So many things can happen, but our protector is Kṛṣṇa—the protector is guru, vaiṣṇava. Wait for their mercy; do not listen to anyone, do not speak against anyone.  If you see anything bad, do not say. Wait for the mercy."

From that day, I have followed his order and now I realize the value of his instructions. He never chastised me, he never spoke any logic. He just said, "Close your eyes, close your ears, close your lips, and wait for the mercy of the Lord." Now I realized that this is a really valuable instruction for all vaiṣṇavas.  No need to think about the future, no need to think that I am the controller; the controller is Lord Himself. We just have to believe it.

In Bengali, there is an expression that says visvase milaye vastu—if we believe, then no need for us to engage in any argument, we can see the reality. It is a fact. If we chant hare kṛṣṇa mahāmantra and do our duties and responsibilities, we should not feel anything about the result, we should not think about the result, we will see the result—the perfect reality.  This is the actuality of our spiritual practice, to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa.

—Śrīla Bhakti Bibudh Bodhāyan Mahārāj

Spoken in English on 1.4.2020 at Gopīnath Gauḍīya Maṭha, Vṛndāvan




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