Fire of Bhakti - Part 3

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

This is in continuation of the transcription of Maharaj's nectarean class in London on the topic, "Fire of Bhakti". In the previous offering we heard from Maharaj:

1. With Krishna we are heroes; without Krishna we are zeroes.
2. Fortune and bliss follows when we are with Krishna.
3. Taking care of children is devotional service and we should not be negligent in that service. 

Now let us continue to hear more nectar from Maharaj as he continues to gives practical instructions,

4. Spiritualise your work: Don't worry about future (bhaviṣyaṁ). Don't lament about the past. Use your present.

gate śoko na kartavyo bhaviṣyaṁ na cintayet
vartamāneṣu kāleṣu pravartante vicakṣaṅāḥ

Intelligent people always use their present time. We have got this hour with us and the best way is to utilize the hour either in material life or fully engrossed in spiritual life. These are the two things to be done. And material life also, if you do with a spiritual touch, then you will be a successful materialist. Because therein also you are dealing with living entities. Have some nice feeling with living entities, because our philosophy says and it is a fact that everyone is part and parcel of Krishna. So why to cheat anybody and everybody? Those who are businessmen, they can fix their profit percentage. Those who are working for others try to do nice work for them. This is how in your action, karma, bhakti should be inculcated. And you will be liked by everybody, liked by your employer, liked by your customer. (Maharaj refers to a devotee who does catering) She prepares first class prasadam. She can serve the public at large through her cooking. She is doing it as a business and that business should be combined with devotional service. Then it doesn't remain business or material activity. It becomes spiritual activity. This is the beauty of it. 

5. Stick to Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam: I was very fortunate to stay in Soho street temple. They didn't allow me to do anything. (Maharaj was significantly old when he joined the temple. Due to his physical constraints, he was not considered for physically intense services by the temple management) So I was reading Prabhupada's books. That I wanted you know, because whole of life, I was reading, but I was reading non-sense. (Maharaj points to HG Navadip Prabhu) Navadip prabhu was witness because he was pujari there. So he was looking at my one volume Bhagavatam and he was telling appreciatively, "How is it going? How is it going?". I remember he was appreciating me like that. And the more we read, it is surely going to come out. You cannot digest spiritual things. Once you take in, it has got to come out, because when it comes out, you solidify your spiritual knowledge more than by keeping quiet. So this is the beauty of spiritual knowledge. Please stick to Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam. Everything is given there and after that whatever intelligence is required is given by Krishna. teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ, bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ. Krishna says, "Those who are satata-yuktā, always engaged in My service, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ, I give them the devotional service and the linking intelligence, yena mām upayānti te, by which they can come to Me." Please don't waste your time and do these things very nicely.

Krishna willing we shall continue with more nectar from Maharaj in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much.
Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev,
Sudarshana devi dasi.