Srila Prabhupada was speaking about so-called gurus who were popular at the time. Don't accept them simply on the basis of their appearance. Accept them first through your ears. But then after accepting them through the ears, with purified senses then one can actually see. Although they may not be able to see God with their senses they can see those who are godly.
October 2, 2011, Budapest
The devotees of Vrindavana don’t make friends with Krishna because He is the most of everything. They make friends with Krishna because they love Krishna.
October 1, 2007, Budapest
If we associate with persons whose devotional service is influenced by karma or by jnana, and especially if it is being presented as pure devotional service, then that contamination can also affect our hearts and the result of this is that anarthas will grow rather than pure devotion in our hearts. So certainly we should properly discriminate on that message which has been spoken and we always should try to hear from a devotee who is protecting our devotional creeper and who is presenting Srimad Bhagavatam without any impure motive and who is simply interested in glorifying the Lord and qualities of pure devotional service.
September 30, 2004, Divnomorsk
If we really want to look at the growth of our movement, we also have to see how many people are staying. Then we can see real growth. Not that we simply count the numbers of the people who came, took initiation but we never see them anymore and because new people are coming and washing the floor or the pots, our temples are successful.
September 29, 2004, Divnamorsk
The point is that we have no firm conviction of Krishna's existence until Krishna reveals Himself. That’s called realization, and there are different levels of realization and there are different levels of devotees. The neophyte devotee has no firm conviction because he has no realization, but he may have enough realization at least to understand that he has to follow some higher authority. If that realization is there, then that is the first step.
September 28, 1992, Almaty
If we want Krishna's personal reciprocation, there is only one way to get it. The ingredient of love must be present in the offering. Otherwise we can’t get it.
September 27, 1995, Moscow
Everyone gets what they want except satisfaction. That is the key experience which is missed by all those who approach the Lord in impurely motivated ways.
September 26, 1992, Rostov
Material anxiety means to be in anxiety about myself. Spiritual anxiety is to be in anxiety about Krishna. When we are actually in spiritual anxiety, it is purifying, it is liberating, but when we are always in anxiety about ourselves, it is binding, it simply entangles us in the material world.
September 25, 1997, Minsk
Sanantana dharma simply means to understand who the Supreme Lord is. There is not supposed to be competition in the field of religion. Vaishnavas are not competing. They are simply glorifying the Lord.
September 24, 1994, Moscow
Just like in our personal spiritual life, part of the process of moving forward is recognizing where our obstacles are; therefore there are so many descriptions in the scriptures where the obstacles for pure devotional service are.
September 23, 2004, Moscow