It cannot be purchased by any amount of wealth or with any worldly matter. It can only be collected by chanting the name of God. If anyone is chanting and remembering and praying for His mercy, then that love and affection for that transcendental God can come…
Srila Gurudeva: Why should we do kirtana? Why? Why? Kirtana is a process, but not only a process. If you are doing kirtana in a melodious tune and everybody is singing and praising you, “Very good, very good,” if it is only to collect honor for oneself, then the power of kirtana goes away. We should not do kirtana for any selfish reasons, especially for making money. We should especially not do kirtana to gather all kinds of honor from the audience. We should not do this. We should try to know the meaning of kirtana. Gauranga bolite ha’be pulaka sarira: “O Krsna, O Gurudeva, O Vaisnava Thakura, I want to weep when I am chanting your name.” But we are not weeping. Then what to do? Gauranga bolite ha’be pulaka sarira hari hari bolite nayane babe nira: “When I will chant, my heart will be melted. Tears will be coming, hair will be standing on end and our throat will be choked…
They may tell you, “Oh you are Lalita, I am Lalita,” but this is like mayavada and monism. Don’t go there. Don’t try to enter into these things artificially. Don’t imitate. Come in the process of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. That process is elaborately explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that in the near future, hundreds and thousands of western devotees will come with sikha and tulsi mala, and they will meet with Indian devotees, and they will chant, “Haribol, Haribol, Gaura Premanande.”
Sprigs of new leaves adorn His body, and around His neck is an enchanting forest-flower garland of five colors. Dressed in this way, He appears as a fresh, youthful, expert dancer. He rests one hand upon His sakha’s shoulder and with the other He twirls a pastime lotus. His ears are decorated with earrings (kundalas), curly locks of hair splash against His cheeks, and His lotus face blossoms with a gentle smile…
…In the same way that a touchstone turns anything it touches into gold, the sadhaka becomes purified by the association of high-class Vaisnavas. But we also must be cautious, if we do not know how to approach a maha-bhagavata and behave in his association, then we will not receive his blessings and mercy. Therefore Mahaprabhu taught us this third verse, instructing us to become humble, tolerant, and respectful…
To regard oneself as a guru of Vaiṣṇavas is an impediment to one’s humility. Those who do not listen to the instructions of Śikṣāṣṭaka set forth by Śrī Gaurasundara, who are forgetful of their actual spiritual identity, who are greedy for prestige and material gain and who are thus anxious to obtain the status of Vaiṣṇava or guru to satisfy their senses, can never chant the holy name of the Lord. A disciple who has faith in the kīrtana performances of such persons also cannot obtain qualification for hearing the holy name…
The guru instructed his disciple, “You should continue being the gatekeeper for another six months, but you should offer everything that comes to me and I will offer to Bhagavān. Then you will be protected from the effects of the honor of others.” Six months later, he was tṛṇād-api-sunīcena and amāninā mānadena as the result; he offered respect to everyone without expecting their respects in return. Then kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, one is able to chant the holy name continuously. If one thinks himself to be a great scholar or ācārya, and does not offer respect to others, then kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ is not possible. Only when the sādhaka is tṛṇād-api-sunīcena, taror-api-sahiṣṇunā, and amāninā mānadena, is it possible to perform kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ…
After taking some breakfast from their mothers, they leave for the forest and remain there until around three o’clock in the afternoon, when they return home. They stay with Kṛṣṇa in the forests and gardens everyday for approximately six hours. They have great fun with Kṛṣṇa, but also, endure many difficult and dangerous circumstances. Many demons attack them in the forest. The sakhās have deep faith in Kṛṣṇa, so they never fear anything. For example, they did not get disturbed when they went inside the mouth of Aghasura…
What should the sādhaka do if a faulty and duplicitous person cheats and disturbs him? Should he contemplate about his wicked character day and night? No, by doing this, that person will never change. On the other hand, if you do kṛṣṇa-kīrtana and that person thinks about you, then his nature will automatically change. But if you think about that person, then his bad qualities will come to you. As a consequence, that person will not only remain the same, but you will also become contaminated. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that we should develop kṣamā guṇa, the mood of forgiveness…