Category:Advancing in Spiritual Life
Theme Analysis
Advancing in spiritual life is not a matter of chance or sentiment; it is a scientific process that requires discipline, guidance, and purification. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this advancement is open to everyone, regardless of birth or education, provided they follow the authorized method. The foundation of this progress is the satisfaction of the spiritual master, while the fuel is the chanting of the Holy Names and the cultivation of tapasya (austerity).
- The Secret of Success: The most critical factor for advancement is the firm faith of the disciple in the orders of the spiritual master. Śrīla Prabhupāda states clearly that without the mercy of the guru, one cannot have a destination (`yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi`).
- Tapasya and Discipline: Spiritual life requires voluntary acceptance of inconvenience for the sake of purification. This includes strict adherence to the four regulative principles (no meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, or illicit sex) and the control of the senses. Without discipline, spiritual progress is impossible.
- The Role of Association: One's company determines one's destination. To advance, one must associate with devotees (`sādhu-saṅga`) and strictly avoid the company of materialistic persons, which is described as "purposeful suicide" for a spiritual aspirant.
- Chanting the Holy Name: The principal method for this age is chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra*. This process cleanses the mirror of the heart (`ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam`), removing the dirty accumulation of lifetimes and allowing the soul to perceive Kṛṣṇa directly.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Process of Advancing in Spiritual Life.
Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.
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Pages in category "Advancing in Spiritual Life"
The following 117 pages are in this category, out of 117 total.
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- A sannyasi must always be neutral and seek the means to advance in spiritual life, taking full shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord
- Advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous education or qualification. The method itself is so pure that by simply engaging in it one becomes pure. BG 1972 purports
- Advancement of spiritual life, culture, tapasya - is meant to cleanse the heart. And in this process of chanting the maha-mantra, the first installment of benefit is the cleansing of the heart. Ceto-darpana-marjanam
- After being saved by the Visnudutas, Ajamila, not caring for his wife and children, went straight to Hardwar for further advancement in his spiritual life
- Although people in general are no longer interested in religious ceremonies or Deity worship, the Krsna consciousness movement gives everyone the chance to advance in spiritual life by becoming Krsna conscious
- Anxiety is spiritual anxiety and material anxiety. Spiritual anxiety means you are advancing in spiritual life, and material anxiety means you are going downhill
- Anyone desiring to raise the people's standard of advancement in spiritual life, will have their noble desire very soon successful by the Grace of the Lord
- Anyone who comes to join us, of course, must be sincere and serious regarding spiritual advancement in life
- Anyone who has practiced controlling these six (the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words) is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life
- As for those who are not grhasthas - the brahmacaris, vanaprasthas and sannyasis - they don't have to do anything but strive for advancement in spiritual life
- As I advance in my spiritual life, I'll see, "Here is Krsna." It is not the doll Krsna. Doll Krsna is for the kanistha-adhikari. But one who is advanced, he sees Krsna
- At the time of death the mental condition will give you another body. There is proof also, just like Maharaja Bharata. He was advancing in spiritual life - he left his kingdom - but at the time of death he was thinking of a deer, so he became a deer
- Atheistic people are not concerned, not a drop they are concerned for advancing in spiritual life
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- Bharata left his home, wife, children, kingdom and everything else to advance his spiritual life in the forest, but again he fell victim to material affection due to his attachment to pet deer. What, then, was the use of his renouncing his family
- Brahma, as the supermost brahmana, is afraid of such a falldown, and therefore he prays to the Lord for protection. This is a warning for one and all in the spiritual advancement of life
- By avoiding offenses against the Deity and the spiritual master, one can advance in spiritual life, or Krsna consciousness
- By practicing bhakti-yoga, one can directly perceive his advancement in spiritual life. In other practices - like karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and dhyana-yoga - one may not be confident about his progress
- By questioning the spiritual master and by serving him, one can advance in spiritual life
- By serving the lotus feet of his spiritual master, prince Priyavrata very soon attained the perfectional stage of Krsna consciousness. This is the only way to advance in spiritual life
- By the grace of a spiritual master like Maitreya, one gets the proper instruction and advances in his spiritual life
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- Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that one should be humbler than the grass on the street and more tolerant than the tree. One should not be proud or falsely puffed up. In this way one will surely advance in spiritual life
- Canakya Pandita also said that those who are advancing in spiritual life, they should place before him that, "Here is death," just before him. And those who are karmis, like ass, they'll always think that, - I'll never die
- Chanting is kirtana, and hearing SB. Hearing and chanting and serving and worshiping, and if possible to live in a sacred place like Vrndavana and Mathura. These five things are recommended by Caitanya for quick advancement of spiritual life, very quick
- Character building is the groundwork for seating Krishna Consciousness and the Vedic injunction is that one can advance in spiritual life by following the rules of austerity and celibacy
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- Even if one is able to perform other processes of devotional service, one must adopt the chanting of the holy name as the principal method of advancing in spiritual life
- Even if you do not understand the philosophy, even you do not read the books, simply if you take part in these three things, chanting, dancing and taking part in eating the prasadam, your life will gradually progress in spiritual advancement of life
- Every human being must advance his spiritual life and at the end return home, back to Godhead. Maharaja Rsabhadeva strictly followed all these principles
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- Five things: vaisnava-seva, to serve the Vaisnava pure devotee; and to hear; chanting; & to worship the Deity; and to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, chanting. These five things are recommended by Lord Caitanya for quick advancement of spiritual life, very quick
- For advancement in anything, especially in spiritual life, one must strictly follow the bona fide instructions of the teacher. Aditi did this. She strictly followed the instructions of her husband and guru
- For advancement in spiritual life, such tapasya (fasting and other dietary regulations) is essential. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something which may be painful
- For one who desires to advance in spiritual life, attachment to material opulence and attachment to a beautiful wife are two great impediments. Such attachments are condemned even more than suicide
- For our spiritual advancement of life we must have the sense that "Why we should accept unnecessary things which is not at all important?" The four things are restricted: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication
- For spiritual advancement of life, one has to know these basic knowledge, how we have to lead our life in order to make advancement in Krsna consciousness. We have therefore these restrictions
- For those who are advancing in spiritual life - not only for them but for everyone - the sastras, scriptures, say that you should not sit in a secluded place even with your mother, even with your daughter or your sister
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- He (a devotee) should not lament for any loss or any reverse in his advancement in spiritual life. This patience (dhairya) is the third positive item for advancing in devotional service
- How many people know that he is not body? Unless we understand this first principle of knowledge, there is no question of spiritual advancement of life
- Human society should take advantage of the instructions from both sruti and smrti. If one wants to advance in spiritual life, he must take these instructions and follow the principles
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- If anyone wants to advance in spiritual life, he has to come back to the platform of purified desire, the purified desire for devotional service
- If despite practicing bhakti-yoga and studying all the Vedic literature, one is afraid of giving up his bad body, which is the cause of all his suffering, what is the use of his attempts to advance in spiritual life
- If one by practice of meditation is actually advancing in spiritual life, why he's materially affected? What is the difference between a person materially affected and spiritually advanced
- If one desires to advance in spiritual life but he acts whimsically, not following the orders of the spiritual master, he has no shelter. Yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi
- If one is actually advancing in spiritual life, he must become very much detached from material enjoyment
- If one wants to advance in spiritual power, one must receive his mantras from one of these bona fide sampradayas; otherwise he will never successfully advance in spiritual life
- If one wants to continue this business then he'll continue this material body, and if he wants to stop this business, come to his original position, then he makes real progress in life. But nobody is interested in advancement of spiritual life
- If we choose to see the image merely as a piece of wood or stone, Krsna will always remain wood or stone for us. Krsna is everywhere, but as we advance in spiritual consciousness we can begin to see Him as He is
- If you actually serious about advancement of spiritual life, then you cannot encourage illicit connection, no. I request all my young students that - You get yourself married
- If you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayasah. The first thing is atyahara, eating too much than necessity, atyahara, or collecting more than you require
