View source for Spiritual advancement (CC and other books)

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[[Category:Spiritual Advancement|1]]
[[Category:Compilations from Books]]
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<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" class="section" sec_index="2" parent="compilation" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
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<div id="CC_Adi-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Adi-lila"><h3>CC Adi-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCAdi713_1" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="963" link="CC Adi 7.13" link_text="CC Adi 7.13">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 7.13|CC Adi 7.13, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Although the Gosvāmī title has become a hereditary designation for unscrupulous men, actually the title Gosāñi, or Gosvāmī, began from Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who presented himself as an ordinary gṛhastha and minister in government service but became a gosvāmī when he was actually elevated by the instruction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore Gosvāmī is not a hereditary title but refers to one's qualifications. When one is highly elevated in spiritual advancement, regardless of wherefrom he comes, he may be called Gosvāmī.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi773_2" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1019" link="CC Adi 7.73" link_text="CC Adi 7.73">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 7.73|CC Adi 7.73, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">According to the Vedic principles, there are three stages of spiritual advancement, namely, sambandha-jñāna, abhidheya and prayojana. Sambandha-jñāna refers to establishing one's original relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, abhidheya refers to acting according to that constitutional relationship, and prayojana is the ultimate goal of life, which is to develop love of Godhead (premā pum-artho mahān).</p>
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<div id="CCAdi815_3" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1131" link="CC Adi 8.15" link_text="CC Adi 8.15">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 8.15|CC Adi 8.15, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, without neglecting the necessities of the body, imparted spiritual advancement to purify the existential condition of humanity. Therefore if a logician makes his judgment impartially, he will surely find that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the mahā-vadānyāvatāra, the most magnanimous incarnation. He is even more magnanimous than Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa demanded that one surrender unto Him, but He did not distribute love of Godhead as magnanimously as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi953_4" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1252" link="CC Adi 9.53" link_text="CC Adi 9.53">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 9.53|CC Adi 9.53, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Our method should be to convert such fools gradually by asking them to come and take prasādam and chant and dance with us. This should be our policy. Anyone who comes to join us, of course, must be sincere and serious regarding spiritual advancement in life; then such a person, simply by joining us, chanting with us, dancing with us and taking prasādam with us, will gradually also come to say that this movement is very good. But one who joins with an ulterior purpose, to get material benefit or personal gratification, will never be able to grasp the philosophy of this movement.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi1051_5" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1306" link="CC Adi 10.51" link_text="CC Adi 10.51">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 10.51|CC Adi 10.51, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Murāri Gupta could treat both bodily and spiritual disease because he was a physician by profession and a great devotee of the Lord in terms of spiritual advancement. This is an example of service to humanity.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi10152154_6" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1403" link="CC Adi 10.152-154" link_text="CC Adi 10.152-154">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 10.152-154|CC Adi 10.152-154, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in Bengal, Tapana Miśra approached Him to discuss spiritual advancement. Thus he was favored by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and received hari-nāma initiation. After that, by the order of the Lord, Tapana Miśra resided in Vārāṇasī, and when Lord Caitanya visited Vārāṇasī He would accept prasādam  at the home of Tapana Miśra.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi129_7" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1484" link="CC Adi 12.9" link_text="CC Adi 12.9">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 12.9|CC Adi 12.9, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">This verse describes the beginning of a schism. When disciples do not stick to the principle of accepting the order of their spiritual master, immediately there are two opinions. Any opinion different from the opinion of the spiritual master is useless. One cannot infiltrate materially concocted ideas into spiritual advancement. That is deviation. There is no scope for adjusting spiritual advancement to material ideas.</p>
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<div id="CCAdi16Summary_8" class="quote" parent="CC_Adi-lila" book="CC" index="1828" link="CC Adi 16 Summary" link_text="CC Adi 16 Summary">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Adi 16 Summary|CC Adi 16 Summary]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">During His kaiśora-līlā the Lord also sported in the water. He went to East Bengal to secure financial assistance, cultivate knowledge and introduce the saṅkīrtana movement, and there He met Tapana Miśra, whom He instructed about spiritual advancement and ordered to go to Vārāṇasī.</p>
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<div id="CC_Madhya-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Madhya-lila"><h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCMadhya763_0" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="1316" link="CC Madhya 7.63" link_text="CC Madhya 7.63">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.63|CC Madhya 7.63, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">In other words, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya informed Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that Rāmānanda Rāya, although belonging to the śūdra class, was a highly responsible government officer. As far as spiritual advancement is concerned, materialists, politicians and śūdras are generally disqualified. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya therefore requested that Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu not neglect Rāmānanda Rāya, who was highly advanced spiritually although he was born a śūdra and a materialist.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya7129_1" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="1382" link="CC Madhya 7.129" link_text="CC Madhya 7.129">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.129|CC Madhya 7.129, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further advised the brāhmaṇa Kūrma, "If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company."</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya8264_2" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="1667" link="CC Madhya 8.264" link_text="CC Madhya 8.264">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.264|CC Madhya 8.264, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The heart of Brahmā was enlightened by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is Vedic information given in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.18):</p>
:yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ
:yo vai vedāṁś ca prahiṇoti tasmai
:taṁ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṁ
:mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṁ prapadye
<p>“Because I desire liberation, let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who first enlightened Lord Brahmā in Vedic knowledge through Lord Brahmā’s heart. The Lord is the original source of all enlightenment and spiritual advancement.” In this connection one may also refer to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.30–35, 11.14.3, 12.4.40 and 12.13.19.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya1017_3" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="2096" link="CC Madhya 10.17" link_text="CC Madhya 10.17">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 10.17|CC Madhya 10.17, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">This is the way to advance in spiritual science. One must accept the words of an ācārya, a bona fide spiritual master, to clear the path for spiritual advancement. This is the secret of success. However, one's guide must be a spiritual master who is actually an unalloyed devotee strictly following the instructions of the previous ācārya without deviation. Whatever the spiritual master says must be accepted by the disciple. Only then is success certain. This is the Vedic system.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya118_5" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="2278" link="CC Madhya 11.8" link_text="CC Madhya 11.8">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 11.8|CC Madhya 11.8, Translation and Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Greatly lamenting, the Lord then informed Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, "'Alas, for a person who is seriously desiring to cross the material ocean and engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord without material motives, seeing a materialist engaged in sense gratification or seeing a woman who is similarly interested is more abominable than drinking poison willingly.'"</p>
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<div class="purport text"><p>This is a quotation from Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (8.23). Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu enunciates the principles for a sannyāsī renouncing the material world for spiritual advancement. Spiritual advancement is not meant for magic shows and jugglery but for crossing the material world and being transferred to the spiritual world.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya118_6" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="2278" link="CC Madhya 11.8" link_text="CC Madhya 11.8">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 11.8|CC Madhya 11.8, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Thus there is a spiritual nature beyond this material world, and that spiritual nature exists eternally. Spiritual advancement means stopping material activities and entering into spiritual activities. This is the process of bhakti-yoga.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya1224_7" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="2534" link="CC Madhya 12.24" link_text="CC Madhya 12.24">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 12.24|CC Madhya 12.24, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “What to speak of spiritual advancement—all the people will blaspheme Me. And what to speak of all the people—Dāmodara would chastise Me.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya1416_8" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="2956" link="CC Madhya 14.16" link_text="CC Madhya 14.16">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 14.16|CC Madhya 14.16, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī wants to point out that nothing could compare to the Lord's mercy toward Mahārāja Pratāparudra; therefore he uses the word dekha ("just see") and caitanyera kṛpā-mahābala ("how powerful is the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu"). This is also confirmed by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī: yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). Even a little of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy serves as a great asset for spiritual advancement. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must be spread through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya16186_9" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="3677" link="CC Madhya 16.186" link_text="CC Madhya 16.186">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 16.186|CC Madhya 16.186, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">"'To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters becomes immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.'"</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya16238_10" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="3728" link="CC Madhya 16.238" link_text="CC Madhya 16.238">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 16.238|CC Madhya 16.238, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One cannot be really renounced until one actually becomes disgusted with material activity and sees it as a stumbling block to spiritual advancement.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya18125_11" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4134" link="CC Madhya 18.125" link_text="CC Madhya 18.125">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 18.125|CC Madhya 18.125, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">"'To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters becomes immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.'"</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya19157_12" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4396" link="CC Madhya 19.157" link_text="CC Madhya 19.157">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.157|CC Madhya 19.157, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">“One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required, (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to attain, (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters, (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically, (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.”