Once a person resolves to accept only those things conducive to devotional service, the Lord's internal potency helps him reach goal. Our sole duty is to constantly remember the Lord and pray for His sanction in everything. The instructions we receive from a spiritual master firmly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness help us properly engage in the devotional processes of hearing, chanting, and constant remembrance of the Lord. If we are inspired by our remembrance of the Lord and by His will, then we will never be misdirected. We will not be intimidated by the horrible hallucinations of this illusory material energy. By following the spiritual master's orders with single-minded determination, we will remain undeterred in executing the Lord's service and will make quick progress.
Quick progress in spiritual life
Expressions researched:
"progress is very quick"
|"progress very quickly"
|"progress will be very quick"
|"progress, and very quickly"
|"progressed how to die quickly"
|"quick progress"
|"quickly progress"
|"quickly progressing"
|"quickly you will make progress"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment, and of those who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am the wisdom.
There are many suppressing agents, of which the most important are those that cut down miscreants. When miscreants are punished, the agency of chastisement represents Kṛṣṇa. Among those who are trying to be victorious in some field of activity, the most victorious element is morality. Among the confidential activities of hearing, thinking and meditating, silence is most important because by silence one can make progress very quickly. The wise man is he who can discriminate between matter and spirit, between God's superior and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 5
When males and females touch each other's bodies, their lusty desires naturally awaken. It appears from this verse that there are similar sensations in spiritual bodies. Both Lord Ananta and the women giving Him pleasure had spiritual bodies. Thus all sensations originally exist in the spiritual body. This is confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has commented in this connection that the word ādi means ādi-rasa, the original lusty feeling, which is born from the Supreme. However, spiritual lust and material lust are as completely different as gold and iron. Only one who is very highly elevated in spiritual realization can understand the lusty feelings exchanged between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, or between Kṛṣṇa and the damsels of Vraja. Therefore, unless one is very experienced and advanced in spiritual realization, he is forbidden to discuss the lusty feelings of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. However, if one is a sincere and pure devotee, the material lust in his heart is completely vanquished as he discusses the lusty feelings between the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, and he makes quick progress in spiritual life.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Renunciation Through Wisdom
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
If we learn to love Vāsudeva, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, then we'll be satisfied by executing religion. Otherwise it is superficial. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim (SB 1.2.8). If one is not interested to hear the kathā, vāsudeva-kathā, śrama eva hi kevalam. Similarly, only formalities will not help. We must enlighten ourself. We must enhance our propensity to hear about Vāsudeva. Śravaṇam. That is wanted. Simply formalities will help us very slowly. One, one who is interested in hearing about Vāsudeva, his progress is very quick. Otherwise, it will be simply formalities. Vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ. The ultimate goal: go back to home, back to Godhead. Vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ.
In the beginning, provided one is, background is pious... Because without piety nobody can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Those who are simply acting piously, such person can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not impious person can... Therefore we shall be very, very careful about impious activities. Impious activities, we know the four legs of impious activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. So therefore we should be very, very careful about these impious activities. You cannot make any spiritual progress by simultaneously acting impiously and at the same time... It may... Not it may—it is sure it will go. But it will go very slow. Just like if you have got dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. And if you bring wet fuel, it takes time. Of course, as soon as there is fire, the wetness of the fuel will dry. But it will require extra energy. And if you put dry fuel, then it ignites very easily. So in order to keep us dry without being wetted by the impious activities, then spiritual progress will be very quick. We should remember that.
We have to accept this Vedic literature; otherwise we cannot make progress. Our process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, our process is to accept the Vedic version. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't make any adulteration or alteration or addition. No. We accept, as it is. That is our process. And if you accept, then our time is saved and we can make progress very quickly. So that we should do. That is our system. Ācārya upāsanam. We receive the knowledge throughout the disciplic succession of ācāryas, and we accept it and we follow it, and practically you see the result. That is our request.
Guest: I have discussed yesterday in the market. They were, "You are chanting with this party. What interest you have got?" I explained that "The mass have forgotten Lord Kṛṣṇa, and we are importing the importance of Kṛṣṇa from USA."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that... Yes. That is the fact. That is the fact.
Guest: Then I told that "Guru Mahārāja is Indian, but he has got no place in India. And it is the Western people who are teaching us how to serve Kṛṣṇa. If I learn something from them, what is wrong with it?"
Prabhupāda: Their brain is full with hodgepodge. You see? Brain is full with hodgepodge. They cannot understand clearly. Just see. The other day the boy was speaking that Aurobindo is greater than Kṛṣṇa. You see? How much misled they are. That is the difficulty in India. The so-called preachers, yogis, they have filled up the brain with so many hodgepodge things that it is difficult for them. These boys in..., they had no such hodgepodge things. They accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is, and therefore their progress is very quick.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
When a man becomes ghostly haunted and he talks all nonsense... Similarly, anyone who is within this material world, they are all madmen. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cure them by this treatment. So if anyone accepts this treatment, then he can make progress very quickly. Just like any madman, if he is under proper treatment, there is hope of his being cured. But the modern education is that to keep him madman. That is the defect of modern civilization. Everyone is madman within this material world, and the modern education is to keep him madman. Therefore they cannot understand our philosophy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very bona fide and most essential philosophy. Madman cannot understand, but that does not mean the process of treatment should be stopped. No. It must go on. It cannot be stopped.
