One should accept divine austerities and penances to achieve the divine position of devotional service. By such activities, one’s heart is purified. One comes to that platform of transcendental happiness, which is superior to material happiness, and this continues forever. Thus if one voluntarily accepts austerities and penances to achieve the divine position of devotional service, he will achieve real happiness.
LFD Vol 3,Accepting a Higher Authority, Pg 223, last paragraph
Just as the bull is bound to the nostrils by a rope and is controlled, we should allow ourselves to become controlled by the statements of the Supreme Lord given in the revealed scriptures. It is voluntary submission. Unless we voluntarily accept this type of submission, it is very difficult to progress in human life.
LFD Vol 3, Accepting a Higher Authority, Pg 223, 4th paragraph
Prabhupada said in a lecture in 1966 that it is not enough to only believe in God, but we actually have to desire to have an intimate relationship with Him. To believe in God is pious and good, but it is not everything. Generally people come to God and ask, “Please give us this day our daily bread,” or, “O God, please free me from distress.” Prabhupada said that generally people think that God is the order supplier, but actually He is not our order supplier. We must become the order supplier for God. That is devotional service—when God becomes dependent upon us and wants something from us, and we fulfill His requests.
LFD Vol 3,Accepting a Higher Authority, Pg 223, 3rd paragraph
Human society does not even know what to look for in real leadership. They do not want someone who is going to rule them; they only want somebody who will facilitate their sense gratification. However, human society is meant to voluntarily be ruled by a higher authority. We are supposed to be ruled by sastra and by those who are learned in the sastra. We voluntarily submit ourselves to the ruler—to the authority of those who are conversant with the knowledge of revealed scriptures. In this way, we should allow ourselves to become bound by the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which are given in the Vedic literatures.
LFD Vol 3,Accepting a Higher Authority, Pg 223, 3rd paragraph
Maintaining this human body through engaging in devotional service of the Lord is the best use of this human form of life. If one hears nicely, then he will chant Krishna’s names and he will tell others about Krishna. Then smaranam will come automatically—one’s mind and thoughts will become absorbed in thoughts of Krishna.
LFD Vol 3,Importance of Hearing, Pg 212, last paragraph
Therefore, the process of devotional service begins simply by hearing. If one hears nicely, then next there will be kirtanam. For one who hears nicely, he can go out and become a preacher and give Krishna consciousness to others.
LFD Vol 3,Importance of Hearing, Pg 212, 5th paragraph
Anyone who comes in contact with Krishna, even for a moment, will derive eternal benefit. The nature of devotional service is such that once having come in contact with it, the desire for it is awakened within the heart, and one wants more. We obtain more by hearing more about Krishna. Hearing is one of the methods of engaging in devotional service, and it is the most important. Simply by giving one’s ears in submissive aural reception, one is actually engaging in devotional service to the Lord.
LFD Vol 3,Importance of Hearing, Pg 211, 2nd last paragraph
Becoming aware of these sinful activities helps us to at least understand what they are, but it should also create within us a desire to not only neutralize them, but to uproot the seed of sinful desires from within the heart.To understand sinful activities helps us to understand the power of devotional service, and if we can understand the power of devotional service, we can appreciate the necessity to engage in devotional service.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 206, 4th paragraph
It is stated that simply by seeing such an elevated devotee of the Lord, one awakens the desire to engage in devotional service to the Lord. Simply by his glance, one gets his blessings. He seems to be calling out, “What are you doing here in the material world? Don’t you know that you have an eternal relationship with Krishna? Why are you wasting your time here?” That is what Srila Prabhupada’s glance would do to the heart, because he had the capacity to see Krishna in everything and in everyone. Therefore, by the force of his preaching, he would attract so many people to come and take part in Krishna consciousness.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 211, 2nd last paragraph
Sometimes when we become very angry at somebody, we may say something that we later regret. The anger consumes our mind and senses, and we lose control and become bewildered. Later we regret it, questioning how we lost control. This is another form of sin.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 205, last paragraph