</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya19159_13" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4398" link="CC Madhya 19.159" link_text="CC Madhya 19.159">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.159|CC Madhya 19.159, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The culprit mind is always suspicious; therefore our dealings should always be straightforward and approved by Vedic authorities. If we treat people diplomatically or duplicitously, our spiritual advancement is obstructed.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya19160_14" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4399" link="CC Madhya 19.160" link_text="CC Madhya 19.160">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.160|CC Madhya 19.160, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One may make a show of devotional service like the prākṛta-sahajiyās, or one may try to support his philosophy by joining some caste or identifying himself with a certain dynasty, claiming a monopoly on spiritual advancement. Thus with the support of family tradition, one may become a pseudo guru, or so-called spiritual master.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya20139_15" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="4628" link="CC Madhya 20.139" link_text="CC Madhya 20.139">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 20.139|CC Madhya 20.139, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The aim of life is to get rid of the material conditioning and enter into spiritual existence. Although the śāstras prescribe different methods for different men, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that one ultimately must accept the path of devotional service as the assured path of spiritual advancement. Devotional service to the Lord is the only process actually confirmed by the Lord. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]). One must become a devotee if one wants to return home, back to Godhead, and become eternally blissful.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya2231_16" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5073" link="CC Madhya 22.31" link_text="CC Madhya 22.31">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 22.31|CC Madhya 22.31, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Lusty desires and greed are associated with rajas and tamas, passion and darkness. When one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the modes of passion and darkness immediately vanish, and then the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) remains. When one is situated in the mode of goodness, he can make spiritual advancement and understand things clearly. This position is not possible for everyone. When a person is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he continuously hears about Kṛṣṇa, thinks about Him, worships Him and serves Him as a devotee. If he remains in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this way, the darkness of māyā certainly will not be able to touch him.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya2494_17" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5410" link="CC Madhya 24.94" link_text="CC Madhya 24.94">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 24.94|CC Madhya 24.94, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Among animals there is no question of spiritual advancement. Spiritual life can be attained by proper training-either by following the principles of varṇa and āśrama or by being directly trained in the bhakti school by the methods of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam/ arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.23-24|SB 7.5.23]]). Without being trained, one cannot be sukṛtī, auspicious.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya24258_18" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5574" link="CC Madhya 24.258" link_text="CC Madhya 24.258">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 24.258|CC Madhya 24.258, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">"Being thus assured by the great sage Nārada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint's lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Nārada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement."</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya24259_19" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5575" link="CC Madhya 24.259" link_text="CC Madhya 24.259">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 24.259|CC Madhya 24.259, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One can keep his wife as an assistant in the vānaprastha stage. The idea is that the wife will assist the husband in spiritual advancement.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya24261_20" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5577" link="CC Madhya 24.261" link_text="CC Madhya 24.261">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 24.261|CC Madhya 24.261, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">In any condition, any man can live in a small cottage, plant a tulasī tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult. One simply has to follow the instructions of the spiritual master strictly.</p>
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<div id="CCMadhya24265_21" class="quote" parent="CC_Madhya-lila" book="CC" index="5581" link="CC Madhya 24.265" link_text="CC Madhya 24.265">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 24.265|CC Madhya 24.265, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">For spiritual advancement one must have a bona fide spiritual master and follow his instructions in order to be assured of advancement.</p>
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<div id="CC_Antya-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Antya-lila"><h3>CC Antya-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCAntya4159_0" class="quote" parent="CC_Antya-lila" book="CC" index="816" link="CC Antya 4.159" link_text="CC Antya 4.159">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Antya 4.159|CC Antya 4.159, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">"In affairs of spiritual advancement and even in ordinary dealings, you are on the level of his spiritual master. Yet not knowing his own value, he dares to advise you."</p>
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<div id="CCAntya866_1" class="quote" parent="CC_Antya-lila" book="CC" index="1620" link="CC Antya 8.66" link_text="CC Antya 8.66">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Antya 8.66|CC Antya 8.66, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">"A sannyāsī eats as much as necessary to maintain his body, but he does not enjoy satisfying his senses materially. Thus a sannyāsī becomes perfect in his spiritual advancement in knowledge."</p>
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<div id="CCAntya9148_2" class="quote" parent="CC_Antya-lila" book="CC" index="1804" link="CC Antya 9.148" link_text="CC Antya 9.148">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Antya 9.148|CC Antya 9.148, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">When a person is sinful, he loses both the chance for spiritual advancement and the chance for material opulence. If one enjoys the material world for sense gratification, he is certainly doomed. Advancement in material opulence is not the direct mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nevertheless, it indicates the indirect mercy of the Lord, for even a person too attached to material prosperity can gradually be detached and raised to the spiritual platform.</p>
