A living entity can never become God, but due to his foolishness and due to the manifestation of this envy of the Supreme, he is thinking that I want to enjoy just like God. Therefore by thinking in this way, he is cast into this material nature and given a reflection, just like a child who has a reflection of the moon. And he thinks as he has that reflection, he is thinking “O yes, now I am the enjoyer.”
October 17, 1992, St Petersburg
We should avoid the association of those who may distract our attention from Krishna. Sometimes devotees may not be so serious. It is not that everybody is immediately an advanced devotee simply by taking up the chanting of Hare Krishna. So we have to make some distinction, but we should be careful that we not become envious and criticize somebody because he is not an advanced devotee. The best way to help other devotees is to be a good example oneself.
October 16, 1992, St Petersburg
A devotee is confident because he always expects the mercy of the Lord. This is his confidence. But just how that mercy will manifest, it takes proper consciousness to be able to see this mercy.
October 15, 2001, Kiev
How can anyone be a genuine friend when he is thinking of himself first? He has to give up this selfish mentality. Then he can be a real friend of all living entities. Only a devotee can give up this selfish mentality.
A devotee can give up this selfish mentality because he doesn’t need anything from anyone. He has found out how to become satisfied without having to need anything from anyone, because he knows that there is only one thing he really needs, and that is to establish his relationship with Krishna.
October 14, 1993, Perm
The temples are sactually meant for guests. The temples actually are not meant for our eating and sleeping. Of course we may eat and sleep while we are there, but we should be conscious of the facts, what the real purpose of the temple is. Prabhupada said for ourselves, we can live under a tree, but actually we have these temples for bringing people to give them Krishna consciousness. Therefore this is the real purpose of the temple.
October 13, 1997, Almaty
Only those who have actually attained the shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna can become peaceful. What is the nature of that peacefulness? The nature of that peacefulness is that they are convinced that, having achieved this shelter, nothing else is required.
October 12, 1994, Novosibirsk
If a person has devotion within his heart, then the Lord is very eager to accept whatever the devotee offers. So devotional service is not calculated according to quantity, that only if there is a large quantity then the Lord will be pleased. We understand that it is the quality of the offering which pleases the Lord, but on Govardhan Puja Krishna wants there to be a lot of prasadam.
October 11, 2009, Budapest
To understand the heart means to have an attitude of service. And very importantly, service attitude towards the spiritual master is the attitude of hearing his instructions very attentively, trying to understand his mood, trying to understand his mood of service to his spiritual master, trying to understand his objective in distributing Krishna consciousness for the benefit of his disciples. Therefore, it is a very dear service to the spiritual master when a disciple is very dedicated to hearing and understanding his instructions.
October 10, 1993, Moscow
Although one has obligation to family, friends and society, if one thinks their service to them is everything and forgets Krishna, then one continues to live in the dream.
October 9, 1997, Almaty
But actually, the real way of spreading Krishna consciousness is by being Krishna consciousness. If you want to spread it, you have to have it. Otherwise how it is spread? So Prabhupada said – example is more important then precept.
October 8, 1997, Almaty