Nonetheless, as long as one has a material body, devotees still must engage in social dealings. But they know that these affairs do not give them internal satisfaction. The body needs to be maintained if we want to use it for hearing and chanting. Devotees therefore need to discuss or deal with these matters in a minimal way so that the real purpose of maintaining the body is not forgotten.
February 24, 2010, Blog
It’s not possible to understand anything about Krishna without rendering devotional service.
Simferopol CC
Sometimes, it is very difficult, when we are not on a such a purely motivated platform to accept such austerities and inconveniences, and we look upon those fallen, degraded individuals of Kali-yuga and the only thing we are thinking of is how we can avoid them. But somehow we see in the life of Srila Prabhupada, we see in the lives of those who are taking up the orders of Srila Prabhupada, by preaching Krishna consciousness and accepting so much suffering for their welfare, somehow we have to understand that this is what is pleasing to our spiritual master and Krishna. That is the method of advancement. Although we may not be so compassionate, still if we try to please our spiritual master and Krishna, who are voluntarily accepting these difficulties, then we may actually be able to obtain that platform of compassion in due course of time.
Boston 1990
Steadiness means that not only does one have to be determined but one is able to overcome the obstacles that come before him. Whenever there is an obstacle or a test a devotee does not lose sight of the ultimate objective to actually go home back to Godhead. He is very careful to not become diverted by so many other material desires which manifest as one continues on the path of Krishna Consciousness.
BG 3.8 -12
Another characteristic of a devotee is that he does not endeavor for things which are very difficult to obtain, because he knows this body is not meant for sense gratification.Therefore he accepts whatever is given to him by the Lord, and therefore he is always satisfied in all circumstances of life.
Boston 1992
There is no way that the Lord's desire will not manifest. That is the internal affair of the Lord, that when He desires it to happen, it will happen. The only question is whether or not the devotee will participate. If he misuses his minute independence and questions the authority of the Lord and acts independently, then as the expression goes, he misses the boat. As a result of this he falls under the jurisdiction of the external energy of the Lord. So, we should always desire to be under the jurisdiction of the Lord's internal potency and in this way come under that protection by being obedient to the will of the Lord.
SB 1.18.29
Montreal, Canada
When Krishna is pleased by our activities then He will give us that pleasure. That is the superior form of pleasure, that is the pleasure that is the sustainable pleasure, which will enable the devotee
to continue in the face of all obstacles to execute his duties as desired by the Lord. When one comes to the spiritual platform, which is called Brahma-saukhyam (spiritual happiness), which
is achieved by austerities and penances one can achieve the divine position of devotional service.
BG 3.8 -12
In other words one becomes purified by confronting difficulties he has in executing his duties. Not by avoiding them. This is the essence of the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.
February 17, 1998, Almaty
This is how the Lord protects His devotees. He protects them by accepting them into His internal energy, into His internal potency. He protects them by engaging them in His loving devotional service, because those who are protected by being fully engaged in the service of the Lord, they can not come under the influence of the material nature.
February 16, 1994, Riga
Krishna is pushing us to feel helpless and if we are too much attached to those external things, those external arrangements that when Krishna pulls out, we immediately start clambering for everything we just had. We start thinking these are the things that will protect me, my prestige, my assets. But actually that is material. A devotee has to plant his feet firmly in the realization that No, real shelter is Krishna, everything else is temporary. If we want real shelter, if we really want solid ground to stand on, then the most solid ground to stand on is full dependence on the lotus feet of the Lord.
Reading from the 'Nectar of book distribution' in Hartford, 1992