Devotional service is a very rare and valuable gift. Prabhupada writes in one letter in 1972 that it is the responsibility of the leaders to generate this atmosphere where the devotees will voluntarily come forward and rise to the occasion, and the voluntary spirit should never be suppressed.
Taking Care of Devotees
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Prabhupada taught us to see every living entity as a spiritual spark and part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And he taught us by his own example how we should preach Krishna consciousness in order to fan that spark.
Ramananda Raya told Lord Caitanya that pure devotional service cannot be had even by pious activities for millions of births. Pure devotional service can be had only by paying one price, which is the greed to purchase it. And he says that wherever one sees it, he should immediately purchase it without delay. This is the essence of our Krishna Consciousness Movement.
TCD
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Srila Prabhupada could see Krishna everywhere, and certainly his only desire was to give Krishna to everyone. Srila Prabhupada had all the substance that was necessary for spreading Krishna consciousness. If you have Krishna consciousness, you have all the substance required for spreading it.
Taking Care of Devotees
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To the degree that we are feeling shelter in our own lives, then we are able to extend ourselves more for the benefit of others. Obviously, if we do not feel shelter, it is very difficult to try to give shelter to others.
Taking Care of Devotees
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When the devotee understands what his anarthas are, he strives to become free from them by chanting and hearing. He has faith that even though he may not be able to quickly become free [from the anarthas], and due to the weakness of heart, may sometimes fall victim to those anarthas, still the Holy Name will forgive him. He tries to take the proper instruction and accept the proper means of rectification for some deviation. He can then go on chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.
MKV, Vol 2- Pg 8, (Initiation Lecture—Kiev, Ukraine—15/11/01)
Let us try to understand the real meaning of the connection between the spiritual master and the disciple. It is not just something that will formally take place on the particular day of your initiation. The real connection is by receiving the instructions on the Holy Name and more; then, gradually, the proper conception of the Holy Name of the Lord will manifest within our minds and within our hearts. We will gradually begin to experience some glimpse of the Holy Name by chanting in this way and simply always striving to chant that pure Holy Name of the Lord. That continuous effort is what differentiates those who are offenders from those who are becoming cleared from offenses. The offenders remain in ignorance. Those who try to become free from offense will not remain in ignorance. They will seek the appropriate instruction on the glories of the Holy Name of the Lord, and will endeavor to become free from their offenses and from their anarthas within the heart, by proper discrimination between what are the anarthas and what is the actual bhakti-lata bija.
MKV, Vol 2- Pg 8, (Initiation Lecture—Kiev, Ukraine—15/11/01)
We must increase our understanding of the glories of the Holy Name, so that we will no longer commit offenses. By offenseless chanting, we can realize the full glory, beauty, and transcendental position of the Holy Name; it is Krishna Himself. That Holy Name bestows all spiritual benedictions. So, what greater benediction is there to receive than the gift of the pure Holy Name? This is our connection. Every disciple—everyone who is chanting the Holy Name—must actually make progress in this chanting, by gaining the proper conception. Otherwise, if we do not hear, we will just go on with the attitude: “Yes, I just have to chant my 16 rounds. If I chant my 16 rounds, I'm Ok.” But we have to ask ourselves the question. “What am I hearing? If I am not hearing the Holy Name; if I am not hearing sufficient glories of the Holy Name, then I must increase my hearing from the mouths of Krishna’s devotees.” This is the real connection. This is siksa. One has to establish the connection with the spiritual master on the basis of this siksa.
MKV, Vol 2- Pg 7, (Initiation Lecture—Kiev, Ukraine—15/11/01)
Rupa Gosvami says in his Namastaka, that the Lord appears in two forms—in the form of the Deity and in the form of the Holy Name. If we offend the Deity, we cannot go back to the Deity for forgiveness. Our only recourse is to become a servant of the Holy Name and chant incessantly. We must take shelter and beg for forgiveness by continuously chanting the Holy Name of the Lord; the Holy Name will forgive. If we are offenders of the Holy Name of the Lord, we can also get forgiveness, but we must sincerely repent for the offense committed. We must take shelter of the proper instructions in relationship to the offense and the Holy Name, and by so doing, we must renew our faith in continuous chanting.
MKV, Vol 2- Pg 7, (Initiation Lecture—Kiev, Ukraine—15/11/01)
To chant carefully means that we must know the difference between our anarthas and the aspirations that we want to achieve by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord. It means we are chanting in the right consciousness and are always aspiring to hear the appropriate instructions related to our chanting. The more we hear the appropriate instructions of the revealed scriptures from the mouths of the devotees, the more we begin to learn about the beauty and transcendental position of Lord Krishna’s Holy Name. This increases our faith.
MKV, Vol 2- Pg 6, (Initiation Lecture—Kiev, Ukraine—15/11/01)