The Bliss Of Krishna Consciousness

The source of income maintains us? CC Madhya 24.257 Purport The source of our income is not actually the source of our maintenance. Every living being — from the great Brahmā down to an insignificant ant — is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. The one Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains everyone. Our so-called source of income is our own choice only. If I wish to be a hunter, it will appear that hunting is the source of my maintenance. If I become a brāhmaṇa and completely depend on Kṛṣṇa, I do not conduct a business, but nonetheless my maintenance is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. The hunter was disturbed about breaking his bow because he was worried about his income. Nārada Muni assured the hunter because he knew that the hunter was not being maintained by the bow but by Kṛṣṇa. Being the agent of Kṛṣṇa, Nārada Muni knew very well that the hunter would not suffer by breaking the bow. There was no doubt that Kṛṣṇa would supply him food.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico , February 14, 1975: Girl devotee: (translating from Spanish) He wants to know exactly what is the form of the body. If spirit soul is nonmaterial, what is the form? Prabhupāda: There is form. Just like this body is compared with the dress. Now, just like in your present material form you have got hand; therefore your coat has got hand. If you have got... You have got leg; therefore your pant has got leg. Therefore it is to be assumed that the spirit soul has got form, and it has developed into hands, legs, heads, everything. It is not formless; it has got form. But with our material eyes at the present, gross eyes, we cannot find it; therefore we say it has no form.

Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Nairobi, October 28, 1975 Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, if we think about our spiritual master, is that as good as thinking about Kṛṣṇa? Prabhupāda: Hmm? Devotee (2): If we think about our spiritual master, is that as good as thinking of Kṛṣṇa? Prabhupāda: Yes, because it is said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: "If you can please your guru, then you please Kṛṣṇa." So if you make always this plan, "How to please my guru," then you'll please Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that if one thinks in the time of death, if he thinks of Kṛṣṇa, he goes to Kṛṣṇa. What if one thinks of his spiritual master? Prabhupāda: He will go to Kṛṣṇa, because spiritual master is also going to Kṛṣṇa.

*Krsna consciousness is the Topmost* BG 6.46: A yogī is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogī. BG 6.47: And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me — he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion. SB 11.26.30: What more remains to be accomplished for the perfect devotee after achieving devotional service unto Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth, whose qualities are innumerable and who am the embodiment of all ecstatic experience? CC Madhya 8.72: "'A man becomes purified simply by hearing the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet create the holy places of pilgrimage. Therefore what remains to be attained by those who have become His servants?' "[When he was being blessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Mahārāja said:] 'O my Lord, because I was seeking an opulent material position, I was performing severe types of penance and austerity. Now I have gotten You, who are very difficult for the great demigods, saintly persons and kings to attain. I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I do not wish to ask any benediction from You.'CC Madhya 22.42'

*Topic*-''Not possible to love Krsna perfectly, to render service to Krsna, because He is unlimited.''..........                                                                                                  Prabhupada: Never think that service is perfect. That will keep you in the perfect stage. Yes. We should always think that our service is not complete. Yes. That is very nice. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that... He said that: "My dear friends, please take it from Me that I have not a pinch of faith in Krsna. If you say that why I am crying, the answer is that just to make a show that I am great devotee. Actually, I have not a pinch of love for Krsna. This crying is simply My show, makeshow." "Why You are saying so?" "Now, the thing is that I am still living without seeing Krsna. That means I have no love for Krsna. I am still living. I should have died long ago without seeing Krsna." So we should think like that. That is the example. However perfect you may be in serving Krsna, you should always know that... Krsna is unlimited, so your service cannot reach Him perfectly. It will ever remain imperfect because we are limited. But Krsna is so kind. If you offer a little service sincerely, He accepts. That is the beauty of Krsna. And if Krsna accepts a little service from you, then your life is glorious. So it is not possible to love Krsna perfectly, to render service to Krsna, because He is unlimited.>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- September 27, 1968, Seattle

Question: What is the Real Test of an Advanced Devotee in Krsna Consciousness? Prabhupada: "This time I have passed, what I have done for Krsna?" This is character of advancement: "What I have done for Krsna? What I have done for my Guru Maharaja?" If in this way we lead our life, that is perfect. That is perfect. "Guru Maharaja has entrusted me with this business. How far I have done this?" that is perfect. So if you don't care for your Guru Maharaja, don't care for Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and you do whimsically what you like, that is not progress. That is degradation. The advanced devotee will feel like this: "How I shall live in a temple or in a place like Vrndavana and Mathura,?" Priti means love -- to live there, where Krsna's devotee is there, Krsna is there, Krsna's temple is there. Not in the railway station.  Always hankering after "How I can chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra?" To scrutinizely seeing whether I have wasted my time without Krsna consciousness. These things are the symptoms of advanced devotee. You cannot say, "Oh, he's advanced." What he's doing for Krsna? First of all think, "He's advanced devotee; that is all right. But what is he doing for his guru? What is he doing for Krsna?" That is a test. If somebody is doing something whimsically, he is not advanced devotee. He may speak all nonsense, but that is not advancement. You have to see practically: what he's doing for Krsna,what is he's doing for his spiritual master. Madhya 19.151 “According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” Room Conversation – January 30, 1974, Tokyo