You have to test yourself, out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed

Expressions researched:
"Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed"

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

You have to test yourself, "Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed?" If I am lacking, then you must know that you are not developing. This is the test.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

Prabhupāda: Oh, not with you? It is in the book. "Oh, my knowledge is in the book." No. You should learn. Everyone is missing. So how you can become saintly person? So those qualities, twenty-six qualities, they are called saintly person. Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. Devotee does not mean a rascal, at the same time a devotee. No. As soon as you become devotee, the test is that all those twenty-six qualities will develop. You have to test yourself, "Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed?" If I am lacking, then you must know that you are not developing. This is the test.

What are the qualities? Paul, you have got the copy?

Paul: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What are the qualities?

Paul: "Kind to everyone."

Prabhupāda: Kind to everyone. Yes. Then, go on.

Paul: "Does not quarrel with anyone. Fixed up in the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paul: "Equal to everyone."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paul: "Spotless, faultless, charitable, mild, clean, simple, benevolent, peaceful, completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, no material hankerings, meek, steady, self-controlled, does not eat more than required . . ."

Prabhupāda: Does not eat more than required. Yes.

Paul: ". . . sane, respectful, humble, grave, compassionate, friendly, poetic, expert . . ."

Prabhupāda: Poetic, expert and silent. One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time.

So these are the quali . . . here, he's called sādhu. Sādhu means these are the qualification. Of course, not that we may develop all these qualities immediately, but sādhu means this. Sādhu means, what is called, pious man. These are the qualities of pious man, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means the scripture. By study of scripture, you can develop these qualities. That is called scripture. That is authorized scripture.

Just like you study some book, and you develop some quality after reading that book, similarly, when you actually have scripture, then you develop all these qualities. And guru, guru, spiritual master, means who teaches you all these things.

So you have to make your progress sādhu-śāstra-guru vākya. You have to corroborate whether guru, what guru is speaking, whether it is there in the scripture; what scripture is speaking, whether that is in the character of guru, or in the sādhu, saintly person, or spiritual master. So you have to always make comparison with three things: sādhu, śāstra, guru.

Nobody can become a spiritual master who has no reference to the scriptures and these qualities. Nobody can be accepted as a qualified man, he has not . . . if one has not developed his character through the scripture under the instruction of guru.