Spiritual improvement

Expressions researched:
"spiritual improvement"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

When the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees. As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, the search for mundane knowledge, etc.

BG 7.16, Purport: Those who are always busy with fruitive activities come to the Lord in material distress and at that time associate with pure devotees and become, in their distress, devotees of the Lord. Those who are simply frustrated also come sometimes to associate with the pure devotees and become inquisitive to know about God. Similarly, when the dry philosophers are frustrated in every field of knowledge, they sometimes want to learn of God, and they come to the Supreme Lord to render devotional service and thus transcend knowledge of the impersonal Brahman and the localized Paramātmā and come to the personal conception of Godhead by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee. On the whole, when the distressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of knowledge, and those who are in need of money are free from all material desires, and when they fully understand that material remuneration has nothing to do with spiritual improvement, they become pure devotees. As long as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in transcendental service to the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, the search for mundane knowledge, etc. So one has to transcend all this before one can come to the stage of pure devotional service.

SB Canto 1

The devotees of the Lord are always anxious for the spiritual improvement of the general public

SB 1.1.10 Purport: The devotees of the Lord are always anxious for the spiritual improvement of the general public. When the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya analyzed the state of affairs of the people in this age of Kali, they foresaw that men would live short lives. In Kali-yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over-sense gratification, overdependence on another's mercy, and artificial standards of living sap the very vitality of human energy. Therefore the duration of life is shortened.

SB Canto 3

Even though you are the most powerful being, this act does not suit you because your character is followed for spiritual improvement by people in general

SB 3.12.31, Translation: Even though you are the most powerful being, this act does not suit you because your character is followed for spiritual improvement by people in general.

SB Canto 4

Professional reciters may ask money to extinguish the blazing fire within their bellies, but they cannot make any spiritual improvement or become perfect

SB 4.12.49-50 Purport: Professional reciters may ask money to extinguish the blazing fire within their bellies, but they cannot make any spiritual improvement or become perfect. It is therefore strictly forbidden to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as a profession to earn a livelihood. Only one who is completely surrendered at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, depending fully on Him for personal maintenance or even for maintenance of his family, can attain perfection by recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is full of narrations of the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. The process can be summarized as follows: the audience must be faithfully receptive to the Bhāgavata message, and the reciter should completely depend on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhāgavata recitation must not be a business. If done in the right way, not only does the reciter achieve perfect satisfaction, but the Lord also is very satisfied with the reciter and the audience, and thus both are liberated from material bondage simply by the process of hearing.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Caitanya for a long time, for there was some spell in him which touched their hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Prologue: While at Benares, Caitanya had an interview with the learned sannyāsīs of that town in the house of a Maratha brāhmaṇa who had invited all the sannyāsīs for entertainment. At this interview, Caitanya shewed a miracle which attracted all the sannyāsīs to him. Then ensued reciprocal conversation. The sannyāsīs were headed by their most learned leader Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. After a short controversy, they submitted to Mahāprabhu and admitted that they had been misled by the commentaries of Śaṅkarācārya. It was impossible even for learned scholars to oppose Caitanya for a long time, for there was some spell in him which touched their hearts and made them weep for their spiritual improvement. The sannyāsīs of Benares soon fell at the feet of Caitanya and asked for his grace (kṛpā). Caitanya then preached pure bhakti and instilled into their hearts spiritual love for Kṛṣṇa which obliged them to give up sectarian feelings. The whole population of Benares, on this wonderful conversion of the sannyāsīs, turned Vaiṣṇavas, and they made a master saṅkīrtana with their new Lord.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

There are eighteen Purāṇas. There are sattvika, rajasika, tamasika purāṇas. So sattvika Purāṇa is required for spiritual improvement.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971: The Māyāvādī philosophers, as soon as they realize that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, they think that they are liberated. But no. That liberation is theoretical. That is not practical. Practical liberation is when you are situated in devotional service. Then there is no chance of falling down. If you simply think that "I have become Nārāyaṇa," or Nārāyaṇa position, that is falldown. There are innumerable examples. So we are taṭasthā-śakti. The idea is... Taṭasthā means marginal. We can fall down in the material world, and we can raise ourself in the spiritual world. This is our position. But we are energy, not the energetic.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that,

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

He is giving evidence from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Viṣṇu Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. There are sattvika, rajasika, tamasika purāṇas. So sattvika Purāṇa is required for spiritual improvement. So He's giving evidence from the sattvika Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

The students, they are going to school, college, and they are talking of sex. Where is tapasya? How it is possible? So therefore bhakti-yoga is the only way of spiritual improvement in this age—all age, especially in this age.

