You think, ‘What is the use of wearing tilaka? I can chant within my mind, so what need is there of beads? One’s diet has nothing to do at all with bhajana. So don’t think that you have to give up eating meat, fish or eggs. Don’t think that you must stop drinking wine or tea and taking intoxicants such as pana, tobacco, marijuana, hemp or opium…’
1. When everyone abandons me, it is Krishna’s mercy. Then I can be one-pointed.
2. Śraddhā is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Krishna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service…
“The mahā-bhāgavata is more humble than the grass in the street. He thinks he is the most insignificant person in the world. He does not think, ‘I have played the role of servant long enough; it’s no fun any more. I need to be guru now…’
“Those who identify themselves as disciples cannot defend their identity as “disciple” or guru-dasa if they live whimsically in transgression of the standards of discipline established by sad-guru and the Vaishnavas, or if they abandon fulfilling the heart’s desire (mano’bhista-seva) of Sri Gurudeva and thereafter seek shelter in personal sense-gratification on the pretext of doing seva and puja (ceremonial worship)…
To the extent that I fail to take complete shelter of śrī gurudeva, or that I present myself before him with duplicity or disobey him, I am actually cheating myself. It is important to contemplate such things. Otherwise we will not find much benefit despite outwardly taking shelter of the lotus feet of śrīla gurudeva…
The Supreme Lord has not said, “You go and make your own samsara.” Rather, Krishna has said, “Go there and do My samsara.” So by Krishna’s desire, Gurudeva has come here and opened Krishna’s samsara. Krishna is his eternal master, nitya-svami. Gurudeva has completely surrendered and dedicated his life, kaya, mana, vakya: body, mind and words, to Krishna. That is Gurudeva…
“I never believed in computers and tape recorders; they can cheat us. I always used my heart…”
“Real independence means complete faith in the mercy of the Lord without dependence on the conditions of matter…”
Someone may donate one rupee and say, “Brother, take my picture!” While garlanding someone, a person may say, “O brother, take my photograph when I garland him.” Krishna is not like mundane donors. He bestows mercy on everyone while remaining concealed from everyone’s eyes…