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<div id="CCAntya13112_3" class="quote" parent="CC_Antya-lila" book="CC" index="2338" link="CC Antya 13.112" link_text="CC Antya 13.112">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Antya 13.112|CC Antya 13.112, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Generally a person cannot make much advancement in spiritual consciousness if he is married. He becomes attached to his family and is prone to sense gratification. Thus his spiritual advancement is very slow or almost nil.</p>
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<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
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<div id="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya"><h3>Teachings of Lord Caitanya</h3>
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<div id="TLC2_0" class="quote" parent="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" book="OB" index="8" link="TLC 2" link_text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:TLC 2|Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 2]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"Whatever I am doing to become free from material attachment is all Your mercy," Sanātana replied. The Lord was very much pleased with him, and both of them discussed spiritual advancement.</p>
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<div id="TLC27_1" class="quote" parent="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" book="OB" index="33" link="TLC 27" link_text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:TLC 27|Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">A society which is civilized and organized should follow the prescribed rules and regulations for the particular classes. At the same time, for spiritual advancement, the four stages of āśrama must also be followed: namely, student life (brahmacarya), householder (gṛhastha), retired (vānaprastha) and the renounced life (sannyāsa).</p>
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<div id="TLC27_2" class="quote" parent="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" book="OB" index="33" link="TLC 27" link_text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:TLC 27|Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 27]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The divisions of society are so designed that many people of different character can be regulated under them for the peaceful administration of society and for spiritual advancement as well.</p>
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<div id="TLC28_3" class="quote" parent="Teachings_of_Lord_Caitanya" book="OB" index="34" link="TLC 28" link_text="Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 28">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:TLC 28|Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 28]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The transcendental messages of the scriptures should be received from the lips of realized souls. In this way a person may continue to live in whatever condition he is in and still make progress in spiritual advancement. Thus one can surely advance and fully realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</p>
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<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Nectar of Devotion"><h3>Nectar of Devotion</h3>
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<div id="NOD2_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion" book="OB" index="11" link="NOD 2" link_text="Nectar of Devotion 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOD 2|Nectar of Devotion 2]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">These different orders of society and grades of spiritual advancement are conceived in terms of qualification. It is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā that the four social orders and the four spiritual orders are created by the Lord Himself, in terms of different individual qualities. As the different parts of the body have different types of activities, so the social orders and spiritual orders also have different types of activities in terms of qualification and position. The target of these activities, however, is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</p>
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<div id="NOD2_1" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion" book="OB" index="11" link="NOD 2" link_text="Nectar of Devotion 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOD 2|Nectar of Devotion 2]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The vaiśyas are meant for producing agricultural products, trading them and distributing them. And the working class, or śūdras, are those who haven't the intelligence of the brāhmaṇas or the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas, and therefore they are meant to help these higher classes by bodily labor. In this way, there is full cooperation and spiritual advancement among all the different orders of society.</p>
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<div id="NOD7_2" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion" book="OB" index="28" link="NOD 7" link_text="Nectar of Devotion 7">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOD 7|Nectar of Devotion 7]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In other words, a spiritual master needn't be very enthusiastic for constructing temple buildings simply in the name of so-called spiritual advancement. Rather, his first and foremost activity should be to preach.</p>
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<div id="NOD9_3" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion" book="OB" index="48" link="NOD 9" link_text="Nectar of Devotion 9">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOD 9|Nectar of Devotion 9]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">That is called lālasāmayī, or very eagerly desiring to go to one's natural position. This lālasāmayī stage of submission comes in the stage of perfect liberation, which is technically called svarūpa-siddhi, when the living entity understands, by perfect spiritual advancement and revelation, his original relationship with the Lord.</p>
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<div id="Nectar_of_Instruction" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Nectar of Instruction"><h3>Nectar of Instruction</h3>
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<div id="NOI2_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Instruction" book="OB" index="3" link="NOI 2" link_text="Nectar of Instruction 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOI 2|Nectar of Instruction 2, Translation]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="trans text"><p style="display: inline;">One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) Practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.</p>
