Category:The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 07 - Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles
Pages in category "The Nectar of Devotion Chapter 07 - Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles"
The following 113 pages are in this category, out of 113 total.
A
- A bona fide spiritual master has no business reading many books simply to show his proficiency or to get popularity by lecturing in different places. One should avoid all these things
- A devotee should not be subjected to lamentation or illusion
- A person who does not disturb or cause painful action in the mind of any living entity, who treats everyone just like a loving father does his children, whose heart is so pure, certainly very soon becomes favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- A person who has lived in Dvaraka for six months, for one month, or even for one fortnight, there is awaiting elevation to the Vaikuntha-lokas and all the profits of sarupya-mukti (the privilege of having the same four-handed bodily features as Narayana)
- A spiritual master needn't be very enthusiastic for constructing temple buildings simply in the name of so-called spiritual advancement. Rather, his first and foremost activity should be to preach
- According to Vaisnava philosophy, one should offer respect even to an ant, so then what need is there to speak of such exalted persons like Lord Siva and Lord Brahma
- Actually these persons who are worshipers of demigods have been condemned in the Gita
- All of these processes will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities
- All of these worshipers, although they appear to be very good devotees of the demigods, are still considered to be nondevotees. They cannot be accepted as devotees
- Although Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Krsna, the followers of such incarnations are not very advanced in their knowledge of the Vedas
- And one should also not be very enthusiastic about constructing new temples, nor should one be enthusiastic about reading various types of books, save and except the ones which lead to the advancement of devotional service
- Another stricture is that a person may have many disciples, but he should not act in such a way that he will be obliged to any of them for some particular action or some favor
- Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation
- Anyone who has practiced controlling these six (the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words) is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life
- As we have already explained, the basic principle of Krsna consciousness is to always think of Krsna. One should not be disturbed in material loss, but, rather, should concentrate his mind upon the lotus feet of the Lord
- Atheism means defying the authority of the Vedas and decrying the great acaryas who teach Vedic scriptures for the benefit of the people in general
B
- Brahma Purana said, "Even the demigods from higher planetary systems see the inhabitants of this Jagannatha Puri as having exactly the same features of body as are possessed by one in Vaikuntha"
- Brahma Purana states, "That is, the demigods see the inhabitants of Jagannatha Puri as being four-handed"
- Brahma-yamala states, "Instead, he (a so-called great devotee) will simply create disturbances for the sincere students of devotional service"
F
- For a beautiful wife, one can worship Uma, the wife of Lord Siva, and for advanced education one may worship Sarasvati
- For example, a Vaisnava is not a devotee of Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, but he is duty-bound to offer all respects to such highly-positioned demigods
- For example, it may be said that one should chant the Hare Krsna mantra at least 100,000 times daily on his beads. But if this is not possible, then one must minimize his chanting according to his own capacity
- For example, one is advised to worship the sun god if he is desirous of getting rid of a diseased condition
- For example, Rupa Gosvami was offered a favor by Maharaj Mansingh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar, and Rupa Gosvami instructed him to construct a large temple for Govindaji, which cost vast amounts of money
- For the atheist class, Lord Buddha preached atheism so that they would follow him and thus be tricked into devotional service to Lord Buddha, or Krsna
H
- He (a conditioned soul) has to make himself freed from such thoughts and transfer himself completely to Krsna consciousness
- He (a devotee) should offer respect to the cows and to the brahmanas and should serve the Vaisnavas by offering them respectful obeisances and meditating upon them
- Hearing and speaking Srimad-Bhagavatam is the religious process which elevates one to the platform of serving and loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- His (Lord Buddha's) philosophy is meant for bewildering the atheists and should not be accepted. If someone asks, "Why should Krsna propagate atheistic principles"
- However, after the appearance of the great stalwart teacher, Sankaracarya, this Buddhism was driven out beyond the border of India
- However, if one increases the number of disciples simply for some prestige or false honor, he will surely fall down in the matter of executing Krsna consciousness
I
- If he (the prospective student) is not (sincerely seeking Krsna consciousness), he should not be accepted. However, Lord Caitanya's causeless mercy is such that He advised all bona fide spiritual masters to speak about Krsna consciousness everywhere
- If money is utilized by unqualified spiritual masters for living comfortably in costly temples without actually doing any preaching work, this is not acceptable
- If one has money, instead of constructing costly temples, one should spend his money for the publication of authorized books in different languages for propagating the Krsna consciousness movement
