7/29/2019 Story from Srila Bhakti Siddhant Thakur

1/1

Here is a nice story from the life and teachings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur:

Once some devotees were sent to establish a preaching center in Bengal. They worked day and night,

equipping it as a beautiful temple. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada arrived to install

the Deities, he was very pleased and asked about one brahmacari who had worked hard on the

preparations. The disciples told him, Master, he became entangled with a lady. We rebuked him somuch for his behavior that he fled from this place.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur replied, I dont want to establish a preaching center here, nor

do I want to install the Deities. In this world we spend hundreds of gallons of blood to bring a person

out of the clutches of maya. If that person makes some mistake, it will be washed away by his

serving Hari, Guru, and Vaisnavas, but you have chastised him and he has gone away. I dont want to

make a center here. Search for him and bring him to me; otherwise I will go away.

His Anarthas Were Washed Away in a Moment

The anxious disciples began to search for that brahmacari. Madhava Maharaja, who at that time was

named Hayagriva Brahmacari, found the errant brahmacari, apologised, and asked him to return.

The brahmacari wept, saying, I was serving here, in a watch company, but I was not really happy. I

wanted to return, but I was thinking, How can I show my face? So I did not return. He at once

went running and weeping to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, thinking him more merciful

than Krishna Himself, and all his anarthas were washed away in a moment.

We Should Not Criticise

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur told his disciples, The purport is that we should not criticise

anyone, whether a devotee or a worldly person. Then he quoted a sloka:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, One should neither praise nor criticise the conditioned

nature and activities of other persons. Rather, one should see this world as simply the combination of

material nature and the enjoying souls, all based on the Absolute Truth. Whoever indulges in praising

or criticising the qualities and behaviour of others will quickly become deviated from his own best

interest by his entanglement in illusory dualities. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.28.1-2)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur continued, To bring a person from the clutches of maya is

very, very hard. If lust or any other attachment is present in that persons heart it will go away very

soon, if he is chanting and remembering and listening to hari-katha. Be very careful. Dont criticise

devotees or non-devotees. First look at your own condition, and try to purify yourself. Is there anylust in you? Is there any kutinati (deceit) in you, or not? Be worried about that; dont wo rry about

others. Sri Guru and Lord Sri Krishna are responsible for others. You cannot do anything to help

them, therefore you have no right to criticise.

All Glories to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur!