Shrila Prabhupada - Prasadam = Renunciation

H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The devotee very easily achieves renunciation simply by taking the sanctified food that has been offered to the Lord. He doesn't engage in artificial austerity of fasting - the tongue is controlled simply by only taking prasadam.

Paraphrased from Nectar of Devotion.

KC Nectar:
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Jayadvaita Swami - Computer controller

H.H. Jayadvaita Swami

'The computer is an invitation to illusion. The Vedic sages say the main illusions we get hooked on are two: “I am the enjoyer” and “I am the controller.” And for being the controller, the computer is great. You give it instructions, commands. You figure out how to make it do things. You point and click. And soon, as with the television, as with the car, you think you’ve got a computer, but in fact the computer has you.

Computers are great—like everything material, we can use them for Krishna. Then they have spiritual value. But as with everything material, we should use them with constant mindfulness of Krishna, or we’ll end up used by Maya. We need to stay focused undistractedly on Krishna, the ultimate goal of life. At the end of life, our computer won’t save us. Krishna will.'

http://www.jswami.info/computer

Shrila Prabhupada - When enthusiasm dies down, just sit and chant

H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

"Something has dropped in the water, in the river. You cannot see the things dropped within the water by agitating the water. Just stand still for some time. As soon as the water is settled up, you will see the things as they are. So as soon as our enthusiasm is agitated, it is better to sit down in any temple suitable and chant Hare Krishna. There is no question of being disappointed. After all, we commit so many mistakes. That is human nature. To err is human. That is not fault. But try to rectify with cool head."

Lord Brahma - The Aroma of Lord Krishna's Lotus Feet

Lord Brahma

'O my Lord, persons who smell the aroma of Your lotus feet, carried by the air of Vedic sound through the holes of the ears, accept Your devotional service. For them You are never separated from the lotus of their hearts.'

Shrimad Bhagavatam 3.9.5.

KC Nectar:
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Radhanath Swami - Surrender or be Destroyed!

H.H. Radhanath Swami

'Sometimes, the transcendental anger of the Lord is invoked just like in the Ramayana. When Lord Rama humbly requested the deity of the Ocean to make a path for Him to get to Lanka, he didn't respond. This is just like all of us. The Lord is simply requesting that we surrender to His lotus feet, but still we think we are unable to, because we have too many responsibilities, family, work etc. Similarly, just imagine how many responsibilities the Ocean Deity has. He's responsible for billions of living entities that live in the ocean, but still his reasons were insufficient. So after a long, long time, the Ocean Deity failed to respond to Lord Rama, and this invoked His transcendental anger. With his bow, He threatened the Ocean to make a path or be destroyed. Of course, the anger of the Lord is so powerful that the entire ocean was heated up. So finally the Ocean Deity humbled himself before Lord Ramachandra and surrendered to Him. Our choice is similarly simple - 'Surrender or be destroyed'. Unfortunately, over millions of lives we have kept choosing the option to be destroyed, which is why we have repeatedly gone on experiencing destruction in the form of repeated birth and death. We simply have to make that right decision to surrender.'

Paraphrased from a lecture.

KC Nectar:
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Shrila Prabhupada - No Sincere Prayers Go In Vain

H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

"Regarding your questions, are the Spiritual Master and the Grand Spiritual Master consciously aware of the prayers of a sincere devotee who prays in love to Them? The answer is that no conscious prayers go in vain. They are transmitted positively. Any prayer you offer to your Spiritual Master and Superior Spiritual Master is conveyed to Krishna. No sincere prayers go in vain.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami"

[Letter to Mahananda, Los Angeles, April 26, 1970]

Shri Narsimha Stuti - Narsimha pulverises the chest of Hiranyakashipu

udaya ravi sahasra dyotitam ruksa viksam

pralaya jaladhi nadam kalpa krd vahni vaktram

sura pati ripu vaksah ksoda rakta ksitangam

pranata bhaya haram tam nrsimham namami

"Lord Nrsimhadeva's countenance is as brilliantly illuminated as thousands of suns rising together. He vibrates a roaring sound like that of the waters of the ocean of universal devastation, as if He Himself is prepared to create a new era by destroying the universe. His face is like fire, and His body is spattered with drops of blood as He pulverizes the chest of the enemy of Indra. Unto that Lord Nrsimhadeva, who removes the fear of the surrendered, I offer my obeisances."