- If one is not even able to chant 16 rounds, then he must make it up the next day. He must be sure to keep his vow. If he does not strictly follow this out, then he is sure to be negligent. That is offensive in the service of the Lord
- If somebody comes forward to offer some service, the same reluctant acaryas will encourage the building of costly temples by such servitors
- In answer to this argument, Rupa Gosvami says that the followers of Buddha cannot be accepted as devotees
- In other words, those who are after material enjoyment and those who are against the supremacy of the Lord are called avaisnava, and their company should be strictly avoided
- In the Brahma Purana it is said, "The transcendental significance of Purusottama-ksetra, which is the 80-square-mile field of Lord Jagannatha, cannot be properly described"
- In the line of Lord Caitanya, even the sannyasis can speak about Krsna consciousness everywhere, and if someone is seriously inclined to become a disciple, the sannyasi always accepts him
- In the Padma Purana it is said, "Krsna, or Hari, is the master of all demigods, and therefore He is always worshipable. But this does not mean that one should not offer respect to the demigods"
- In the scripture known as Brahma-yamala it is stated, "If someone wants to pose himself as a great devotee without following the authorities of the revealed scriptures, then his activities will never help him to make progress in devotional service"
- In the scriptures it is instructed that one may worship a certain demigod if he is desirous of achieving some material gain
- In the Visnu-rahasya there is a statement to the effect that one should prefer to embrace a snake, a tiger or an alligator rather than associate with persons who are worshipers of various demigods and who are impelled by material desire
- In this connection, an objection may be raised by those who are not in devotional service and who do not care for the revealed scriptures
- In this connection, Lord Caitanya replied that a Vaisnava should always give up the company of nondevotees
- In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj recommended that a spiritual master print books
- Inquiring about External Religious Principles. In the Naradiya Purana it is said, "If one is actually very serious about devotional service, then all of his purposes will be served without any delay"
- It is advised that a devotee follow the past acaryas and saintly persons, because by such following one can achieve the desired results, with no chance of lamenting or being baffled in his progress
- It is also stated that a sannyasi should not be enthusiastic about constructing temples. We can see in the life of various acaryas in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that they are not very enthusiastic about constructing temples
- It is better if one fixes up a regulative principle according to his own ability and then follows that vow without fail. That will make him advanced in spiritual life
- It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are worshipers of the demigods will ultimately reach only the planets of those demigods, while those who are devotees of the Lord Himself will be promoted to the Lord's abode, the kingdom of God
- It is described that due to their lusty desires they have lost their intelligence, and therefore they have taken to worshiping the different demigods
- It is stated by Lord Krsna, "My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being"
- It is stated that even if one is forced to live within a cage of iron or in the midst of a blazing fire, he should accept this position rather than live with nondevotees who are through and through against the supremacy of the Lord
K
- Krsna said, "One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man"
- Krsna said, "The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master, one is able to serve all the demigods"
L
- Lord Buddha appeared in the family of a high-grade ksatriya king, but his philosophy was not in accord with the Vedic conclusions and therefore was rejected
- Lord Buddha is accepted as an incarnation of Krsna in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, but in the same Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that Lord Buddha appeared in order to bewilder the atheist class of men
O
- Observing Fasting on Ekadasi. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekadasi day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life
- One should learn Srimad-Bhagavatam seriously and with all respect and veneration for the spiritual master
- One should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is fool number one, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service
- One should not become neglectful to offer due respect to the demigods. One may not be a devotee of demigods, but that does not mean that he should be disrespectful to them
- One who has accepted the sannyasa order of life is forbidden to accept as a disciple anyone who is not fit. A sannyasi should first of all examine whether a prospective student is sincerely seeking Krsna consciousness
- One who is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to traverse the path of spiritual salvation without any doubt
P
- Padma Purana states, "Even if there is some material loss, one should not be perturbed, but should always think of Krsna within Himself"
- Prabuddha said, "Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss"
- Prabuddha said, "In other words, the disciple should accept the spiritual master as God because he is the external manifestation of Krsna"
- Prabuddha said, "Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters"
- Prabuddha said, "The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions"
- Prabuddha tells Maharaj Nimi, "My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions"