- If you want to advance in spiritual life, you must follow the regulative principles to rectify your mistakes in the past life and this present life. Without being freed from all contamination nobody can understand God
- Illuminating knowledge can be acquired by studying the teachings of Lord Caitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence - CC Preface
- Illuminating knowledge can be acquired from the teachings of Lord Caitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence
- In Europe and America there is presently no monetary scarcity. People are not poor, and if they follow these principles of Deity worship, they will advance in spiritual life
- In the body of a deer, Bharata Maharaja began to lament: What misfortune! I have fallen from the path of the self-realized. I gave up my real sons, wife and home to advance in spiritual life, and I took shelter in a solitary holy place in the forest
- In this way (following vanaprastha stage) both husband and wife can advance in spiritual consciousness. This advanced stage is called the paramahamsa stage, & once it is obtained, both husband & wife can be actually liberated from bodily consciousness
- Instead of advancing in spiritual life, many have fallen into material habits and even in Vrndavana have become victims of illicit sex, gambling and intoxication
- It is advised that one not act in a way that will obstruct the regular process of advancement in spiritual life and liberation
- It is better to use one's time for advancement in the spiritual life of Krsna consciousness. One should not waste his valuable life as a human being. It is better to utilize this life for developing KC, without ambitions for so-called happiness
- It requires great advancement of spiritual life when one can concentrate in chanting Hare Krsna mantra. It is not so easy
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- Narottama dasa Thakura says, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: without serving a pure devotee, one cannot advance in spiritual life
- Now I have given you everything, but I do not see that even the basic principles of advancement in spiritual life are always there, and sometimes there is tendency to neglect what is our real purpose of life, namely, to become mad after Krsna
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- One must drink the nectar of the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this means that one must be always engaged in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. It is the prime method for advancing in spiritual life
- One should hear from authentic sources how to advance in spiritual life; such instructions should be taken from the acarya and should be assimilated
- One who intends to advance in spiritual life may visit all these places and perform ritualistic ceremonies to get results a thousand times better than the results of the same activities performed in any other place
- One who is engaged without a relationship with Krsna is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much one may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. BG 1972 purports
- One who is not satisfied simply to become perfect himself but wants to see others also take advantage of the holy name of the Lord and advance in spiritual life. The outstanding example is Prahlada Maharaja
- One who is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, should not contemplate the attractive features of women and the opulence of rich men. Such contemplation will check one's advancement in spiritual life
- One who is serious in advancing his spiritual life should be very cautious not to become attached to anything but Krsna
- Only by thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord and always taking the spiritual master's advice can one advance in spiritual life and understand Vedic knowledge
- Our disease is desire for that which is material; even while advancing in spiritual life, we want material acclaim. One must be freed from this disease. Pure devotion must be anyabhilasita-sunyam without desire for anything material
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- Restrictions are there for the less intelligent neophytes in the spiritual advancement of life, but such restrictions are only good if one actually has a taste for Krsna consciousness. BG 1972 purports
- Retirement from household life is meant for penance, for advancement in spiritual life, and renounced life is meant for preaching the Absolute Truth to the people in general
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- Sadhu-sanga (CC Madhya 22.83), by association of sadhu one can achieve advancement in spiritual life. And in all sastras it is recommended that associate
- Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. BG 1972 purports
- Satisfaction of the spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life
- Satyaraja Khan said, "My dear Lord, being a householder and a materialistic man, I do not know the process of advancing in spiritual life. I therefore submit myself unto Your lotus feet and request You to give me orders"
- Service to the Vaisnava, Tulasi, Ganges and Yamuna are included in pada-sevanam. All these processes of pada-sevanam help one advance in spiritual life very quickly
- Simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord one advances perfectly in spiritual life. This is the best process for success in life. In other ages the chanting of the holy name is equally powerful but especially in this age Kali-yuga, it is most powerful
- Simply, just observe the four regulative principles - no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This much we have to practice if we are actually serious to go..., advance in spiritual life
