Life is Valuable

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Life is Valuable

by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

January 2, 2002

Navadwip Dham, India

I am living by the grace of Lord Krishna and Guru Maharaj. Guru

Maharaj has given his blessings and thereby I continue. As of

yesterday seventy-two years have passed. Now after my recent stroke,

I have again started life for service to Lord Krishna. I am very

happy to see that from all over the world so many devotees have come

this year. I think they are thinking, "We may not see him again next

birthday."

So this year they have come. There are so many here at Sri Chaitanya

Saraswat Math. They want to make their spiritual life strong with

much austerity and association with Vaisnavas. In the scriptures it

is said, and Mahaprabhu Himself told:

 

prabhu kahena, krsna seva vaisnava seva

nirantar kora krsna nama sankirtan (Chaitanya Charitamrta, Madhya

15.104)

 

This atmosphere: Vaisnava seva, Krishna seva and Guru seva; this is

the goal of life. Mahaprabhu has shown us. Always chant the Hare

Krishna maha-mantra, then your heart will never be without Krishna.

Krishna will always be in your heart if you chant the Hare Krishna

maha-mantra. Devotees know this. Chanting without offense is

difficult, no doubt, but here at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math all can

get that inspiration when they come and stay with other devotees and

me. Then strong feelings will come within the devotee.

 

This year yesterday, my birthday ceremony was observed. And they

enjoyed that with all the devotees. But now, today they are going to

my birthplace, Brahmanpara. I am surprised with all the attention. I

am a very insignificant and innocent boy. From just after boyhood I

joined with Srila Guru Maharaj's lotus feet. I caused many

disturbances but Guru Maharaj tolerated me and gave me many good

instructions.

 

By the grace of Guru Maharaj seventy-two years have passed. It is my

good fortune, because when we die, where will we go? We do not know.

This is a dark cloud for us, that place, at present. When birth

comes, then death must come. My lifetime was not so long, only sixty-

five years I calculated, and it was calculated by others. But Guru

Maharaj said, "Throw away your horoscope. I shall give a longer

lifetime to you." That was my good fortune because life is valuable.

In the scriptures it is said that when you are living within a human

body you can do so much for yourself. So much means you can practice

Krishna consciousness, and until death you can do that. Then, do not

invite death. Always invite service, good atmosphere, good health and

a good situation, that is the desire of a servitor. When Guru Maharaj

gave me a longer life I was happy to hear that. But, now I believe it.

 

Already seventy-two years have passed. I am trying to continue my

service to Krishna, because that was the desire of Srila Guru

Maharaj. Service to Guru, Vaisnava, and Bhagawan is the best activity

for all jiva souls. The jiva souls at birth come with so much karma

and then they accrue more karma; and are suffering from that. But

when we get a human body, we get more consciousness.

 

Srimad Bhagavat said,

 

labdhva sudurlabham sambhavante (S.B., 11:9.29)

 

After so many births we have got this form of human body, sambhavante

manusyam, the human body, we have got. It is giving us much facility

for advancing our consciousness for the service of Lord Krishna. But

we can not control our lifetime. Then we must be concerned for our

existence.

 

While living within this body we will try heart and soul to satisfy

Guru, Vaisnava and God. When we serve Vaisnava, easily guru-seva will

come to us for our spiritual upliftment. That service will go to Lord

Krishna and thereby Krishna will get good nourishment from the

devotee. That gives us transcendental service life. All benefit we

are getting through this body. What we do here materially is karma,

but when our activity is for the Lord, that is spiritual and

transcendental work. We can see or not, if the result will come to us

in the future, then we will understand where we were and what I am

now.

 

Therefor, until death everyone should try to satisfy Lord Krishna,

Gurudev and Vaisnava. Gurudev is the non-different form of Krishna as

representative in this material world. Without hesitation we should

try to practice Krishna consciousness and fulfil the desire of Guru

Maharaj. I am trying as possible by me.

 

At the present time, a very good opportunity is available to me. When

I was very strong and when I was younger I did so many good things;

but there was much wrong also. Not all my activities were suitable

for Krishna's service. But day by day now when I am becoming old, I

am very much concerned about every moment: that not a moment will

pass without service to Lord Krishna.

 

Mundane hankering exists for everybody. But when one is engaged in

divine service under guidance of Guru-Vaisnava, one will gain more

consciousness and mundane desires will go out. This is our situation.

Then at every moment we shall try to engage in service to Lord

Krishna.

 

Time takes every passing day and adds it into our account with

Krishna. Then just like every year we are giving account to the

government, seventy-two years of accounting Krishna has already

gotten from me. A new year started yesterday, and a new job and

situation has come to me. Everything will be counted, so every moment

we must beneficially use the time allotted to us. That way we will be

Krishna conscious, otherwise everything will be spoiled. Not only

spoiled, but will go against us. We must be conscious about our time,

living time.

 

I am trying whole-heartedly as possible by me to serve my Guru

Maharaj. I am advising this point to my friends and their families:

they will evolve with full consciousness via Krishna seva, service to

Lord Krishna. One may be brahmacari, may be grhastra, may be

vanaprastha, or sannyasi that is not the question. The question is

Krishna's seva, service. When opportunity comes to us, we must

respect and observe that. Service, this is our life's goal. Day by

day we can not afford to loose time. The sun rises and the sun sets.

For one who is serving Lord Krishna by hearing, chanting etcetera,

time is not going against them; time is going in their favor. A

credit is entered into their account. After death it must give us

much benefit for more service. Liberation from this material world

easily will come through that.

 

My blessings to all the devotees. From New Year's Day may all engage

themselves as possible by them in service to Lord Krishna. This is my

desire, this is my blessing and this is my prayer to all, and prayer

to Lord Krishna.

 

Hare Krishna.

 

 

Navadwip Dham, India

January 2, 2002

Transcribed by Krishna Asraya Dasa

Reference Research by Bhakti Sudhir Goswami and Bhakti Pavan Janardan

Maharaj