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
Even although one may make some external calculation, what may be called a mistake, the Lord does not see that as a mistake, because He sees the essence of the devotee’s attitude. Therefore we understand how important it is to have the attitude of trying to please the Lord, because that is what makes everything right.
Even externally it may appear to be right, faultless, no defect, and even if externally it appears to be perfect, but if the intent is not to please the Lord, then it is imperfect and it is not an acceptable offering. In fact, the Lord is not even inclined to accept such offerings.
October 11, 2009, Budapest
The disciple should be prepared to do whatever is necessary to please the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is pleased to see the disciple advancing in his Krishna consciousness and developing a taste for Krishna consciousness, it is not selfish on the part of the disciple to have an eager desire to advance further, because the objective of the disciple is to do that which is the most pleasing to the spiritual master.
October 10, 1993, Moscow
Although one has obligations to family, friends and society, if one thinks their service to them is everything and forgets Krishna then one continues to live in a dream.
October 9, 1997, Almaty
So if we are accepting vows and the purpose of our vows is to increase our attachment to Krishna, the more we increase our attachment to Krishna, the more Krishna becomes attached to His devotee. If we want to feel that reciprocal relationship, loving relationship with reciprocation and attachment, then if we become attached to Krishna, then Krishna says “ To the degree that you become attached to Me, I become attached to you”
October 8, 2006, Hartford
It is not such a great austerity to rise early in the morning, to take cold showers. Srila Prabhupada says, 'This is not a great austerity, this is hygiene!' But sometimes we are thinking these things are so difficult. But our austerity is to participate in the sankirtan movement and by such full active participation the Lord becomes pleased. When the Lord is pleased, then the devotee automatically advances in Krishna consciousness.
Boston 1990
What is within the heart of the devotee is a mystery for nondevotees. A devotee can understand what is in the heart of the devotee by rendering service to the devotee. In this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead renders service to His devotees to reveal what is there within their hearts. The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes a position as a servant of His devotees by becoming completely subservient to their desires, He exposes what is there within their hearts and He fulfills these desires. Therefore, everyone gets to see what is there within the heart of His devotee.
October 6, 2002, Divnomorsk
Srila Prabhupada often spoke about the bodily conception of life as a diseased condition of life. It is diseased because we don’t actually understand what is really a healthy state of life. A healthy state of life means to be fully self-realized, to be constantly conscious of one's own spiritual identity as a servant of God. This is somebody who is fully healthy.
October 5, 1995, St. Petersburg
When Prabhupada says that one must strive to achieve Krishna by the right means, the right means is that one must have spiritual strength, one should very soberly and carefully strive to achieve Krishna, and one should perform appropriate austerities.
October 4, 2004, Divnomorsk
There is no stagnation on the spiritual platform. The spiritual platform is ever increasingly dynamic. And why is that? Because the Lord is reciprocating.
October 3, 1999, Divnamorsk