- Since materialistic people are concerned with the tongue, belly and genitals, if anyone wants to advance in spiritual life he must be very careful about associating with such people. To associate with such materialistic men is to commit purposeful suicide
- So each and every verse you should chant very perfectly, nicely, meditate upon it. That is the process of progress, advancement in spiritual life. We should get all these verses by heart, and chant, and offer prayer to the Lord, vandanam. Vandanam
- Sri Rupa Gosvami also warns that too much eating and too much endeavor (atyaharah prayasas ca NOI 2) are against the principles by which one can advance in spiritual life
- Srila Rupa Gosvami has recommended, anasaktasya visayan (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255). Without being attached by sex, the husband and wife may live together for the advancement of spiritual life
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- Tapasya required. If we want advancement in spiritual life, we must accept some sort of tapasya
- That is dharma, discipline, to abide by the state laws. There must be some discipline. Similarly, to make yourself advanced to spiritual life, you must have to observe the discipline. Without discipline, it is not possible
- The beginning is cleansing the heart, because we are impure on account of dirty things within our heart accumulated life after life in the animalistic way of life. So everything, advancement of spiritual life, culture, tapasya means cleansing the heart
- The first business of one trying to advance in spiritual life is to control the mind and senses
- The instructions and teachings of Caitanya are very important for people in general. He teaches the process of devotional service, which is the constitutional occupation of every living entity, for it is every man's duty to advance in spiritual science
- The path of advancement in spiritual life opens for anyone who comes in contact with a holy man, and by following the path of the devotee, one is sure to develop Krsna consciousness in full devotional service
- The personified Vedas continued to pray, "Thus they (Intelligent persons) are immediately freed from the contamination of the material qualities; they do not have to undergo severe penances and austerities for advancement in spiritual life"
- The sannyasi reaches the paramahamsa stage when he finishes his preaching work and sits down in one place, strictly for the sake of advancing in spiritual life
- The secret of success in advancement in spiritual life is the firm faith of the disciple in the orders of his spiritual master
- The senses should only be gratified to keep the body fit so that one can discharge his duty in advancing in spiritual life. BG 1972 purports
- The spiritual master is not actually happy if the disciple brings him money, but when he sees that a disciple is following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life, he is very glad and feels obliged to such an advanced disciple
- There are four sampradayas: Brahma-sampradaya, Rudra-sampradaya, Kumara-sampradaya and Laksmi-sampradaya. And if we do not take either of these sampradayas in disciplic succession, then our attempt to advance in spiritual life will be failure
- These representatives of attachment and envy are very much unfavorable for advancement in spiritual life. One should not be attracted by the breasts of young women
- They (the population) are short lived, poor in knowledge, slack in advancement of spiritual life, unfortunate, and embarrassed by so many miserable conditions of life; like war, famine pestilence, poverty and so on
- This human form of life is meant for the advancement of spiritual life and for keeping the material necessities in order
- Those who are interested in advancing in spiritual life must be silent. Silence means talking only of krsna-katha
- Those who are not enthusiastic, lazy, lethargetic, they cannot advance in spiritual life
- Those who do believe in the value of these things (the scriptures and the existence of God) are known as arya, a word denoting those who believe in advancing in spiritual life
- Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous
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- We are very slow, especially in the spiritual matter. Practically there is no intention all over the world. They do not know that the real business is spiritual advancement of life. They are so in darkness
- We have got very nice example that in political field there are parties. Unless you belong to some party, you cannot stand for election. Similarly, if one person who desires to advance in spiritual life, he must take initiation from the sampradaya
- When one becomes completely faithful in regard to this instruction, one's strong faith becomes the basis for advancing in spiritual life
- When such possessions (earned by prostitution) are given to Vaisnavas who can engage them in the service of the Lord because of their advancement in spiritual life, this helps the person who gives the charity, for he is thus relieved of sinful reactions
- Whether he is an impersonalist or a devotee, one who is actually interested in advancing spiritually should not mingle with those who are simply interested in maintaining the body by means of the so-called advancement of civilization
- Why is this welcome? It is welcome because seeing Krsna or remembering Krsna means advancing in spiritual life so that we will not have to suffer any more of these dangers. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna