Srila Gurudeva Explains
His Desire For Unity and Harmony
Once, during Navadvipa parikrama, two disciples of my Gurudeva were quarreling between themselves. Taking burning sticks of wood from the kitchen, both were bitterly quarreling. Someone came and told my Gurudeva, “Oh, they are quarreling very much. Please do somehow make them stop. They are not listening to anyone.” Guru Maharaja replied, “Let them quarrel. They should bitterly quarrel, and after that they should go to court and file a case against each other. I am not a judge. I have not come to sit in court and decide about worldly things. I have not told them to quarrel. I told them that those who want to do bhajana of Krsna will follow the principles of trinad api sunicena, taror iva suhisnusa, amanina manadena. They will be humble like a blade of grass and more tolerant than the trees.
“Trees never complain about anything to anyone, even if they are being cut down. Even if the tree is drying up, it never begs water. Rather, it always serves others. You can throw any stone at it, and it will give you sweet fruits. Its bark, fruit, wood, and everything else is for others.
“I have told them that I came to help them develop transcendental love and affection for Krsna. I have not come to be a judge. In India, and especially in Bengal, there are thousands of courts where one can go and complain; no harm. Don’t come to me for that.”
As you may know, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was residing in Puri, Gopinatha Patinayaka, who was the brother of Srila Raya Ramananda and very dear to Mahaprabhu, had kept a large sum of money which belonged to the king. He was given a service by the state to collect money, and he was collecting it, but he once withheld a large amount. So he was guilty.
The son of the king went to him and asked, “Why are you withholding the money?” He arrested him and brought him to court, where it was decided that he should be given the death sentence; the next day he should be put to death.
All the devotees became very worried. They approached Mahaprabhu and begged, “O, please save him.” Mahaprabhu replied, “You want Me to go to the king? I cannot help him. I have not told him to do as he did. Why should he not pay that money? He must pay. I will not interfere. Let him die. I am not a court. I have not come for this. I have only come to give love and affection for Krsna. I can help you only with this.”
Similarly, I am also not a court. You can go to court if you have any dispute. I have not told anyone to quarrel with his wife, and I have not told that wife to quarrel with her husband. I have not come from India to be like a court. I have come simply to teach you how you can advance in bhakti.
For millions of births you have been quarreling in courts, here and there, but I have not come for this. This is not my duty, so don’t come to me with these things. I don’t want to waste my time.
If you have a problem in chanting and remembering, or if you are weak, I can help so much. My life is dedicated for that. Do you understand? If you have some desire to serve Krsna, I can make you strong. However, if you have no faith in the holy name, in guru, or in Krsna, how can I help? If you don’t want to perform devotional activities, then you are free. You are independent to do all bogus activities for sense gratification. What can I do? If you want to be happy forever, you must have strong faith in krsna-nama.
We see from history, and we also see from the Vedas, Puranas, and all other scriptures that a man cannot be happy, and neither can a woman be happy, if he or she is not chanting and remembering Krsna. This can never be. If you want to be happy, then follow the path of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Vedas, the Upanisads, and all other sastras say the same thing.
My request is that wife and husband not quarrel with each other. Be tolerant, otherwise your life will be spoiled. Be like chaste Indian ladies and chaste Indian husbands. Be like Rama, like Sita, like the gopis, like Krsna, like Savitri, Satyabama, Anusuya, Atri, and all others like them. There are so many sincere senior devotees here who are very peaceful, and I become happy to see them. Be happy forever.
[Wales, July 2, 2000]
I am tired of fighting. What a wonderful article…
Jai Srila Gurudeva!!!
I need a loan or donation of $5000 to buy a wonderful ashram, that is available right now, for us in Vrindavan.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta use to order the devotee’s that were having issues, to stand-up in front of all the assembled devotees and order them to find the “good qualities” of the opposing party.
Jai Vraja Mandala
HARIBOL JAYA GURUDEVA!!!!
DON’T QUARREL,
BECOME SOFT LIKE SRI RAM LITTLE SQUAREL
MAKE SRILA GURUDEVA HAPPY ,
EVERYONE’S IS ALSO HIS DEAR LITTLE PUPPY..
.
NO ENVY NO JEALOUSY
MAKES LIFE MUCH MORE EASY.
CHANT, CRY AND REMEMBER
WOULD BE MUCH BETTER
THAN CRIME AND MURDER,
JUST MAKE YOUR HEART A LITTLE SOFTEr
HARIBOL! HARIBOL! HARIBOL!
SACINANDNANA GAURAHARI KI JAYA!!!!!
your very lowest sister
shashikala dasianudasi from Sri Govardhan Dham
Happy news from Govardhan Dham, ki jaya ! Forever broken hearted and broke, aspiring sevaki.
dandavats
There is no need to quarrel, nothing to quarrel for.
In my case the only person with whom I may quarrel is my wife. I hardly see any devotees whatsoever, maybe once or twice a year just for few hours.
We are so spread over!
In the past I remember there was lots of quarrel and fights.
Example was Gaur Govinda Gaudiya Math in Birmingham. Very bitter fights…
I believe now devotess are much more wise than before and mature and it will not happen again.
There most important thing is
there is nothing to fight for!!!!
and IT IS GREAT!!
Radhe Radhe!!
Dandavats, pranams to all!
Everything that Gurudev says IS Harikatha. I understand this instruction as never enough repeted, because, we prepare ourself for coming back to Godhead. Jiva is small. And Mind and Ego are big. Because of that, big does not pass through.
Only by mercy of Gurudev, He is never attracted to material things, is possible to become small again.
Dandavats to all…
Why are there so many articles about not quarrelling or fighting? Is there infighting amongst some devotees in our sanga?
I am I the only person tried of such articles?
Gurudeva says don’t fight so I won’t and don’t.
When are the devotees going to get back to bhakti? It is the name of this site after all. If all we talk about is not fighting then I’m afraid I’ll have to go where hari-katha is spoken…
Maybe Gurudeva spoke like this in 2000 because many were coming to him with complaints. Hopefully this has changed, but this is Kali yuga, age of quarel. Unless one chant purely, there are some risks…Most complicated are human relationships, wanting to be right… I am great, I am great…I heard also Gurudeva speak like this in Holland in 1998 ‘Do not come to me… there are lifetimes that you are fighting’. What’s interesting though, In the first part, Gurudeva describes 2 devotees fighting with burning sticks and his Gurudeva saying…’let them fight biterly..’ Something to reflect upon maybe, at least overhere we do not fight with burning sticks ! If life could be only ‘tava kathamrita..’ How wonderful. What Gurudeva says is always hari-katha. It is good news that you are organizing your life for hari-katha, mine is just the negative of the picture, hari-akatha, but without the negative, picture is not possible. Plus, one great Maharaja told me I should fight… my stupid mind I suppose, what else ? Gurudeva Ki jaya, Gaura premanande, Gaura bhakta vrinda jaya, dandavats and pranams.
Thank you these posts ….:-)
Dandavats Shamarani didi, A very important point made for all of those who’s false ego had overtaken them, in this way how can one do bhakti.