Morning Walk -- May 11, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: Is there a stage after a person becomes completely purified...?

Prabhupāda: The students, they are going to school, college, and they are talking of sex. Where is tapasya? How it is possible? So therefore bhakti-yoga is the only way of spiritual improvement in this age—all age, especially in this age. No other method will help you-yoga, karma, jñāna, nothing. Bhakti-yoga is always strong, especially in this age, Kali-yuga. Therefore it is said, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva, especially. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva... [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. This is the simplest.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

If money is misused, then both of them become implicated. If it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, then both of them becomes under the laws of karma.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Madhudviṣa: So even if I want to perform some ajnata-sukrti, it is only by Kṛṣṇa's mercy that I will do it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. ei rūpe brahmāṇḍe bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti latā bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151] As soon as he gives to a saintly person, bhakta, he immediately acquires some asset of future development. Immediately.

Acyutānanda: If someone gives to a person for spiritual..., consciously for spiritual improvement...

Prabhupāda: There is no question of...

Acyutānanda: ...and the person misuses the money, does he benefit?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Acyutānanda: If a man says, "I am giving you this donation because it is a spiritual organization," but if the money is misused, does that man benefit?

Prabhupāda: If money is misused, then both of them become implicated. If it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, then both of them becomes under the laws of karma.

Acyutānanda: But that man is sincere.

Prabhupāda: Well, this word sincere, there is no meaning unless he is a devotee. Ei bala ei manda sab mano dharma: "These are all mental concoction." There is no meaning. "This man is good. This man is sincere. This man is bad. This man is..." They are all mental concoction. Only good is he who is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Others all rascals.

1972 Correspondence

We are, like you, the good public leaders of your nation, interested in material improvement, but also there must be spiritual improvement as well.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972: Besides this human welfare activity for communal sharing of the material necessities of life, there is an ancient Vedic program for simultaneously raising the whole society to the highest perfection of spiritual consciousness. We are, like you, the good public leaders of your nation, interested in material improvement, but also there must be spiritual improvement as well. It is not that I should be concerned only that my wife and sons eat and get satisfaction, but I must be concerned for the ultimate well-being of everyone. By nature, everyone is endowed with individual tastes and preferences, therefore what satisfies one many may not satisfy another, so there will always be some dissatisfaction and discrepancies of all sorts. Therefore, if we try to satisfy everyone's well-being on the material platform, we shall never find the end of it, and we shall be frustrated in our attempts, and there will be protest, etc

Yes, the proof of your teaching method shall be seen in the spiritual improvement and fresh enthusiasm exhibited by the children.

Letter to Stokakrsna -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972: Yes, the proof of your teaching method shall be seen in the spiritual improvement and fresh enthusiasm exhibited by the children. If they are allowed to worship the Deity by practicing performing aratrika very seriously, plus always be engaged in different various activities centered around Krsna, then their education will be completely successful. The children should always be instructed by taking advantage of their playful mood and teaching them to play Krsna games like become cowherd boys, cows, peacocks, demons and in this way if they always think of Krsna by playing just like they are actually present in association with Krsna then they will become Krsna Conscious very quickly.

I saw for myself how nice you have created the Mexico City temple of ISKCON, and I was very much inclined to those devotees. Only I had some difficulty with language difficulty to preach, but still I could see how pious they were and eager to listen anyway. That is the only qualification, if someone is eager for spiritual improvement.

Letter to Citsukhananda -- Ahmedabad 11 December, 1972: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1972, and I have noted with pleasure that you want to go to Caracas, South America, to join Hanuman for opening centre and preaching work there. That will be very, very nice. I know that you are the right man because I saw for myself how nice you have created the Mexico City temple of ISKCON, and I was very much inclined to those devotees. Only I had some difficulty with language difficulty to preach, but still I could see how pious they were and eager to listen anyway. That is the only qualification, if someone is eager for spiritual improvement. So I think because Hanuman is always sending me successful reports of preaching meetings, so many newspaper articles and photos, that this Krishna Consciousness movement will be very famous there and you will find many interested persons to become devotees, just like at Mexico. Now you go there, along with your good wife and family.