» Beauty and Charm
Where is Krishna? Our real want will be satisfied only by getting the service of Krishna; not by anything else. We want to satisfy the innermost demands of our hearts. We don’t care to know where we are or what is controlling everything, but we really want to quench our thirst for rasa, for madhurya, for sweetness. We must search neither for knowledge nor for the controller of this world; we must search after rasa, anandam, after beauty and charm. ~ from The Search for Sri Krishna by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» My boy, look at Me
The Lord is always there, even in the worst period of our lives. He is waiting, waiting to help us. We must only look up for His grace, with sincerity with all sincerity. He is everywhere, waiting; "My boy, look at Me. Don't make much of the external environment. I am here, very near to you. You have cast your focus aside, you have cast your consciousness outside. Make it internal and you will find Me here. Make it above. You are looking down to secure servants and comforts, but if you look up, for existence higher than you, you will find Me in that plane. Look up! Don't look down, searching for servants." - from Focusing on Our Fortune by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Save me
“I surrender. You may do whatever you like with me. I am the worst of sinners. What to do with me now is in your hands. You, Savior, I have come to you. If there is any possibility—save me. This is my open appeal, my one-sided appeal.” This sort of self-abnegation will automatically cleanse our hearts. By this attitude of saranagati, or surrender, we invite the greatest attention from above. Saranagati, surrender, is the only way to be reinstated in our lost prospect.” ~ from Sri Guru and His Grace by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Everything is Wonderful
Everything is full of wonder. If we analyze the atom, we will be in wonder. Only we impose limitations. But when we analyze the atomic parts of wood or stone, we will be in wonder. The infinite is everywhere. Perfection is everywhere. The trouble is that with our limited thinking we have produced a world of limits. But we who are captured by the “scientific” way of thinking are not ready to admit that. That is the puzzle. From the biggest to the smallest, from the lowest to the highest, everything is wonderful. ~ from Subjective Evolution of Consciousness by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Guru is the Key
From Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23):

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthao
prakaiante mahatmanao

“The key to success in spiritual life is unflinching devotion to both the spiritual master and Krishna. To those great souls who have full faith in both Krishna and the spiritual master, the inner meaning of the scriptures is fully revealed.”  

» This Love Naturally Awakens

nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravanādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Pure love for Krishna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens. ~ Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya Lila 22.107

 

» So Many Mortal Things
We do not even know the extraordinary nature of our own self. It is of a very high order, but our attention is focused towards so many mortal things; we have been introduced to, and captured by, the meanest aspect of the world. This is the consequence of the mood of enjoyment. We want to enjoy, we want to exploit. A good exploiter is a king to us! But exploitation in itself is degrading, very mean and low. It takes us to the lowest position and makes us victims of a great reaction. ~ from Heart and Halo by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» I Shall Be Good
We are what doing? Arrangement, making arrangement for Sankirtan. If there is no Sankirtan there is no result. And Sankirtan will be without offense. And first offense is satam ninda namnah param aparadham vitanute that meant sadhu ninda we not with... abuse anyone. Who is sadhu we do not know. Then we will be protected with that thought. I shall be good. You are good or bad, that is another thing. But first I shall be good, and with that knowledge if I shall proceed, I shall get benefit. ~ from Sharanagati To Humility, Tolerance & Giving Honor To Others Krsna.cc radio archives, by Swami B.S. Govinda  

» That Sort of Heart
It is the nature of one who appreciates the highest that he will think himself to be in the lower position. We find this in the practices and sayings of the great men. It is a question of trnad api sumcena, taror api sahisnuna, and this is a necessary qualification of a devotee. We must have that sort of qualification, that sort of heart. That must not be an artificial thing but if we are not ready to think ourselves lower, we cannot come in connection with the higher. ~ from Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion Volume 3 by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» The Service of the Holy Name
The service of dham frees one from the jaws of Illusion, the terribly wrong theory that a jiva or creature is himself God and Master, and that there is no existence, except in the human imagination, of the holy Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes and Paraphernalia of Godhead. The service of Krishna's Desire saves one from the hand of the great foe of hankering for one's own sensuous gratification. One is thereby freed from serving the earthly passions and may be installed in the service of the Desire of the transcendental Despot, in the singing of the saving hymn of transcendental love. ~ from Testimony of Love by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura  

