Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's appearance day, sept, 11, 2000.

[Guest guest]

Here is an excerpt from a class given by Srila Prabhupada in London on Sept,

23, 1969, on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day.

 

...."Your business is to understand Krsna. So, anyone who knows Krsna

perfectly, you have to go there: 'tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet'.

The vedic injunction is not that you have to approach a sannyasi, or a

grhastha, an Indian, or an American. No! a guru means one who knows the

Science of Krsna.

 

So, this Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a grhastha; a very responsible officer, a

magistrate and he was so exalted that he would come from his office,

generally at 5 O'clock, then take his supper and immediately go to bed.

 

Say at seven o'clock in the evening, he goes to bed and he wakes up at

twelve o'clock...It is sufficient sleep: 5 hours. One should not sleep more

than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible...

 

There are some big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours.

So, especially in spiritual life, we should minimize, as far as possible,

eating, sleeping, mating, minimize...

 

So, this Bhaktivinoda Thakura regularly he was coming from his office, and

after taking his supper, immediately goes to bed and wakes up at twelve

o'clock, and he studies his books.

 

He wrote, he left behind him, about one hundred books and he excavated the

birth place of Lord Caitanya, organized how to develop that birth site,

Mayapura. He had so many business.

 

He used to go to preach about Caitanya's philosophy. He used to send books

to foreign contries...He attempted to send the 'Life and Precept of Lord

Caitanya'in ...University in Montreal. So, he was busy: Acarya.

 

One has to adjust things. Not that because I am grhastha, householder, I can

not become a Spiritual Master. It is the business of the sannyasis or

brahmacaris. No! It is the business of everyone.

 

The whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. The present civilization

is animal civilization. They do not know anything beyong: eating, sleeping,

mating, and defending; that's all! This is animal civilization. The animal

doesn't know beyong these four principles of life.

 

No! Human life is meant for something else: what I am? What is God?

What is my relation with God? What is this material world? Why I am here?

Where I have to go next? One has to learn these things...This is human life.

 

Therefore, there is a need of Acaryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual

knowledge, Krsna-consciousness.

 

Bhaktivinoda Thakura was, although he was a grhastha, householder,

Government officer, magistrate, but he was also Acarya.

 

So, from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a

preacher, in any stage of life. It doesn't matter..."

 

And the class goes on with wonderful stories, from Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura 's personal experiences as a magistrate in Jagannath Puri.

 

All glories to that self-realized, pure, learned and transcendental grhastha

Acarya. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura KI.....JAYA!