BST quotes

[Guest guest]

The following are from the writings and sayings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Thakur. I'm seeking the original source, i.e. the publication in

which they were first printed, with date if possible. (1) appears in Srila

Prabhupada-lilamrta, but the original source is not given.

 

 

 

(1) There has not been, there will not be, such benefactors of the highest

merit as [Caitanya] Mahaprabhu and His devotees have been. The offer of

other benefits is only a deception; it is rather a great harm, whereas the

benefit done by Him and His followers is the truest and greatest eternal

benefit. This benefit is not for one particular country, causing mischief to

another; but it benefits the whole universe.

 

(2) The Lord desires His word to be preached to all living beings. The

Harmonist stands for this desire. She cherishes the faith that a day will

come when His word will be preached everywhere all over the world through

the medium of all the languages, including the language of animals and

plants when this will be practicable. She believes that Gaurasundara will in

the fullness of time raise up fit preachers in every part of the world and

in numbers amply sufficient for His purpose.

 

(3) Please preach the kirtana of the Supreme Lord, even if in doing so you

have to incur debt; then in order to pay off that debt, you will have to

engage more in seva. When your creditors put pressure on you, you will be

forced to beg for more alms. And as the pious householders will not give you

alms unless your character and conduct are pure, you will be forced to

preserve a pure lifestyle with great determination and care. I will not

leave a penny for you, so that in future you won't indulge in laziness and

you won't be able to give up your devotional lives full of hari-kirtana and

hari-seva.

 

The matha is the center of hari-kirtana, and hari-kirtana is life and

consciousness. To make sure that there is no place for laziness, bad

conduct, trivial thought, gossip, or vulgar desire in the matha, you have to

go from door to door, where your hari-kirtana will be tested by the public.

Then the public will think that they are the givers of alms and you are the

receivers of alms-in other words, that their status is higher than yours-and

they will criticize you in many ways, thinking you are objects of their

mercy. Perhaps some of them will also be ready to kick you out. Then, on one

hand, you will be able to become trnad api sunica (lower than the straw in

the street) and manada (prepared to give respect to all others), and on the

other hand, you will take great care to make your lives and characters pure

and exemplary. Furthermore, what will be beneficial for you is this: as you

will correct the mistakes of the common people by citing the message of

sadhu, sastra and guru-varga, you will not repeat those same mistakes.