- Practically, if one very carefully reads the BG, SB, Teachings of Lord Caitanya and this Nectar of Devotion, that will give him sufficient knowledge to understand the science of Krsna consciousness. One need not take the trouble of reading other books
R
- Residing in a Sacred Place. In the Padma Purana it is stated, "For one who has given up his material sense enjoyment and has accepted the principles of devotional service, the opulence of Visnu-loka (the kingdom of God) is awaiting"
- Rupa Gosvami may utilize the devotee's money to construct a nice costly temple for the service of the Lord
S
- Sage Prabuddha continued to speak to the King as follows, "My dear King, a disciple has to accept the spiritual master not only as spiritual master, but also as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supersoul"
- Similarly, there is a list in the Srimad-Bhagavatam for worshipers of all demigods, according to different material desires
- So a bona fide spiritual master should not personally take any responsibility for constructing temples, but if someone has money and wants to spend it in the service of Krsna
- So in the Visnu-rahasya these demigod worshipers are forcefully condemned by the statement that it is better to live with the most dangerous animals than to associate with these persons
- Sometimes even at a risk, a sannyasi in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu may accept even a person who is not thoroughly fit to become a disciple. Later on, by the mercy of such a bona fide spiritual master, the disciple is gradually elevated
- Straightforwardness in Ordinary Dealings. There is a statement in the Padma Purana, "Persons who are engaged in Krsna consciousness should never be disturbed by some material gain or loss"
- Such persons (sahajiyas) are simply creating disturbances in the discharge of devotional service
T
- The answer is that it was the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to end the violence which was then being committed in the name of the Vedas
- The attitude of the disciple should always be to satisfy the bona fide spiritual master. Then it will be very easy for him to understand spiritual knowledge
- The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Krsna
- The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly
- The Buddhists or other religionists who do not care for revealed scriptures sometimes say that there are many devotees of Lord Buddha who show devotional service to Lord Buddha, and who therefore should be considered devotees
- The mayavadis (impersonalists) say that one can worship any form of the Lord and that it doesn't matter because one reaches the same destination anyway
- The one point is that without increasing the number of disciples, there is no propagation of the cult of Krsna consciousness
- The purport is that every conditioned soul is always absorbed in thinking of materialistic activities
- The purport is that one should not neglect following the principles of devotional service, nor should one accept the rulings of devotional service which are more than what he can easily perform
- The real reason for observing fasting on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service
- The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words. Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world
- The so-called religionists were falsely using the Vedas to justify such violent acts as meat-eating, and Lord Buddha came to lead the fallen people away from such a false interpretation of the Vedas
- The waters of the Ganges are always carrying the flavor of tulasi offered at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, and as such the waters of the Ganges are ever flowing, spreading the glories of Lord Krsna
- Then He (Lord Caitanya) explained that there are two kinds of nondevotees: one class is against the supremacy of Krsna, and another class is too materialistic
- There is sometimes agitation against cruelty to animals, but at the same time regular slaughterhouses are always maintained. A Vaisnava is not like that. A Vaisnava can never support animal slaughter or even give pain to any living entity
- This is confirmed in every scripture, and a disciple should accept the spiritual master as such
- This is confirmed in the Vedas, and it will be further explained by Rupa Gosvami that, for a person who has unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master, everything becomes revealed very easily
- Those who do not strictly follow the principles of revealed scriptures are generally called sahajiya, those who have imagined everything to be cheap, and who have their own concocted ideas, and who do not follow the scriptural injunctions
- To Accept Initiation from the Spiritual Master and Receive Instructions from Him
- To Accept Only What is Necessary. In the Naradiya Purana it is directed, "One should not accept more than necessary if he is serious about discharging devotional service"
- To Follow in the Footsteps of Saintly Persons
- To Give Up the Company of Nondevotees. Lord Caitanya was once asked by one of His householder devotees what the general behavior of a Vaisnava should be
- To Offer Respect to the Banyan Trees. In the Skanda Purana it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasi plant and amalaka trees
- To Serve the Spiritual Master with Faith and Confidence
- To study the Vedas means to come to the conclusion of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore any religious principle which denies the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead is not accepted and is called atheism
U
W
- When there was a meeting of great sages at Naimisaranya, Suta Gosvami was reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the importance of the Ganges was stated
- Wherever the waters of the Ganges are flowing, all will be sanctified, both externally and internally
- Within the heart of a person who is overpowered by lamentation or anger, there is no possibility of Krsna's being manifested