"You Would Better Care About Your Own Purification"

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There is one līlā that inspired me very much and inspires the devotees to whom I shared this. They asked me to tell them about this.

So you most probably remember when Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja started manifesting his līlā of being ill. They performed a medical procedure on Mahārāja and devotees stated concerning themselves with how to serve Mahārāja better. Some devotees considered it necessary to follow all the doctor's instructions to take care of his physical body by restricting him to a certain diet and limiting his communication.

During one Navadvīpa-parikramā, some consensus prevailed and the devotees serving Mahārāja declared that there would be no more initiations. So many devotees were distraught and I was among them. It came like a bolt from the blue sky. There was very much misunderstanding and it was so disconcerting.

Every day Śrīla Mahārāja came to the veranda to offer some water to Śrīmati Tulasī Devī. I was staying in the maṭha and I usually tried to chant harināma near tulasī. So that day when Mahārāja came I paid my obeisances while he was going back to his room after giving water to the Tulasī Devī.

And on this particular day, although I was near Tulasī, my mind was completely overwhelmed by critical thoughts such as, "What are they doing? How can we restrict Mahārāja? How can we deprive the devotees of communication with him?" So many thoughts. And again Mahārāja came and he offered some water to Tulasījī and I was just there. But all of a sudden he talked to me.

He said, “Don’t think bad about anyone. Don’t think evil thoughts about them. Everyone is a servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Everything is in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s hands. Everything is His will. You would better care about your own purification.”

I just fell speechless to his faith. I did not say a single word and I was thinking, so this was one of those newer moments Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Mahārāja showed that Śrī Guru is not just an ordinary man, not just another person. And not all that we perceive or all that we conceive is the deepest reality. He showed that and he showed the right path, the right way to our own real well-being, to our spiritual welfare. It was so amazing.

—Sundara Śyāma Dāsa

Spoken 3rd Sept 2023 on Zoom




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