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We are trapped souls in a state of forgetfulness of Krishna,
and Krishna is giving you the chance now to re-establish
your relationship with Him by this chanting process.
So take full advantage of it and be happy.
- Letter to Prahladananda, February 14, 1969.
The spiritual master and Krishna are two parallel lines. The train, on two tracks, moves forward. The spiritual master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they must be served simultaneously.
Krishna helps one to find bona fide spiritual master, and bona fide spiritual master helps one to understand Krishna. If one does not get bona fide spiritual master, then how he can ever understand Krishna? You cannot serve Krishna without spiritual master,or serve just spiritual master without serving Krishna.
They must be served simultaneously.
- Letter to Mahapurusa, February 12, 1968.
A devotee always accepts his distress as minimized by God’s mercy; although he would have to suffer many more times the suffering. Anyone who accepts this philosophy of God’s mercy in suffering conditions, and still makes progress in Krishna consciousness, it is said that he is sure to go back to home, Back to Godhead.
- Letter to Gurudas, February 13, 1968.
In India the practice was to hand grind daily. The women do that. That is exercise for them, and they keep their body fit and beautiful.
In the morning they chant Hare Krishna and grind. Whatever they require for the day, they grind fresh. And actually, by this exercise, they keep their body beautiful. Yashodamayi was doing that, even though she is the queen of Nanda Maharaja, what to speak of other women.
Churning milk, grinding the wheat, this is their household. Full engagement.
Otherwise gossiping…”Idle brain, devil’s workshop.”
- Mayapur, February 16, 1977.
The unhulled rice and the empty husks of rice look very much the same. One who knows how to get the grain out of the unhulled rice is wise, but one, who beats on the empty husk, thinking to get some result, is simply wasting his labor uselessly.
Similarly, if one studies the Vedas without finding
the goal of the Vedas - Krishna, he simply wastes his valuable time.
- Letter to Dr Staal, February 15, 1970.
If one adopts the principles enunciated in Bhagavad-gita, he can make his life perfect and make a permanent solution to all the problems of life. This is the sum and substance of the entire Bhagavad-gita.
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Introduction
If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the particular direction mentioned on the label of the medicine, or as directed by the physician.
Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita also should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself.
The speaker of the Bhagavad-gita is Lord Sri Krishna.
- New York, February 19, 1966.
An old father required massaging so all the children wanted to serve the father. The father divided the right and left portion of his body to be served by the children. Later along with the service, there was some quarrel between the children, and they were competing by hitting the parts of the father that was assigned to the opposing party.
The father said that you are hitting my different parts
due to your opposition to one another, but I am therefore dying.
If there is any misunderstanding, please live peacefully.
- Letter to Rayarama, February 20, 1969.
In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, it does not matter whether we are working, cooking, painting, writing, chanting, or whatever; they are all the same. There are no such distinctions of higher and lower on the transcendental platform. The important thing is that we are engaging our time and energy in the service of the Lord.
After all, we are so tiny, what can we do?
Krishna sees simply that this time is being spent in His service.
- Letter to Karunamayi, February 25, 1968.
If somebody takes your legs and catches you and your head is down, then it is not very comfortable. This whole material world is like that. It is uncomfortable. It is perverted reflection.
On the bank of a pond, a tree is standing, but the reflection in the water, of the tree, is not real. Real tree is up.
Similarly, real enjoyment, real varieties – everything is in the spiritual world.
- Calcutta, February 26, 1974.
Two Lords, Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. They are more kind than Krishna. Krishna, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Krishna demands that first of all surrender.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu even does not demand surrender. He is so kind. (voice choking).
So take shelter of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and be happy. Thank you very much. (weeping).
- Atlanta, February 28, 1975.
Unless one becomes detestful of this material world, it is to be understood that he has not yet entered in the spiritual understanding. This is the test of bhakti. If one has entered the domain of devotional service, this material world will be not at all be tasteful for him.
- Mayapur, February 22, 1976.
Unless we cooperate with the Supreme Lord, our life is baffled. A screw that has fallen from a machine has no value.
But when the same screw is again attached to the machine, it has value.
We are part and parcel of God. Without God, what is our value? No value!
We should come back to our position of attachment to God.
Then we have value.
- Conversation with Bob Cohen, February 29, 1972.
In humble submission, the devotee finds such sweet transcendental pleasure that no more he is interested in the nonsense material world and no more he is affected by the influence of the inferior energy, the maya.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, December 1968
When the soul leaves this body, then what it is?
It has no value, a lump of matter. Just like a motorcar.
So long it is moving, it is worth one lakh, and so long it does not move, it is simply lump of iron and copper and something.
Who cares for it? It is thrown away.
Same thing. The body has no value.
It has value so long the soul is there.
- Delhi, March 25, 1976.
If you are steady either in success or failure, that is called yoga.
Don’t mind for the success or failure.
Do act on behalf of the Supreme Lord.
And if you are steady in that position, then your working in spiritual platform is successful.
- New York, April 1, 1966.
Dedicate your life for Krishna. That is the perfection.
Even if there are some faults, dedicated life is noble life.
Maybe, due to our past habits, we may commit some faulty action,
but that dedicated life is sublime.
- Mayapur, March 4, 1974.
Hatha yoga received in the Bhagavad-gita is very difficult in this age.
Yoga system is approved, but nobody can follow the rules and regulations strictly, neither there is suitable place for executing it, and everyone is always full of anxiety, so how they can concentrate? So best thing is to chant Hare Krishna which is forced meditation.
The topmost yogi is he who surrenders to Krishna,
and worships Krishna with all thoughts, activities, and intelligence.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, November 1968
The tortoise, as soon as he likes he discloses his senses, and when he likes he pulls them within.
That is the position of a pure devotee.
He can wind up the senses whenever he likes, and he can exhibit the senses whenever he likes.
The senses are under his control.
He is not under the control of the senses, as are the ordinary persons.
That is the meaning of Goswami.
- Letter to Himavati, March 23, 1969.