RAGS New York: May 25, 1998
Oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
There is not only one world – there are millions upon millions of worlds. Within all these worlds, the eternal spirit soul wanders through the various species of life, sometimes taking the form of a man, sometimes a tree, and sometimes a creeper or an animal. In the course of his wandering, if one is fortunate, he receives the association of pure devotees, otherwise not.
What is that luck, or fortune?
If one has performed any activities related to Kṛṣṇa and His associates, or related to anyone or anything connected with Kṛṣṇa – such as Tulasī, His temples, His land (Vṛndāvana-dhāma, Navadvīpa dhāma or Purī dhāma), he becomes fortunate.
Here is an example of how one becomes fortunate: There was a Vaiṣṇava saint who used to go door-to-door, begging for some chapattis, rice, or any other foodstuffs. He always used to call out:
“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare,”
And sometimes:
“Rādhe Śyāma, Rādhe Śyāma!”
Or:
“Rādhe Rādhe, Rādhe Rādhe!”
Throughout Vṛndāvana, in Vraja-mandala. He was simply absorbed in:
“Rādhe Rādhe Rādhe!”
One day he went to a door of an old lady who was in a very angry mood. She didn’t want to hear:
“Rādhe Rādhe”
Or:
“Hare Kṛṣṇa,”
And she rebuked him, saying:
“Don’t you ever come to my door in the future; otherwise I will break this stick on your back!
Always remember this!
Don’t come to my door!”
The Vaiṣṇava returned the next day at the same time, calling out again and again:
“Rādhe Śyāma!”
“Rādhe, Rādhe!”
And:
“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.”
That lady became very furious and began to rebuke him again. He left, but he returned again on the third day. The lady thought:
“Why he is coming?
I do not know. He must be coming just because he wants to eat something!”
At that time she was cleaning her room with cow-dung mixed with water. She told the Vaiṣṇava:
“You came again?
Oh!”
She took the mouldy worn-and-torn cloth full with the cow-dung and water, and threw it at him. He gladly took the cloth and went to the Yamuna River, where he washed the clay off it and rinsed it until it became soft, clean, and smooth. Then, after it dried, he tore it into small pieces and dipped those pieces into ghee that someone else had given him. Now he had many small ghee wicks, which he used to offer āratī (worship ceremony) to his Deity.
Then, on the fourth day, he went again to that lady’s house and called out very loudly:
“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.”
On this day, that lady was completely changed. She said:
“O Bābā (respectable sādhu),*[see endnote 1] wait a minute, I am coming.”
She gave him some chapattis and he very gladly took them.
This is an example of sukṛti [a spiritual pious activity, performed knowingly or unknowingly, which creates spiritual impressions on the heart of the performer and gradually qualifies him to do bhakti.] She had ‘given something’ to that saint and he used it in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
Whoever helps or serves pure devotees, either knowingly or unknowingly, is spiritually benefited. If one circumambulates Vṛndāvana or Navadvīpa dhāma, offers obeisances to any Deity, hears any devotee chanting:
“Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare,”
Gives some water to Tulasī or circumambulates her, or help any pure devotee in any way, that person will be greatly benefited.
Who is a pure devotee?
A pure devotee never thinks himself to be the enjoyer of anything in this world, for he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. Everything he does is to please Kṛṣṇa. If anyone gives him a farthing, he will give it to his Gurudeva or Kṛṣṇa; he will never enjoy it for himself. This is a pure devotee.
Those who are begging and filling their own pockets, giving only a small percent to Gurudeva and keeping and enjoying the rest for himself, or keeping the donations in a bank account and thinking:
“Afterwards I will enjoy,”
What will become of them?
They are not true devotees. At once they are fallen, and they will become more fallen. Everyone will realise that they are not really Vaiṣṇavas.
If you are helping and serving the pure Vaiṣṇava, or doing parikramā of Vṛndāvana or a Tulasī plant, even unknowingly, or you have taken any mahā prasādam remnants which devotees are distributing somewhere and which has been sincerely offered to Kṛṣṇa with Tulasī leaves – that will surely have a great effect. This is called sukṛti, pious credits that create impressions on the heart for the gradual attainment of bhakti. When much sukṛti is amassed by someone, that person attains sādhu-sańga.
’sādhu-sańga’, ‘sādhu-sańga’ – sarva-śāstre kaya
lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
[“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.54)]
[*Endnote – Bābā literally means “Father,” and is used in India to address a renounced sādhu, just as “father” is used in Europe to address a monk or priest.]
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