Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

May 15

Neophyte disciples rarely know how to take advantage of vapuh. They think that vapuh is an opportunity for them to show off to their spiritual master. They want him to see how good they are, how surrendered, etc. When the spiritual master comes, they jump on the spiritual master with their hands up straight, “See how surrendered I am?!” When spiritual master leaves, they immediately fall into maya. They don’t understand that vapuh is meant to provide them with an opportunity to hear the spiritual master’s instructions and to observe His example.

May 14

When we approach the spiritual master, we must be careful not to do so with an agenda. We should not be seeking a particular answer, and therefore ask our question in such a way as to bring out of the guru what we want him to say. The spiritual master actually knows what we need to hear, and often he will not tell us what we want to hear. So better we approach the spiritual master with submission, with the readiness to accept his answer to our dilemma as suitable for us.

May 13

Being prepared to render any kind of service is how we display our submission. Serving another requires sacrifice.

May 12

The spiritual master accepts the disciples’ service only so that the disciples can become qualified receptacles for the knowledge He wishes to impart. Krishna Himself has a similar motivation. He is not looking for external surrender but for a depth of faith and love. Krishna says, “As they surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” That reward is the knowledge of how to come closer to Him. Krishna wants to give us the gift of unalloyed devotional service. Similarly, the spiritual master seeks qualified candidates to receive transcendental knowledge.

May 11

Sincerity in guru-disciple relationship means that the disciple wants nothing from the guru other than Krishna consciousness. He is not interested in buying himself a spiritual master, and the spiritual master is not interested in monetary gain.

May 10

Superior dictation will cause the mind to protest, but if we pursue the order with faith in the superior authority, we will be able to defeat the mind. Such faith and obedience to the guru’s order will purify our intelligence further.

May 9

The criteria upon which we base our discrimination are the standards set by guru, sadhu, and sastra. We are conditioned and therefore not yet able to hear from the Supersoul directly. We must learn to use our intelligence to discriminate on the basis of what we have heard from these three sources. Intelligence should discriminate between the mind’s dictation and what we are supposed to do. For someone who doesn’t have strong intelligence, the mind forever seems victorious.

May 8

If we actually want to become satisfied, we have to think about how to please Krishna by serving the spiritual master’s instructions. That is the devotee’s business in this world. This is what Srila Prabhupada taught. He never thought of his own liberation. He thought only of giving every breath of his life to executing his Guru Maharaja’s order. Thus Srila Prabhupada set a perfect example. He never thought of retirement and preached to his last breath. Those who are Prabhupadanugas have this wonderful example to follow and will never look for perfection beyond what Srila Prabhupada taught us.
(Lecture SB 4.23.12 Kishinyov, June 1996)

May 7

Srila Prabhupada gave us a mission to fulfill in this world. That mission is simply to execute his order. Therefore, it is a far more important meditation for his disciples to think of His order than to imagine their lives with him in the spiritual world. When we are ready, the spiritual master will reveal more to us of our mutual identities in the spiritual world. We qualify ourselves for that revelation by following His orders here and now.
(Lecture- Istagosthi Kisinev 3.10.91)

May 6

To be empowered means to receive Krishna’s potency. Then, when people come in contact with us, it is good as coming in contact with Krsna. This does not, of course, mean that those who are empowered, are Krishna.
(Lecture- Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja, Almaty 1995)

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