Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

Topic

July 6

What is the higher taste? It is different from the taste we get when our senses engage with their objects. When the senses come in contact with sense objects, they taste something, but it is temporary; the taste has a beginning and end. The taste derived from practicing bhakti has no such beginning and end, because bhakti is eternal. The mundane senses are unable to taste anything eternal; they are grounded in matter. Thus it is the self and not the material senses that tastes bhakti. Hankering to achieve this higher taste is what elevates our higher consciousness.

(LFD, Vol2, The Process for Awakening Bhakti, Pg 19, last paragraph)

When we hear about Krishna with the desire to remember Him, and to become more engaged in His service, a hankering awakens within our hearts for His association and the association of devotees who help us remember Him, Hankering for the association of Krishna and His devotees purifies our heart. It is this kind of hankering that sadhana-bhakti is meant to generate. Hankering for Krishna has nothing to do with the senses. Rather, devotional hankering is spiritual—that is, it is experienced by the soul. The mundane senses cannot touch it. Still, we have contact with the physical body, so to execute prescribed activities and to help us experience a higher taste, we have to know how to dovetail our senses in the Lord’s service.
(LFD, Vol2, The Process for Awakening Bhakti, Pg 19, 2nd paragraph)

July 4

Although Giriraja is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord, we should want to see Him specifically for the sake of developing our internal devotion—as Hari-dasa-varyo, the servant of the Lord. We should want to follow the principle that if we want the fulfillment of our desires, then we must worship the great devotee of the Lord and render service unto him. This verse from the Bhagavatam thus describes how Giriraja is actually rendering service to the Lord by assisting Him in His pastimes:
“Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities— water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.” (Bhäg. 10.21.18)
(LFD Vol 3, Learning Devotion from Giriräja, Pg 412)

July 3

It is not artificial for a young child to practice walking; there is a natural propensity within the child to walk. But in a young child, the ability to walk has not yet developed. Therefore, the child practices. Similarly, it is our natural propensity to love God, but until the ability to love God has developed, it is also natural for us to practice loving God by performing sadhana-bhakti.
(LFD, Vol2, The Process for Awakening Bhakti, Pg 18, last paragraph)

July 2

Prabhupada often gave the example of how a cloud does not carry its own water but water from the ocean. Similarly, a Vaisnava does not claim to bestow his or her own mercy but carries Krishna’s mercy. The bhakti in the Vaisnava’s heart is what causes bhakti to awaken in the hearts of others.
(LFD, Vol2, The Process for Awakening Bhakti, Pg 18, 2nd paragraph)

July 1

Adhering to our sadhana practices purifies our heart, and gradually allows us to develop a genuine longing to serve the Lord. When sadhana is executed with genuine longing, it has the potential to awaken bhava-bhakti. Thus if we wish to make tangible advancement, we must not allow our sädhana to become mechanical or devoid of spiritual aspiration. We must execute our daily practices with the yearning to achieve Krishna’s service.

June 30

It helps if we understand first why we are obliged to perform devotional service at all. If we have forgotten why we are making a particular offering, we will not be able to maintain our inspiration, but will gradually begin to think, “I have vowed to perform this activity, but I would really rather be doing something else.” This mentality of following the rules and regulations without being aware of the purpose behind them is called niyamagraha. We should be very careful not to follow rules and regulations simply for their own sake, forgetting the purpose behind them. For example, we may chant a particular number of rounds per day thinking that we are “safe” because we are meeting our quota; but if we do not have a sense of what chanting the holy name is meant to be about, we may think it doesn’t matter what else we do while we chant, and thus commit namaparadha. It is all right to feel commitment to our sadhana activities, but don’t perform them mechanically. Mechanical sadhana-bhakti does not produce bhava (pure spiritual emotion).
(LFD, Vol2, Purpose of Sädhana-bhakti, Pg 15, 4th & 5th paragraph)

June 29

The difference between vaidhi and raganuga sadhana-bhakti is the inspiration that drives them. In vaidhi bhakti the inspiration comes from the sense of obligation one feels to follow the instructions of the spiritual master and the scripture. That obligation may be based on fear of what will happen if one does not follow, one’s sense of duty, which is usually based on scriptural injunction, or habit. The practice of raganuga bhakti however, is inspired by one’s natural attraction to the devotional service itself. Therefore, it is important for us to develop and then maintain our inspiration to serve the Lord. It helps if we understand first why we are obliged to perform devotional service at all.
(LFD, Vol2, Purpose of Sädhana-bhakti, Pg 15, 2nd & 3rd paragraph)

June 27

We can achieve the highest platform of ecstatic love of Krishna by serving Lord Caitanya. By service to Lord Caitanya—by preaching the glories of the Lord and His holy names in this way—one actually becomes qualified to get Lord Caitanya’s mercy. Prabhodananda Sarasvati describes that to the degree that one renders service to Lord Caitanya, he becomes qualified to see Radha and Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana. This is therefore our means for entering into the spiritual world.
Lectures From a Disciple, Counselor System, Pg 411, 1st Paragraph

June 22

Lord Nityananda gives hope that even a proud person can get in (Dhama). However, he cannot get in with his pride. Rather, he must get the mercy of a servant of Lord Caitanya. If a servant of Lord Caitanya gives his mercy to a proud person, he will help this person to become free from his pride and will give him the spiritual strength to overcome his anarthas. Lord Caitanya did not accept everybody. He was prepared to kill Jagai and Madhai for the offense they committed to Lord Nityananda. Yet it was Lord Nityananda who begged Lord Caitanya to accept them. When a servant of Lord Caitanya begs Him to accept someone, then Lord Caitanya cannot refuse. Such is the power of a servant of Lord Caitanya. It is not a cheap thing.
Lectures From a Disciple, Counselor System, Pg 407, 2nd & 3rd Paragraph