By Subhag Swami

If you are not doing your bhajan properly, then that is your fault. You are digging your own grave of your own spiritual life. Don't blame others. Be extremely careful! A devotee should never criticize others; rather, be tolerant. One who is doing (committing offence), he will suffer.

Note it: Never criticize others, because then you are digging the grave of your spiritual life. Whatever you are doing, everything will be finished. None of our acharyas like these things. Of course, if somebody is deriding another Vaishnava or Krishna, or doing something like that, you'll be furious. But on your part, if somebody does to you, you be tolerant and make advancement.

Sometimes I say, "Everybody say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna", but some are not chanting? Why? Because of this (criticising others). Unless you qualify yourself like that, you won't feel like chanting. Or perhaps you don't have much piety from the past.

Harinama won't come in your mouth. Harinama is Krishna Himself. Why would He come to you if you are so impure. So, you look within, how pure or impure you are. 

A sadhu means (his) first quality is titiksa (tolerance). So, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also said and Krishna Das Kaviraj said, "Make this quality a locket (worn around your neck)." If you want to become a Vaishnava, you must have this quality."

When you find others faults... Before that, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur said (to one of his disciples), "Do you see any good quality in him?" (The disciple) remained silent. (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur instructed), "Then, in that case, you look within. Be introspective. Look within. Do you possess any faults?" Sometimes, a sieve says, "Look! The needle has got a hole." Then another says to the sieve, "The needle has got one hole. You look within; you will find so many holes within. Better not to see others- holes." This is what Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur comments on this when somebody came to complain to him about other Vaishnavas.

Bhaktivonod Thakur said, "Jaye sakala vipad". All your problems will be solved. Why are you complaining? Nonsense. You yourself have problems. You are creating problems. You are problem personified. Nonsense. Finding faults in other Vaishnavas. This is what Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur said. You first become a saint. You yourself become a saint, then you can teach others. Otherwise, Prabhupada said that two types of flies.. One is always looking, "Where there is sore, where there is sore, where there is sore?" And another type (searches) where is honey. Where is honey? Where is honey? And the honey one (fly), if you put it in a sore, it will at once run away. And the sore one, (if you) put it in honey, it will run away and go (searching) "Where is sore? Where is stool?". But this is the material world. All these things will always be there. Don't find fault with others. Find fault within. This is what a saintly person says, Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur. A saint is not a cheap thing. You have to pay the price. This is a saint.

Transcription: Bhakta Anirban

Editing: Sakshi Gopal Das