Spiritual qualities (Lectures and Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"spiritual qualities"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Just like a lamp is extinguished. You can burn it immediately with a real matches, not false. You can burn it. The capacity is there. Similarly, our spiritual qualities are there already. It is permanent.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:

We fall down, we, because we are very small, spiritual sparks, and Kṛṣṇa is the whole fire. And the fire and the spiritual, fire, sparks from the fire, their quality—the same. They can burn. As the big fire can burn, similarly, the small spark, if it falls down on your cloth, that portion, it will immediately burn. It will become back, black. So the quality is the same. But when it falls down, it's burning quality becomes extinguished. We have got practical experience. Burning quality becomes extinguished. So when we fall down from the spiritual world, we come to the material world, our spiritual quality becomes extinguished. That we have to revive. That we have to revive.

That is stated by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagava...,

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā

man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ

bahavo jñāna-tapasā

pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

(BG 4.10)

When we become purified, again we revive our spiritual quality, then mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ: "Then he comes back to My nature." That is back to home. This is the process. It is not very difficult because Kṛṣṇa says, bahavaḥ: "many." "Many" means it is not difficult. Not that... Because we, by nature, we are spiritual, simply extinguished... Just like a lamp is extinguished. You can burn it immediately with a real matches, not false. You can burn it. The capacity is there. Similarly, our spiritual qualities are there already. It is permanent. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That Brahman quality is already there. It is not to be attained. Simply this non-Brahman covering has to be removed.

Kṛṣṇa is nirguṇa means, He is not controlled by the material qualities, but He has got innumerable spiritual qualities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

Acyutānanda: You said that Lord Kṛṣṇa has many opulences, but in Chapter Thirteen verse fifteen he says that He is nirguṇa. How to reconcile this statement?

Prabhupāda: What did, does He mean by nirguṇa? That let him explain first of all. What is nirguṇa? What does he mean by nirguṇa? Nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca. He is, Kṛṣṇa is described, nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca. He is nirguṇa, at the same time enjoyer of guṇas. What is that enjoyer of guṇa and nirguṇa? Can you explain? Nirguṇa means one who does not live under the condition of material guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Transcendental. That is called nirguṇa. But nirguṇa does not mean that He has no transcendental qualities. Just like Kṛṣṇa is bhakta-vatsala. That is His guṇa, but that is not material guṇa. That is spiritual guṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nirguṇa means, He is not controlled by the material qualities, but He has got innumerable spiritual qualities. That is called guṇavati. So unless we understand the distinction between matter and spirit, we cannot understand what is the meaning of nirguṇa. That is not possible.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

These material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual qualities. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual qualities. No. That is another.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

Because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with the goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire. From the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality... Satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). When you are put into that..., the dry grass... Although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses, or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities. Don't think that if one is... One man is very truthful; that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual qualities. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual qualities. No. That is another.

Philosophy Discussions

We create Ganges water. As soon as it is touched with Kṛṣṇa, it is Ganges water.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, He makes the difference between Ganges water and ordinary water. Because we are giving Ganges water important, but because it is coming out, flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa. So, as soon as the other water, it is offered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then how it becomes other water? It becomes Ganges water. The one who hasn't got to see, by touching to the lotus feet, this Ganges water will form. So any water when it is touched in Kṛṣṇa's feet, it is Ganges water.

Pradyumna: You write in Bhagavad-gītā that by using something in Kṛṣṇa's service it regains it's spiritual qualities.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it. We have to see how you can becomes Ganges water. Why you give importance to the Ganges water? Because it is flowing from the toe of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. So anything comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, it will be Ganges water. Just like we are offering water, generally in India the Ganges water is used for worshiping. Then the worshiping of Kṛṣṇa will stop here in America? Does it mean so? We create Ganges water. As soon as it is touched with Kṛṣṇa, it is Ganges water.

In this way, that One has got all spiritual qualities in fullness; we have got spiritual qualities in minute quantity. That is our constitutional position.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: The One is Vedic conception, ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti, Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth, advaya-jñāna. So this is our philosophy, that these living entities, soul, they are of the same quality as the one Supreme, but they are fragmental parts, emanation from Him. He has got the same intelligence, same mind, but limited jurisdiction. God is... That One is omnipresent, but we are not omnipresent, but we are present. Omniscient; but we are not omniscient, but we are (sic:) sentient, not that dull matter. In this way, that One has got all spiritual qualities in fullness; we have got spiritual qualities in minute quantity. That is our constitutional position. But we are like sparks, and the Supreme One is like big fire. When we leave the association of the big fire, as sparks we become extinguished, means our illumination stops. That is called māyā, māyā andhakāra, darkness. That we can revive also, again be put with the One and revive our illuminating power, spiritual power, and live with the Supreme One peacefully, eternal life of bliss.

Purports to Songs

The spiritual master has received something which is auspicious for all the human kind. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry.

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

We should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He blesses his next disciple, just like Brahmā. Brahmā blesses his next disciple, just like Nārada. Nārada blesses his next disciple, just like Vyāsa. Vyāsa blesses his next disciple, Mādhvācārya. Similarly, the blessing is coming. Just like royal succession—the throne is inherited by disciplic or hereditary succession—similarly, this power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to receive. Nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master, without obtaining power from the right source. Therefore the very word, it is stated here, prāptasya. Prāptasya means "one who has obtained." Prāptasya kalyāṇa. What he has obtained? Kalyāṇa. Kalyāṇa means auspicity. He has received something which is auspicious for all the human kind. Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Here is another example. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is nice rhethorics and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives his potency from the ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of spiritual quality, that is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

If we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must develop our dormant spiritual qualities, and that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Interview -- July 5, 1972, New York:

Prabhupāda: This body you have to give up, today or tomorrow or one hundred years after. You have to give it up. The Bhagavad-gītā says after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), after giving up this body he does not accept any more material body. Then what happens to him? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), he comes to Me. So "He comes to Me" means just like in your country one who comes to you becomes citizen. He must have some particular qualities or conditions fulfilled, then he will be accepted as citizen or immigrant. Similarly, if we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must develop our dormant spiritual qualities, and that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the training period for going back to home, back to Godhead. So that after giving up this body or after this time's death, others who are dying they do not know what next life they are getting. They, although they are proud of education, but they do not discuss what is the constitutional position of the soul, how he is transferring from one body to another, how it is to be done. This science is unknown to the modern education. Is it not? They do not know. They simply speculate. That is the defect of modern educational system, and actually everyone is seeking for spiritual emancipation. Therefore in your country, in spite of so many big, big universities, you are producing hippies, hopeless population. Am I saying right or not? Your are university teacher. I have seen in so many universities.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Those who are on the speculative platform, they cannot have their spiritual qualities.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Unless one is rogue, he would not like it. (laughs) Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā

mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

(SB 5.18.12)

These are the śāstra... Mano-rathena. Those who are on the speculative platform, they cannot have their spiritual qualities. It is a... To the modern world it is a novel idea. It is not idea; this is original qualification. Part and parcel of God, it must be godlike. Gold is gold, maybe a small particle. Similarly, living entity, part and parcel of God, so it is God undoubtedly—in a small particle. But that is sufficient for his perfection. They are being misled other ways, in the wrong side. So who will not like it unless he's a rogue. Huh?