[Shri Narsimha Stuti, Verse 1]

Navina Krishna dasa - Try something ambitious for Krishna's pleasure

H.G. Navina Krishna dasa

'So the danger is we don't want to end up with a boring life of just working 9 to 5, and going to the Manor on Sunday. We should really be trying to achieve something for Krishna. You've all heard of those obsessed scientists who spend night and day performing experiments and analysing and theorising to the greatest details. Similarly, to be Krishna Conscious means we should be absorbed night and day in thoughts of how to serve Krishna in the best possible way. Just imagine that after we leave this body we have to meet Prabhupada. What will we tell him when he asks us what have we done for Krishna? To try something ambitious for Krishna is not gambling - it's just like investing in the stock market. For those who have studied and know everything about the markets and companies etc, it is not a risk to put large sums of money into the stock market, but for those who invest without knowing anything, it is gambling. Similarly, if we know our strengths and weaknesses and make an ambitious plan to execute for Krishna's pleasure it is not gambling.'

Paraphrased from a lecture.

KC Nectar:
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Krishna - The Original Ancestor

I saw an article in the Guardian about how so many celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg are paying genetic scientists to track down their DNA so they can find their ancestral roots e.g. location in Africa and what kind of work and trade their ancestors were engaged in. People have a pride in knowing what their origin is, what is their heritage and where they come from because it gives meaning to their existence. This is probably a perverted reflection of our desire to return to where we ultimately came from (the spritual world) and our desire to develop a relationship with our ultimate ancestor (Krishna). Luckily we don't need any genetic scientist, because Shrila Prabhupada has given us this information in all his transcendental books. Shrila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Nectarean KC Gems of Wisdom:
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Radhanath Swami - Compassion of Prabhupada

H.H. Radhanath Swami

'I remember one time Shrila Prabhupada came to visit our temple and all the devotees were performing Guru-puja to Prabhupada. So Prabhupada was sitting there and he noticed one of his disciples limping. Even while the Guru-puja was going on, Prabhupada called him and asked the disciple what was wrong. The disciple told him about how he had injured his foot. Prabhupada was so concerned, he asked "why haven't you got treatment for it, why haven't you seen the doctor? If you have no money to see doctor, I'll pay for you, but you must look after your health." That's what it means to be a spiritual master. Even while all his disciples were glorifying him, Prabhupada was only concerned with looking after his disciples, making sure they were not experiencing difficulties in their spiritual life, which included their physical health.'

Paraphrased from a Vyasa-puja lecture.

Nectarean KC Gems of Wisdom:
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Shrila Prabhupada - Mathura and Vrindavana

H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

'Shrila Rupa Gosvami has described Mathura-mandala: "I remember the Lord standing by the banks of the Yamuna River, so beautiful amid the kadamba trees, where many birds are chirping in the gardens. And these impressions are always giving me transcendental realization of beauty and bliss." This feeling about Mathura-mandala and Vrindavana described by Rupa Gosvami can actually be felt even by nondevotees. The places in the eighty-four-square-mile district of Mathura are so beautifully situated on the banks of the River Yamuna that anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world. These statements by Rupa Gosvami are factually realized descriptions of Mathura and Vrindavana. All these qualities prove that Mathura and Vrindavana are situated transcendentally. Otherwise, there would be no possibility of invoking our transcendental sentiments in these places. Such transcendental feelings are aroused immediately and without fail after one arrives in Mathura or Vrindavana.'

Nectar of Devotion.
Chapter 13.
Nectarean KC Gems of Wisdom:
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Bhakti Charu Swami - ISKCON: Society of Pure Devotees

H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami

'Shrila Prabhupada once said that all devotees in ISKCON are pure devotees. One may question how this can be so, especially when there are so many new devotees in ISKCON, how can they all be considered pure devotees? But Prabhupada explained that it was just time that was separating them from becoming pure. There is the analogy of the mango which is raw. As long as it stays on the tree, it will inevitably become ripe. Similarly, so long as the devotee remains in association with other devotees in ISKCON, he will eventually become fully purified.'

