Devotee: Please bless our marriage Gurudeva.
[Śrīla Gurudeva speaks to the devotee couple.]
I wish that both of you will love each other. You should see to each other’s requirements. Thus, you should help each other advance in cultivating divine love for Kṛṣṇa. Without chanting you will not attain this divine love. Generally, people think that they will be happy by the things of this world. They think wine and other forms of intoxication, wealth, and duplicity will make them happy. But these cravings only act against their well-being.
People want happiness, but they get sorrow. Sometimes, without them desiring so, they obtain wealth, reputation, and everything. But, those who want these things never attain them and resultantly, become unhappy. We may collect many things from this world during our time of a hundred years. But, you must know that you will have to leave everything behind when you leave your body. You will not be able to take a strand of hair with you, what to speak of other things? And you will not know where your next destination will be. You don’t know where you have come from also.
None of these senses can independently function. For instance, the ears seemingly listen to many sounds, but there is a driving force behind the working of the ears. Similarly, the mind and body cannot act on their own. There is a soul in the body that is a part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. You haven’ realized your real self—the soul. The soul is the driving force of the body. We don’t want to want to become old, but we will have to become old. We think we should always remain young, but we will see old age quickly dawn on us. Your power of sight and the functioning of the other senses will weaken. Your teeth will also fall out. You will become so old that you will be unable to move without anyone’s help. You will use a stick to support yourself.
Ultimately, you will give up this body. So, we should consider about what lies in our best interest. How can the soul be happy? We should not think, “By serving our body, we will be happy.” This understanding is quite wrong.
Rather, you should think, “What should I do by which I will realize the soul and the master of all souls—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa who has created this world and sent us here?”
We should try to realize Him. Religious designations will not suffice. Therefore, we should know all these truths. Even animals are engaged in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Should the humans behave like the animals? We should try to know the answers to questions like, “What is the ātmā? Who is Kṛṣṇa? Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Why have we come to this world? How can we be liberated?”
You should co-operate with your husband and he should also co-operate with you. Both of you should treat each other equally. You should not try to control each other. There should be equality and love between the both of you. Then you can live peacefully for your entire lives and help each advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your lives will be spoiled if both of you act against each other’s moods.
Now I am seeing here and there that the husband and wife are not bona fide. They give each other up and accept others. They then give them up and accept someone else. This is very traumatizing, especially to the children. You should not behave like this.
We should try to chant and always think about how we can advance in our devotion. I will help you in all respects like a friend. You should always think of yourself as my darling daughter and not anything else.
23 May 1996 UK [CC-by-NDNC Bhakta Bandhav]