There are various guidelines to help motivate us to rise to a higher standard in our behavior. At the same time, we hear frequently that when one becomes a devotee of Krishna, one automatically develops all good qualities. Therefore, we must find the balance between these two understandings. The balance lies in the words “becoming a devotee.” We must first become an actual devotee; then all good qualities will manifest.
(SB 3.29.18, Krasnodar, June 1996)