Paraphrased from a question and answer session.
ISKCON Pandava Sena Retreat, Simhachalam Temple, Jandelsbrunn, Germany, August 2005.
Nectarean KC Gems of Wisdom:
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Gauranga Prabhu - Material Body = Inevitable Miseries

H.G. Gauranga prabhu, ISKCON Chowpatty Temple Vice-President

'We never promise in Krishna Consciousness that miseries will disappear. In Bollywood films, you'll probably be aware of the common scene, where the close relative of the hero dies, and he goes in the temple, rings the bell 'ding' and accuses God 'Kyun kiya tune ye Bhagvan?!' (Why did you do this God?). And then whenever the hero beats up the villains, suddenly all the credit goes to him and not God! Similarly, even after surrendering to Krishna, Arjuna had to face so many miseries, his five sons were mercilessly slaughtered by Ashvattama. He could have accused Krishna "Ek ghanta lecture diya! "Me yeh hoo, Me vo hoo, behold My universal form", Aur mere bete ko maar diya! (You gave me an hour-long lecture, said "I am this, I am that, behold my universal form" - and then you killed my sons!)."

He could have questioned "Why did I surrender to You?" But this is the reality. Becoming a devotee of God doesn't remove the external miseries, because as long as we are in material body, there will be miseries. What it does teach us is to tolerate such miseries and focus on the higher goal - our future eternal life after the death of this body.'

Paraphrased from a lecture entitled 'Mission Impossible'.
Mehul prabhu's House Program, Forest Gate, London, 16th February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Govinda dasa - Practical Humility

H.G. Govinda dasa, ISKCON Chowpatty Temple President

'As you probably know in India, the bus-drivers are quite ruthless in their driving. One time one such driver was driving so fast along one of the low-quality roads where there were pot holes and the entire bus shook, people falling out of their seats. At this point the passengers were ready to shout and curse at the driver. But then the most amazing thing happened. The bus driver stopped the bus, got up from his seat and with a prayer gesture sincerely asked for the passengers' forgiveness. And suddenly those same passengers that were angry became content - this shows how practical humility is.'

Paraphrased from a Shrimad-Bhagavatam class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, 16th February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Julian Baggini - "It's a free country"

Julian Baggini, editor of the Philosophers' Magazine

'So we all saw the hunters protesting against the ban on fox-hunting. Does the fact that Britain is a free country help the pro-hunt case at all? Not at all. We are not free to do all sorts of things that cause harm to people, animals and even the environment. Indeed, among those who defend hunting on the basis that they are free to do as they will, you can be sure there are those who oppose abortion, and would be unimpressed by a woman asserting that she can do what she wants with her foetus, since it’s a free country. In both cases, the appeal to our freedom is a red herring, since the crux of the issue is whether we are causing unjustifiable harm. If we are, it is perfectly acceptable for a free country to make the causing of such harm illegal.

The most saying “it’s a free country” can do is draw our attention to the presumption of liberal societies that we should be allowed to do what we want unless it harms others. But that “unless” is crucial. When the causing of harm is the issue – to our security, animal welfare or that of the unborn child – the focus of the debate must shift, and the free nature of the nation loses relevance.'

From an article entitled "Bad Moves: It's a free country".
17th September 2004.
Nectarean KC Gems of Wisdom:
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Govinda dasa - "Dharma" without God = Adharma

H.G. Govinda dasa, ISKCON Chowpatty Temple President

'You can gain a lot of material benefit in terms of opulence from performing your dharma or duty properly. However, in the first canto of the Shrimad-Bhagavatam, it is described that if you do not utilise such benefits in the service of God, those same benefits become adharmic (against duty), and hence they will inevitably be taken away by kala (time).'

Paraphrased from a Shrimad-Bhagavatam class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, 16th February 2006.http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Govinda dasa - Success depends on Blessings

H.G. Govinda dasa, ISKCON Chowpatty Temple President

'When Arjuna was perplexed on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, he made many good arguments regarding the principle of preventing the proliferation of unwanted children in society, non-violence and the value of renunciation. However, no matter what we think regarding certain principles of dharma and duty, in the end nothing can be successful without the blessings of higher authorities. The highest authority is Krishna and He wanted Arjuna to fight, therefore Arjuna fought the war and was successful. Similarly, we often think we know what is best for ourselves, but ultimately we have to obey some authority, since they bestow the blessings. When we were young, the authority was the parents. Similarly the authority of the spiritual master and Krishna is higher than our own considerations of what is the best thing to do.'