Initiation Lectures
Of course, this chanting will save you, only chanting. But if you read some literatures also, and the philosophy also, then it will be more and more convincing that you are making progress. And in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that this is the process by which you can understand practically whether you are making actually progress in spiritual life. Pratyakṣam avagamaṁ dharmyam. This bhakti-yoga system is so nice that one can directly understand how he is making progress, and very quickly. That's a fact. All of our students who have taken to this process, within very short time, they are realizing that actually they are making some progress. Therefore they are sticking to the principles and going on.
So my request to you all who are going to be initiated, that you keep always yourself in contact with this chanting and that will make you, I mean to say, able to be always purified, śuci. Material contamination cannot... And you avoid these four principles: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication of all descriptions. Intoxication does not mean simply liquor. Intoxication means even tea-drinking. Tea is also intoxication, in slight degree. Tea, coffee, cigarettes—everything should be avoided. In India they chew pan. So these things are to be give up, intoxication group, and meat-eating group. Then you make very quickly progress, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). After leaving this body, one hasn't got to take another material body and suffer.
General Lectures
And to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not at all difficulty. There is no difficulty. Anyone can become. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even lowborn, they can also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). If actually qualified brāhmaṇas, they take shelter, what to speak of... Their progress is very quick. Punyā. Without puṇyā background, sukṛti, nobody can take birth in the family or society of brāhmaṇas.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, no, I think this will be nice because if he does outside propaganda, that will help development of this center. You make nice, what is called? Prospectus? I gave you the idea, that what is the idea of this center and make plans and where we want to construct temple, the, what is called, design of the temple, and make nicely and put before the people, and they have already known that Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is going on. So there are so many rich people in our country. If somebody comes forward, we can make very nice progress very quickly. So we have to make some propaganda amongst them. Actually it is the nicest possible thing. Simply they have to be convinced. That's a fact. Nobody can challenge our sincerity and our purity in this world.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Very simple thing. You always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā, you become His devotee, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yājī, worship Kṛṣṇa, and namaskuru. Where is the cost? No expenditure. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, if you worship Kṛṣṇa, if you offer obeisances to Him... Therefore this Deity is there. For these purposes. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Simply by doing these four things, he is becoming liberated so much that he is going back to Godhead. That's all. (break) ...movement is very scientific movement, based on the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. Most scientific. (break) We may be proud. Because this is scientific, therefore it is so quickly progressing.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Progress, yes. The progress is that they have got motorcar, and they have progressed how to die quickly. This is the progress. At any moment he can die. As soon as he on the car, 70 miles speed, that means taking the risk of dying at any moment. This is the progress. Formerly people were going in bullock cart or horse carriage from one village to another. "That was primitive. Now we can go hundred miles away from home for earning money and taking risk to die at any moment. That is progress." Is it not?
Brahmānanda: Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: Formerly they were satisfied by tilling the ground, getting food grains. Now they have started factories. At the cost of thousands of men's labor, some director is getting money and enjoying life. That is progress. And these rascals, laborers, they are thinking that "These men are getting the profit, cream of this business. We are working. Why not take ourself?" That is Communism.
Correspondence
1971 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 11th August, 1971 and have noted the contents. Also I have seen the article enclosed and it is very nice indeed. So it appears that things are going on nicely there in Detroit. So we have to work very hard and with intelligence and sincerity for this movement. It is a great movement undoubtedly but it takes a little time to convince the higher section of the society. Still that is one of our businesses because unless the higher section understands this movement, it will make progress slowly. If the higher section says yes, it is a nice movement, it will progress very quickly. Our mission is undoubtedly the highest welfare activity to the human society. Everyone has forgotten his real constitutional position. Therefore all of them are hovering in the air without any concrete knowledge of the goal of life. Actually we are in the position to teach everyone, never mind however great a philosopher or scientist he may be, but everyone must learn from us about spiritual activities. All the universities and educational institutions are in darkness and still they are very much proud of advancement of knowledge. This we shall challenge everywhere and come out victorious.
1972 Correspondence
So far the other books you are printing, I am very much impressed by your quick progress in making ISKCON Press an efficient and worthwhile contributor to pushing on this Krishna Consciousness Movement, and on the whole it is a good report.
You are anxious about the rules and regulations, but without rules and regulations there is more frustration. So it may be a little difficult at first, but if you are sincere to achieve the highest result of your lifetime, then you can be assured that by your efforts in Krsna Consciousness that you will very quickly become happy more and more. The difficulties of this material world will shrink to no more than the size of a hoofprint left by the calf. Actually there is no difference between devotees living inside the temple and devotees living outside the temple. You are right that the important thing is to remember Krsna, whatever is your activity. So try to remember Krsna always by following the principles as you know them, namely, rising early, taking bath, cleansing, attending aratrika, reading scriptures at least one hour or two hours daily, chanting sixteen rounds on beads of Hare Krsna mantra, going for street sankirtana, offering all your foodstuffs to Krsna, like that. In this way very quickly you will make progress in Krsna Consciousness and become very very happy in your life.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and I am glad to know that you have a sincere interest in this Krsna consciousness movement. Now you should try to become strong in Krsna consciousness. The first thing is to chant 16 rounds minimum on the beads and it is best to do this in the association of others who also desire to progress in spiritual life. So you should try to remain at one of our temples; that will help you. You should also read my books very carefully and you should render service. Tad viddhi pranipatena/ pariprasnena sevaya (BG 4.34). Service must be there. So you have to find out some service that you can render. Then your progress will be very quick.
| Page Title: | Quick progress in spiritual life |
| Compiler: | Matea, Labangalatika |
| Created: | 11 of Nov, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=1, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=8, Con=3, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 18 |