Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

Topic

December 4

Devotional service eradicates the propensity or inclination to commit sinful activity by giving the living entity a superior form of pleasure. Prabhupada gave the example that a young child may be very attracted to play with knives, although it is a very dangerous affair. If the child wants to play with the knife and the parent tries to take it away from the child, the child will grab the knife in an attempt to keep it, and it becomes even more dangerous. Therefore, if the parent offers the child a nice, colorful toy, then the child will become attracted to the toy and will drop the knife. Similarly, for a person who has the bijam— the inclination to engage in sinful activity—when he experiences a higher pleasure in Krishna consciousness, he will give up his inclination to engage in those sinful activities, which are a cause for his suffering.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 204, 2nd paragraph onwards

December 3

When weeding a garden, by turning over the soil to cover the weeds, the soil may look very clear or free from weeds for some time. You may think that you have gotten rid of all the weeds, but in due course of time, those seeds that are under the soil will gradually grow again. However, a fried or burned seed cannot fructify. Thus, the seeds of sinful desires within the heart can be burned up in the fire of Krishna consciousness. A person who has adopted unalloyed devotional service to Krishna can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 203, 2nd last paragraph onwards"

December 2

It is described in the Sixth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam that real atonement does not mean to simply neutralize the effects of sinful reactions. One may try to neutralize the effects of the sinful reactions by engaging in some form of pious activity, such as performing austerities, giving charity or accepting vows. However, although the performance of pious activities neutralizes the reaction, these activities will not uproot the desires from within the heart to perform sinful activities again. Therefore, the Bhagavatam states that real freedom from reactions of sinful activities means to uproot the weeds of sinful desires within the heart—kecit kevalaya bhaktya. Just as the fog is gradually burned by the rays of the sun, in the same way, unalloyed devotional service to Krishna can uproot the weeds of sinful actions.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 203, last paragraph onwards

December 1

Prabhupada further explained that the science of the soul cannot be studied academically in a university. When one is studying science and wants to get a particular result, which can be obtained only by performing a scientific experiment, then he has to go to the laboratory and perform that experiment. Similarly to obtain the result of spiritual knowledge, which is vijnana (realized knowledge), one has to perform certain activities which are conducive for understanding the existence of the soul, otherwise it is just theoretical knowledge.
LFD Vol 3,Uprooting Sinful Activities, Pg 198, 3rd paragraph

November 30

Whatever Krishna does—either giving punishments or benedictions—since His hand is personally in it, it is always for the benefit of the recipient. There is no value in being punished by the material nature unless we can see that Krishna is behind it. If we do not see Krishna behind it, we will simply get punished again and again by the material nature, and we will never make progress and will never be successful. The material nature will always punish the conditioned soul who forgets Krishna. A devotee may experience some temporary setback, but he will be successful if he remembers the Lord. In whatever we are doing, we have to see Krishna’s connection. If we cannot see Krishna’s connection, then why are we doing it?
LFD Vol 3,Being Successful in our Endeavors, Pg 233, 1st paragraph

November 29

We therefore have to know His instructions and His desires. Krishna says that in all activities we should depend upon Him. If we are rising in the morning, cleaning our bodies, accepting prasadam, going to work, going to distribute books, worshipping the deities, etc., we have to depend on Krishna. This is the science that we must practice internally. We will otherwise see devotional service as something external.
LFD Vol 3,Being Successful in our Endeavors, Pg 230, 2nd paragraph

November 28

Certainly it is encouraging when we experience Krishna’s direct presence in our lives. This will happen when we are always thinking about what is best to do for Krishna’s service. If somehow we throw in other motivations in our decisions then we will not be able to perceive Krishna’s direct presence in what we do, being unable to depend on Him.We can only depend on Krishna when we see His instructions and desires in the execution of our duties.
LFD Vol 3,Being Successful in our Endeavors, Pg 230, 1st paragraph

November 18

The acaryas have explained that these six categories(utsaha-mayi, ghana-tarala, vyudha-vikalpa, visaya-sangara, niyamaksama, taranga-rangini) of unsteady devotional service only to help us look at ourselves. Don’t spend time trying to categorize the advancement or perceived lack of advancement of other devotees. Try to understand how to make spiritual advancement. Having come in contact with bhakti-yoga, be very, very careful that you do not lose this rare chance to love, which is available only in this human form of life.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 55, 5th paragraph)

November 16

The first characteristic of ignorance is to accept that which is temporary to be eternal; to accept that which is impure to be pure; and to accept that which is not this body to be the body. The second characteristic of ignorance is to accept the objects of the senses as real. The third symptom of ignorance is called raga or attachment, and is to be attached to happiness and to be averse to distress. The fourth symptom of ignorance is dvesa, which means hatred towards suffering and anything that we see as the cause of our suffering. The fifth form of ignorance is called abhinivesa, which means to instinctively cling to the idea that we can enjoy with this body, and the fear that death means no more enjoyment.
LFD Vol 3,Cultivating Krishna Conciousness Pg 175,last paragraph.

November 17

The second stage of anisthita bhakti is called ghana-tarala, which literally means “thick-thin” or sporadic endeavor. Sometimes we are enthusiastic and think, “I feel good about my practice of bhakti. I am getting the respect I deserve and the results I am earning. Everything is going so nicely.” But then things change: “This consciousness is too difficult. I have no taste, and no one respects me.” We lose our enthusiasm. Sometimes when we lose our enthusiasm, we also lose our ability to practice regulated sadhana. We get absorbed in material consciousness, then begin to suffer, and take up the chanting again. We gain a little steadiness, then stop again, because we have not discovered the importance of chanting or the truth about ourselves.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 53, and Pg 54)

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