» The mind must be captured by Transcendence
“If at the time of dying I remember a dog then I shall go to the womb of a dog. Such danger is there. So we must do everything for the service of our Srila Guru Maharaj, then nothing can disturb us. It is necessary that the mind be captured by the transcendental environment.”
~ Swami B.S. Govinda  

» The Fickle and Mad Mind
Under the guidance of our mind we may try many things, but that is not really bhakti. Our mind is always going this way and that way. The fickle and mad mind can do anything, but a good result will not always come from that. If we do good things then a good result will come to us, if we do not, then a bad result will come to us; such is our position. We will gain relief from the illusory environment only if in an exclusive way we try to follow our Gurudeva. ~ from Divine Guidance by Swami B.S. Govinda  

» Help Comes From Above
Only when you really come in touch with the plane above maya can you fight against maya; only then will maya withdraw. We must have some shelter beyond maya from where we can fight with illusion. We are advised to take shelter of sadhus (saints) and shasrta (scriptures). Their help comes from above, and we must accept that help from the inner core of our hearts. ~ from Sri Guru and His Grace by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Slaves of the Truth
We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current. We are not charmed by any formality. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me. When one is conscious that the Absolute Truth is descending to him from the highest domain, he will think, “I must surrender myself here.” ~ from Sri Guru and His Grace by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» One with God?
A bona fide disciple must always remain fully awake to the fact that his highest spiritual fortune is but a gracious grant from the Absolute Lord, and not a matter of right to be demanded or fought out. Constitutionally, we are equipped only to be proper recipients of God’s favor. In this connection it should be clearly understood that an individual soul can never be substantially the same as the Absolute Person. Not even in his liberated or fully realized condition can an individual soul be one with Godhead. ~ From Sri Guru and His Grace by Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Jiv Jago!

jiv jago, jiv jago gauracanda bole

kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole!

Is this the clarion call or what? We are sleeping on the lap of Maya in ignorance but the clarion call is coming, "Wake up!" The Upanishads say, uttishata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata, "Wake up, arise and begin the search for Sri Krishna. Now is the time to get love for Krishna." The Upanishads, Bhaktivinode Thakur, the song of Krishna's flute; the gist of that sound, its wealth, is realized in connection with the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. Krishna is only attracted to his Divine Potency. She is serving Krishna wholeheartedly and very extensively with her associates. She is known as Radharani. And Krishna is always and only thinking of her. - Swami B.S. Govinda

 

» Through His Devotees
The Maya-Sakti is very heavy for us because we are very tiny souls. She is always attracting us through her illusion. In one way, it is for our rectification, no doubt, but it is not a happy position for the conditioned souls. However, we will get relief from this environment if we try to know our position, and what is Krishna consciousness. If we do this, then by the mercy of Krishna and His devotee we will get strength to come out from the illusory environment, and, when we try, Krishna will help us. That assistance comes to us through His devotees. - Swami B.S. Govinda  

» What is Krishna consciousness?
What is Krishna consciousness? Krishna consciousness means real love and beauty. Real love and beauty must predominate; not selfishness, or exploitation. Generally, whenever we see beauty, we think that beauty is to be exploited, but actually, beauty is the exploiter, beauty is the master, and beauty is the controlling principle. - Swami B.R. Sridhar  

» Bhagavad-Gita (4.34)
“To understand transcendental knowledge, you must approach a self-realized soul, accept him as your spiritual master, and take initiation from him. Inquire submissively and render service unto him. Self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you, for they have seen the truth.”