Paraphrased from a Shrimad-Bhagavatam class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, 16th February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Govinda dasa - Piety leads to power

H.G. Govinda dasa, ISKCON Chowpatty Temple President

'The example of Bali Maharaja shows how material power can be achieved through the pious credits attained from the good treatment and protection of brahmanas, cows, women, children and the elderly. Unfortunately, today's ambitious people do not know this fact, and thus they wrongly think they will get lasting power through exploitation and ruthlessness.'

Paraphrased from a Shrimad-Bhagavatam class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, 16th February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Akrura prabhu - Even the leaders are servants

H.G. Akrura prabhu

'The idea that anybody can manage people will never work, because people never like to be managed. In fact, it can develop the consciousness of exploitation or "the controller" amongst the authorities or the manager. Rather than manage people, authorities should seek to lead people. Within any institution, if the leaders are looking to bring the best out of all their members, it will be successful. Similarly, the temple leaders should seek to serve all the devotees by bringing the best out of them. Even if one is in a position of authority, the consciousness that "I am simply a servant, an instrument in Lord Chaitanya's mission" should be carefully maintained, in order to ensure the false ego is defeated and humility is developed.'

Paraphrased from a Chaitanya Charitamrita class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Akrura prabhu - Artificial Humility is better than being Spontaneously Offensive!

H.G. Akrura prabhu

'We must not accept the propaganda and preaching of our mind. The mind will tell us "Just wait, you will show everyone that you are the most qualified devotee and all others are unworthy." The mind says like this. It is so difficult to control, that we should beat our mind into submission to the Supersoul on a daily basis, by attentively chanting. But how to control? How to become humble? It seems the mind makes us spontaneously offensive. Which is why we should offer all respects to the devotees. For example, in the queue for prasadam, "Prabhuji, please you go first".

'Even if we are not at all sincere - it is better to be artificially humble than spontaneously offensive!'

Paraphrased from a Chaitanya Charitamrita class.
ISKCON Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho St, London, February 2006.
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Navina Krishna dasa - Wise Investment (Part 2)

H.G. Navina Krishna Dasa

'You can have one foot in material life and one in spiritual life if you want. In fact, most religion nowadays is just that, most people don't want to give up enjoyment of material life. But if you choose such a path, don't complain when you don't experience the full benefits of Krishna Consciousness. An analogy is when you have a choice on how much money to invest in something. Let's say if you invest £1, you get £10 back, but if you invest £10, you get a £1000 back. If you choose to only put in £1, you can't complain when you only receive £10 back!'

Paraphrased from a lecture entitled "Faith and Doubt"
House Program, Barnet, London, February 2006.

Navina Krishna dasa - Wise Investment

H.G. Navina Krishna Dasa

'For someone new to Krishna Consciousness, it is not that he has to straight away put all his faith in the process and "risk" everything. An analogy is investing money. It is not that one invests all his money straight away. One can see how much is being returned from even the smallest investment, and then we build up our faith and invest more money. In the same way, we can invest a little time to practice the chanting and when we see the result, it builds our faith so we can invest more.'

Paraphrased from a lecture entitled "Faith and Doubt"

House Program, Barnet, London, February 2006.

http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/

Sachinandana Swami - Spiritual Nourishment

"Spiritual Nourishment"
H.H. Sachinandana Swami

'Shortly before his disappearance, Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja appeared to me in a dream and gave me an amazing instruction. He told me that there are two dogs in the heart. One is striving for spiritual progress and the other is striving for materialistic sense-gratification. He asked me a poignant question, "Which one will win?" I could not answer. After a long pause, Maharaja replied, "The dog that you feed". In this way if we nourish our spiritual side with association, chanting and reading transcendental literature, we can ensure that the spiritual self rises above the material false ego.'

Paraphrased from a lecture entitled "The Divided Self"
ISKCON Pandava Sena Retreat, Simhachalam, Jandelsbrunn, Germany, August 2005.

Hi!

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Shrila Prabhupada!

Just thought that whenever I heard any inspirational quote, I would post it here for the benefit of anybody trying to practice spirituality. I am trying to practice the faith of Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as Hare Krishna), which is a non-sectarian philosophy espousing loving devotional service to God, via the chanting of His Holy Names, whether one calls Him Allah, Krishna or Jehovah.

I am in my final year at the London School of Economics and aiming to become more sincere in service to Krishna. I pray to all the devotees that I may one day be engaged in service without any alterior motives.

Your aspiring servant,
Nimesh

P.S. For more info on Krishna Consciousness, please visit:

www.iskcon.com
www.psena.com
www.krishnatemple.com