Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

Topic

March 13

A person may offer his food because he wants to be relieved from karma. This stage of engaging in religious activity is born of fear and not wanting to suffer. The desire to avoid suffering is not a selfless desire. The gopis, however, are described to be on a transcendental platform because they were not following any kind of religious or moral codes. They were breaking moral codes. They were not afraid to suffer because they were always thinking of Krishna’s pleasure and were motivated by the desire to continuously please Him. Such personal sacrifices for the pleasure of the Lord makes the gopis’ love the highest.
(Caitanya Caritamrita Lectures Book, Adi Lila 4.162-181 Kishinev—June 2000, Page 29)

March 10

We should not foolishly think that by getting devotional service we can get economic development and gratification of the material senses. Devotees have their senses gratified spiritually. Their senses are fully satisfied by beholding the transcendental form of the Lord. As devotees advance in devotional service, gradually elevating to the highest stages of love of God, the Lord fully satisfies their senses. A devotee actually experiences the fragrance emanating from the body of the Supreme Lord. He beholds the beautiful form of the Lord and then feels the loving embrace of the Lord. This is how the Lord reciprocates with the devotee and satisfies his senses. The devotee gets all his senses completely saturated with Krishna. That is why he has senses. His senses are meant to be saturated completely in Krishna. (Caitanya Caritamrita Lectures Book, Adi Lila 7.1 Moscow—May 2002, Page 42)"

March 9

Wherever there is temporary happiness, distress must follow. Real happiness is ananda; it is transcendental to material happiness and continues forever. However, we have no experience of that happiness because we mistake happiness in this world for the mitigation of our distress. We think we are happy when our senses or mind are temporarily satisfied with some pleasure, but it is only a temporary mitigation of our distress. Real happiness is that which Krishna directly gives to His devotees. It is the happiness derived from pleasing the Lord. When the Lord is pleased by our activities, that is the greatest source of our happiness. That happiness is eternal and will never be taken away.
(Caitanya Caritamrita Lectures Book, Adi Lila 1.54 Minsk—1998, Page 25,26)

March 8

Daydreams are also illusion. We think of something that we would like to have that would make us happy. Then, when we get it and become attached to the pleasure derived from it, it becomes a source of distress. We do not foresee the distress; we only dream of the happiness it will bring us. We do not think that when it is taken away, we will be distressed. “No, as long as it is connected to me, I will be happy.” However, the material nature has a tendency of taking everything away and changing that which was the source of happiness to one of distress.
(Caitanya Caritamrita Lectures Book, Adi Lila 1.54 Minsk—1998, Page 23)

February 16

In the Third Canto of the Bhagavatam, there is a verse where Brahma was praying to the Lord for the potency to create the universe. Prabhupada explains in the commentary that fortunate is that person who has been entrusted with responsible work, and if he is always conscious that he is subordinate to the will of the Lord, then whatever the result, it will be done nicely. If, however, he is not in that consciousness, even if the result may externally look very nice, the work was still not done properly. Thus, if we are given a particular work, and we put our heart into it, it means that we are always subordinate to Krishna and His representatives. Even though our service may change, the heart should not. The project, whatever it may be, is valueless if we have not put our heart into it. Sometimes Krishna reminds us and puts us into a situation where we have to remember how to keep putting our heart into what He wants us to do.
LFD Vol 3,Proper Attitude, Pg 229, last paragraph

February 15

Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Vishwanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Jiva Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and Lord Caitanya have all given guarantees that if you fix your mind upon the Supreme Lord, then certainly you will go to Him. We have to cultivate the desire to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. We should be in anxiety if we are not thinking of Krishna. It is very dangerous to forget Krishna even for a moment.
LFD Vol 3,Proper Attitude, Pg 228, 4th paragraph

February 14

Prabhupada explains in the Upadeshamrita that cultivation refers to that of our natural desire to serve and to please the Lord. However, before one can love Krishna, first there must be obedience. When one becomes obedient to the Lord and to the devotees of the Lord, then he can cultivate by regularly hearing and rendering devotional service in a submissive spirit. This is the proper formula for success. There is no other way to awaken love within the heart.
LFD Vol 3,Proper Attitude, Pg 227, 2nd last paragraph

February 13

Whimsical activity is not the criteria for satisfying the Lord. One has to awaken spontaneous love within the heart first by regulated devotional service. This regulated devotional service begins by regularly hearing about the activities of Mother Yasoda, Krishna, the cowherd boys and all the residents of Vrindavana.
LFD Vol 3,Proper Attitude, Pg 227, 3rd paragraph

February 12

Prabhupada describes that, even more relishable for the Lord, is when out of pure affection and love the devotee considers the Lord to be less important (subordinate) than himself, just as is the mood of Mother Yasoda. This is called anugraha, which means to look upon the Lord with mercy and compassion. Mother Yasoda was thinking, “I have to be compassionate upon my son! I have to take care of Him! If I don’t take care of Him, then something terrible could happen!”
LFD Vol 3, Proper Attitude, Pg 226, 2nd paragraph

February 11

Thus, it is not the temple that makes us Krishna conscious, rather it is what goes on inside the temple that does. There has to be bhagavat-katha. Prabhupada explained that he established these temples for people to come and hear about Krishna, because when one hears about Krishna, it awakens within the heart the desire to serve the Lord. When that desire is awakened, then it is natural inspiration. Devotional service has to be rendered in a voluntary spirit. That voluntary spirit or desire to do something to please the Lord has to be awakened from within the heart. That is the perfection of our service.
LFD Vol 3,Proper Attitude, Pg 224, 2nd last paragraph

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