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<div id="NOI2_1" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Instruction" book="OB" index="3" link="NOI 2" link_text="Nectar of Instruction 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:NOI 2|Nectar of Instruction 2, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Desires to expand the mind by perfecting mystic yoga, merging in the existence of Brahman, or attaining whimsical material prosperity are all included within the category of greed (laulya). All attempts to acquire such material benefits or so-called spiritual advancement are impediments on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.</p>
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<div id="Krsna_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead"><h3>Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead</h3>
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<div id="KB10_0" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="14" link="KB 10" link_text="Krsna Book 10">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 10|Krsna Book 10]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">According to the Vedic system, a saintly person takes the position of a mendicant so that on the plea of begging something from the householder, he can enter any house. The householder, who has usually forgotten everything about spiritual advancement because he is busy maintaining family affairs, can be benefited by the association of a saintly person.</p>
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<div id="KB49_1" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="53" link="KB 49" link_text="Krsna Book 49">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 49|Krsna Book 49]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Akrūra continued: "My dear Dhṛtarāṣṭra, I beg to advise you not to be blind to the facts of material existence. Material, conditioned life, either in distress or in happiness, is to be accepted as a dream. One should try to bring his mind and senses under control and live peacefully for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."</p>
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<div id="KB60_2" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="64" link="KB 60" link_text="Krsna Book 60">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 60|Krsna Book 60]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"My Lord, You have stated that only the beggars praise Your glories, and that is also perfectly correct. But who are those beggars? Those beggars are all exalted devotees, liberated personalities and those in the renounced order of life. They are all great souls and devotees who have no other business than to glorify You. Such great souls forgive even the worst offenders. These so-called beggars execute their spiritual advancement in life, tolerating all tribulations in the material world. My dear husband, do not think that I accepted You as my husband out of my inexperience; actually, I followed all these great souls. I followed the path of these great beggars and decided to surrender my life unto Your lotus feet."</p>
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<div id="KB69_3" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="73" link="KB 69" link_text="Krsna Book 69">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 69|Krsna Book 69]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Lord Kṛṣṇa behaved by His personal example as if He were very much attached to the four principles of civilized life, namely religion, economic development, sense gratification and salvation. These four principles of material existence are necessary for the spiritual advancement of human society, and although Lord Kṛṣṇa had no need to do so, He exhibited His household activities so that people might follow in His footsteps for their own interest.</p>
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<div id="KB88_4" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="92" link="KB 88" link_text="Krsna Book 88">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB 88|Krsna Book 88]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">By worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, instead of being puffed up with material opulences one becomes enriched with spiritual advancement of knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To become nirguṇa means to achieve eternal peace, fearlessness, religiousness, knowledge and renunciation. All these are symptoms of becoming free from the contamination of the material qualities.</p>
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<div id="Renunciation_Through_Wisdom" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Renunciation Through Wisdom"><h3>Renunciation Through Wisdom</h3>
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<div id="RTW51_0" class="quote" parent="Renunciation_Through_Wisdom" book="OB" index="39" link="RTW 5.1" link_text="Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:RTW 5.1|Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The Lord's inconceivable potency that descends to bless us with spiritual perfection shows the magnitude and glory of His potencies. Certainly there are other methods for spiritual advancement, such as rāja-yoga, by which one can become equipoised, or difficult prāṇāyāma exercises, severe austerities, and renunciation, and these practices are very powerful. But when the Lord's divine potency acts, they all seem extremely ineffectual compared to the process of surrender, which invokes that potency.</p>
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<div id="Message_of_Godhead" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Message of Godhead"><h3>Message of Godhead</h3>
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<div id="MOG2_0" class="quote" parent="Message_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="3" link="MOG 2" link_text="Message of Godhead 2">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:MOG 2|Message of Godhead 2]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Similarly, the karma-yogī exists always in a transcendental position, far away from the conditions of the modes of nature, for all his works attain to the platform of the Absolute. When one is in a state of freedom from the modes of nature, the phenomenal world manifests its noumenal feature—its spiritual aspect. With the world thus spiritually manifest, its modes of nature, such as goodness, passion, and ignorance, cannot present any obstacle to one's spiritual advancement. When such obstacles are surpassed, one attains to the absolute vision.</p>
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<div id="Sri_Isopanisad" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Sri Isopanisad"><h3>Sri Isopanisad</h3>
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<div id="ISO10_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Isopanisad" book="OB" index="12" link="ISO 10" link_text="Sri Isopanisad 10">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:ISO 10|Sri Isopanisad 10, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One should not be attached to more than the necessities of life required for spiritual advancement.</p>
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