Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

Topic

June 18

The Srimad Bhagavatam describes there are two kinds of renunciates. There are those who are adverse toward material gain of any kind. Even the thought of wealth does not enter their minds, and if presented to them, they will always refuse. The other kind of renunciate is different. They are neither adverse towards wealth nor attached to it. Rather, they see wealth as belonging to Krishna and their own relationship with it as a duty to use it in Krishna's service. Rendering favorable service to the Lord also means we are wiling to accept whatever facility or opulence the Lord chooses to give us and then use it in Krishna's service, never for our own pleasure.
Mukam Karoti Vacalam vol 1, "Externally Opulent, Internaly absorbed"

June 17

Neophyte devotees being attached to external designations, may sometimes be unable to recognize devotees more advanced than themselves. Not all advanced devotees are recognizable from social point of view, and therefore we must always use a proper standard to evaluate the symptoms of advancement.

Mukam Karoti Vacalam vol 1, "Travel News"

June 16

We should not judge the apparent success or failure of others by the immediate result or lack of result. Rather, we should look to see how much the devotee is willing to serve, how steady he has become, and how devoted to the order he has received. Then we can understand that in due course of time the Lord may selecct that devotee to fulfill His purpose.
Mukam Karoti Vacalam vol 1, "Excelling the Disciplic Succession by their blessing"

June 13

When we engage in hearing and chanting about Krishna, we meet bhakti’s secondary benefits—the benefits that give us the opportunity to enjoy a variety of sense objects along with our devotional service. When those secondary results manifest, sincere devotees, fearing maya, cry out piteously to the Supreme Lord, “Please protect me and don’t allow me to fall prey to sense gratification.” Those who pray constantly like this become more attracted to the shelter that hearing and chanting offer. Such devotional prayers and the increase in hearing and chanting attract Krishna to appear in the devotees’ hearts.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 270, last Paragraph

June 12

The more conditioned we are, the more unconscious we are that Krishna is involved at all in helping us to fulfill our desires. We have no sense of service and no sense of God, but think only of our own pleasure. If we try to fulfill our desires separately from Krishna, not even recognizing the need for His sanction, then we must accept whatever reactions come under the laws of nature. Krishna does not get involved in negotiating our selfish pleasures. Rather, He leaves maya to take care of us. Krishna only gets involved under one circumstance: when the living entities rectify themselves and come to the point of wanting His shelter.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 268, last Paragraph

June 11

Yoga-maya makes the living entities forget that Krishna is God so that they can serve Him in a way that gives Him the most pleasure. But the same yoga-maya expands into the material world as maha-maya, accepting a form as Durga, and covers the living entities so that they forget the Supreme Lord altogether. This forgetfulness is required if we are to think ourselves independent enjoyers—the whole basis of life in the material world. The devotees in the spiritual world never want to think themselves independent of Krishna. Rather, they want to always be with Krishna and to serve Him in the most relishable way, constantly remembering Him. This remembrance and service is actually every living entity’s natural state.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 268, 1st Paragraph

June 10

Krishna steals the material attachments from the hearts of those who give their hearts to hearing His transcendental narrations. This is Krishna’s greatest mercy and the highest expression of His compassion.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 262, last Paragraph

June 9

Devotees are materially impoverished because they use everything they have, not for themselves, but for Krishna’s service. Srila Prabhupada does not necessarily mean that we have to live in complete poverty; rather, to be “materially impoverished” means to live with the mentality that “nothing I have belongs to me.” As soon as we think something belongs to us, we become thieves.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 261, 2nd Paragraph

June 8

However, due to their Krishna consciousness, devotees know about real value and are generally without material prosperity. Despite their apparent poverty, however, they own a secret treasure house of the Lord’s lotus feet. Therefore they see everything that happens to them as an opportunity to take shelter and increase their attachment to the Lord. Even if the Lord takes something away, they consider themselves fortunate, recognizing that the Lord has given them further opportunity to remember Him.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 259, 1st Paragraph

June 7

Everything becomes valuable when it is seen as helping us to increase our attachment to the most valuable object, Krishna. Anything that distracts our minds from Krishna has no value and should be rejected. But the materialists see the complete opposite; they ascribe value to things that take them away from Krishna.

LFD Vol 2 Pg 259, last Paragraph

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