We have been blessed with the opportunity to make a film on Shri Neem Karoli Baba; what matters should we keep in mind?

Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Vrindavan - an intimate conversation with Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj. Seekers place their questions about life and sadhana, and Maharaj Ji resolves them.

Complete Discourse

Anupria Nagar from Mumbai is telling Maharaj Ji - you are saying that you have been blessed with the opportunity that you are making this film on Pujyapad Shri Neem Karoli Baba Maharaj. Maharaj Ji is saying: if we make this film while remaining on the path of dharma, can it become a service to him? May it become a service, and yes, remember that emulating great saints is difficult. Let no worldliness enter, for when we behold the character of any great saint, within us should awaken all three: dispassion, devotion, and knowledge.

Nowhere in a great saint's character should any scene or portrayal be presented that appears offensive. For Neem Karoli Baba is a dispassionate, God-realized great saint, and we cannot truly emulate such saints since we do not possess the state they had. Now if we do make some portrayal of them, we must be careful in this acting that we do not present something for the sake of our film's or play's popularity with society. We should not do anything that deviates from what the saint actually did and becomes an offense for us.

Therefore, be very careful - whether people watch it or not, do exactly as you have read about them, as you have heard about them. Do not present as proven what is unproven. Do not present any worldliness or base matter in the portrayal, not for the sake of popularity, for that would become an offense. For a great saint's character is beyond all base matters. The character of a great saint purifies the world.

ramanand Angad sobhu hari vyas aur chheet ek ek ke naam so sab jag hot punit
The names of Ramanananda, Angada, Sobhu, Hari Vyasa, and Chit—each one—sanctify the entire world.

The character of even one saint can purify the entire world. They were perfected saints, God-realized great saints. To be able to portray such God-realized great saints, we will have to do sadhana. To portray them, our eating and drinking must be proper. Our character must be good. Our conduct must be pure. Our speech must be gentle. First, those who will portray should do sadhana for some days. If one is to portray a great saint's life, one should first live in sadhana for some days - for some days eating only fruits and simple foods. For that, have pure fruitarian diet, pure sattvic food, the association of saints, read the lives of saints, and then in great purity you can portray such great saints.

Otherwise you can only show an outward play; it will not bring truthfulness. To bring truthfulness to the portrayal, one must do sadhana in oneself. And this we pray from all: without hearing the lives of saints, without remembering the saints, without the association of saints, devotion cannot sprout in the heart.

bhakti swatantr sakal sukh khani aur bin satsang na pave prani
Devotion alone is the treasure of all joy, and without satsang the soul cannot obtain it.

Clearly Goswami Tulsidas has said: without the association of saints.. Just as the lives of great saints are—if we behold them, our reverence will develop. Let that reverence of ours not be corrupted; we should be so careful that society's reverence for the saints continues to develop. Our portrayal should be such.

Dr. Smit Kaur from Delhi - Radhe Radhe, Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji, is loving devotion obtained only through God's grace? Does the jiva have no role in it?

Our effort and God's grace—both are needed. For obtaining loving devotion: our effort is to do bhagavat katha, listen to bhagavat katha, do bhagavat naam kirtan, do bhagavat seva, visit bhagavat temples, have darshan of bhagavat bhaktas, contemplate the character of God, and do naam jap. These are from our side. When this effort continues with God's grace, then by God's grace the path ahead keeps opening and we will reach loving devotion. Both our effort and God's grace are needed.

Now if we simply sit down without doing bhajan, thinking that loving devotion will be obtained through God's grace alone, then it will not be obtained.

man kram vachan chhan chaturi aur bhajat kripa kar hai raghurain
Mind, deed, speech—abandon all deception and cunning; the Lord of Raghus grants grace to those who worship.

Abandon deception and hypocrisy through mind, speech, and deed, and do continuous bhajan—then God's grace will shower upon you. So bhajan is yours and grace is God's. Effort is yours, endeavor is yours, and grace is God's. Your endeavor and God's grace together will bring you to love.

This text is taken from the video's automatic captions — there may be errors in the words. Please listen to the video for the authentic discourse.

Original video: Bhajan Marg (YouTube)