qualities
|
Imported quote 12897 My dear Lord, devotees who have fully dedicated their lives unto your lotus feet certainly observe your presence as Paramatma in each and every being, and as such they do not differentiate between one living being and another. Such persons treat all living entities equally. They never become overwhelmed by anger like animals, who can see nothing without differentiation.
(More...) Imported quote 13681 A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great acaryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire, and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.
(More...) Imported quote 15451 One must be prepared to offer the necessary respect and honor to the spiritual master. He should not be unnecessarily envious of his Godbrothers. Rather, if a Godbrother is more enlightened and advanced in Krsna consciousness, one should accept him as almost equal to the spiritual master, and one should be happy to see such Godbrothers advance in Krsna consciousness. A devotee should always be very kind to the general public in instructing Krsna consciousness because that is the only solution for getting out of the clutches of maya. That is really humanitarian work, for it is the way to show mercy to other people who need it very badly. The word susrūsabhirataya indicates a person who faithfully engages in serving the spiritual master. One should give personal service and all kinds of comforts to the spiritual master. A devotee who does so is also a bona fide candidate for taking this instruction. The word bahir jata-viragaya means a person who has developed detachment from external and internal material propensities. Not only is he detached from activities which are not connected to Krsna consciousness, but he should be internally averse to the material way of life. Such a person must be nonenvious and should think of the welfare of all living entities, not only of the human beings, but living entities other than human beings. The word sucaye means one who is cleansed both externally and internally. To become actually cleansed externally and internally, one should chant the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna, or Visnu, constantly.
(More...) In the Seventh through the Twelfth chapters Krsna gives an elaborate description of the Supreme Personality Himself, His nature and manifestations. Here in the Seventh Chapter, the nature of Krsna is fully described as being full of all opulences. How He manifests such opulences is also described in this chapter. The first three verses serve as a preface. "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." (7.3) It is not an easy thing to become Krsna conscious, nor is it a cheap thing. The stake is full knowledge or perfection, and Lord Jesus said, "Few there be that find it." In the very first verse here Krsna lays down the qualification: "By practicing yoga in full consciousness with mind attached to Me …" It is almost exactly the same thought found in the 47th verse of the previous chapter. "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." Therefore, only by hearing of Krsna from Krsna Himself or from the pure devotee who repeats only what Krsna has said, can one understand the science of Krsna. That is the secret of Krsna consciousness which was also explained in the Fourth Chapter when the Lord told Arjuna that He had originally spoken this science of Krsna consciousness to the sun-god Vivasvan, who had spoken it to his son, and to his son, etc. And so it was coming down in disciplic succession, but somehow or other it was broken. This indicates that someone made a change. As soon as one interprets or puts his intellect between the message of Krsna and the transmission, the message immediately becomes material.
(More...) Imported quote 15495 A person in the conditional stage of material existence is in an atmosphere of helplessness, but the conditioned soul, under the illusion of maya, or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him. The laws of material nature are so strong that none of our material possessions can save us from the cruel hands of death. In Bhagavad-gita (13.9) it is stated, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥkha-dosanudarsanam: one who is actually advancing must always consider the four principles of miserable life, namely, birth, death, old age and disease. One cannot be saved from all these miseries unless he takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore the only shelter for all conditioned souls. An intelligent person, therefore, does not put his faith in any material possessions, but completely takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. Such a person is called akincana, or one who does not possess anything in this material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is also known as Akincana-gocara, for He can be achieved by a person who does not put his faith in material possessions. Therefore, for the fully surrendered soul who has no material possessions on which to depend, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the only shelter. Everyone depends upon dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification) and ultimately moksa (salvation), but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, due to His magnanimous character, can give more than salvation. Therefore in this verse the words hinarthadhika-sadhakam indicate that although by material estimation salvation is of a quality superior to the inferior interests of religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, above salvation there is the position of devotional service and transcendental love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the bestower of this great benediction. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, prema pumartho mahan: "Love of Godhead is the ultimate benediction for all human beings." Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore first offers his respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu before describing His magnanimity in bestowing love of Godhead.
(More...) Imported quote 18158 So we are in this society, human society. Because we are spreading Krsna consciousness, the krūraḥ, which is more dangerous than a snake, they are putting, putting so many impediments. But we have to tolerate. We have no other alternative. You see? Ajata-satravaḥ santaḥ. Be peaceful. What can be done? Depend on Krsna. Sadhavaḥ. They are sadhu. They are sadhu. Sadhu-bhūsanaḥ. These are the ornament of sadhu. What is that? Titiksavaḥ karunikaḥ suhrdaḥ sarva-dehinam [SB 3.25.21]. Sadhusu krtaḥ. But you must know what is sadhu. First, sadhu is that he must be devotee. And if he's devotee, then all the symptoms are there. All the symptoms are there. These are the symptoms. Now, don't go to a sadhu... Sastra says that this is the sadhu. Now, you find out a sadhu and associate with him. Then your path of liberation will be open.
(More...) Imported quote 18166 Ete sadhavaḥ. He has described the symptoms of sadhu. By the last three, four slokas, He has described what is the symptom. Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sadhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sadhu. That has been described. Similarly, incarnation of God, not that anyone will come and say, "I am incarnation of God." That will not be accepted. We have to see the characteristics of God as they are stated in the sastra, then we can accept somebody as God by uncommon quality.
(More...) At the same time we have to become karunikaḥ, taking compassion of the fallen souls. We have to go from country to country, town to town, city to city, village to village, to enlighten them to become Krsna conscious. That is sadhu's duty. Those who are preachers, they are better sadhu than those who have gone to Himalaya. The sadhus who have gone to Himalaya for his personal benefit, that is also good, but those sadhus who are preaching and facing so many difficulties, so many opposing elements, they are better sadhu. They are better sadhu. They are fighting for Krsna's sake. So karunikaḥ, because they are more compassionate. One sadhu has gone to Himalaya, sitting there in a secluded place not to be bothered by any asadhu. That is also nice, but that is personal interest. But those sadhus are not gone to Himalaya but have left Vrndavana, easy life, and gone to fight to the world, they are better sadhu. That is the opinion of Krsna. Ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati [Bg 18.68]. Na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamaḥ [Bg 18.69]. Those who are preaching the message of Bhagavad-gita, facing many opposing elements, many difficulties, Krsna says, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamaḥ: "Nobody is dearer than him." So if you want to become very quickly under the recognition of Krsna, then every one of you become a preacher of Krsna consciousness. That is the message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(More...) Ajata-satravaḥ: A Vaisnava is not enemy of anyone. Ajata-satravaḥ santaḥ, always peaceful. Sadhavaḥ sadhu. This is the first, preliminary symptoms of a sadhu. The next? Mayy ananyena bhavena: "simply attached to Krsna," ananyena bhavena. These are the external, and these are internal. Ananyena bhavena bhaktim kurvanti ye drḍham. Simply as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66], so a devotee, a pure devotee, is simply attached to Krsna. They are not dis... A devotee is not disrespectful to other demigods. That is a mistake, that "These Krsna devotees, they do not care for other demigods." No. A Krsna devotee cares for the other demigods very rightly because he knows what is the position of the other demigods in comparison to Krsna. Just like Durga, Goddess Durga. In the Brahma-samhita the Goddess Durga is worshiped. In which way? Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga [Bs 5.44].
(More...) Imported quote 21208 Your qualification is that you can live amicably with anyone. Even if one is an offender to you, you do not become agitated. This is a Vaisnava qualification. I am glad to hear of the improvements of Amsterdam temple. That you are now getting so many more people for the feast program means that the management is very much improved.
(More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?qg=163
|