"Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be considered dead, although he is breathing."
"Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness."
"As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection, but when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them.
"First of all we need to understand that these pastimes of the Lord are completely enacted on the spiritual level. Since it is on the spiritual level, it is free from inebrieties and hence completely free from any reaction.
The brahmana said: "These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life." - SB 11.23.42.
We always feel that we are unfortunate because of our position in our material world is not so highly placed like business magnets, sportsmen, cinestars & politicians.
Associating with devotees and serving them is one of the topmost necessity for advancement in devotional service. We may do this even without understanding the significance, but we will still reap the benefit of our service.
"Simply by giving aural reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness."
Without patiently finding out what the actual problem is, become perplexed and worried even for slight disturbances in life. We simply imagine and concoct about the problems and exaggerate them. Lord Krishna is never pleased with such behavior.
"I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to dispel it even if I win a prosperous, unrivaled kingdom on earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven."
Once we are running after the eternal values, spiritually, our goal of existence is to recognize the supreme authority. As soon as we recognize authority, obedience comes.
The greatest test from today is that our work must be done by us. Those who are getting initiated or not get initiated, they are all getting initiated on this principle.
We are all in search of a guide all the time. From guide, the word, ‘guidance’ comes. Every living entity young or old, is in need of guidance. The Supreme guide is the Lord Himself. It is declared in the scriptures, ‘Krishnam vande jagadgurum’. He is already situated in our hearts as Chaitya guru.
On the day of our spiritual initiation we mainly promise to chant minimum 16 rounds of the Hare krishna Maha Mantra and to follow the four regulative principles.
"O best among the brahmaṇas, those who are spiritual masters are very kind to the needy. They are always kind to their followers, disciples and sons, and without being asked by them, the spiritual master describes all that is knowledge."
Sometimes we face situations where in people criticise us. We get criticised by people around us - be it work, home or any other gathering - people just love to say pass some comments or the other.
Many times we experience that ourselves and others escape so many dangers in the form of accidents, natural calamities even without endeavoring to escape and even without our knowledge.
On the most auspicious occasion of the advent of Srimad Bhagavad Gita which is celebrated as Gita Jayanthi, we will all be reciting the whole Bhagavad Gita. To understand the value of the recitation of the transcendental sound vibration of Bhagavad Gita,
GRANTHRAJ, a gift not measured in numbers nor expressed in words. This is the Electronic Granthraj we have - mirror image of the great literature, Srimad Bhagavatam.
How much ever we chant, how much ever we repeatedly study Bhagavat-gita, Bhagavatam etc, the basic concept that "We are not this body" does not sink in our hearts. And that becomes the root cause of all our maladies.
"As the blazing fire of death, I cause great fear to whoever makes the least discrimination between himself and other living entities because of a differential outlook."
"The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord."
"Sons ought to render service to their father exactly to this extent. One should obey the command of his father or spiritual master with due deference, saying, 'Yes, sir.'"
Forecasting a decreasing level of intelligence, Srila Vyasadev had written Srimad Bhagavatam in a lucid and simple way as compared to the more difficult Upanishad and Vedanta Sutra.