Category:Making Spiritual Progress
Theme Analysis
Making spiritual progress is the ultimate mission of human life, and its success is strictly evaluated at the final moment. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites a Bengali proverb stating that whatever spiritual progress one makes is tested at the time of death. To pass this test, one must adopt a systematic process based on faith in the spiritual master (ācāryopāsanā) and strict adherence to scriptural injunctions. Progress is not theoretical; it is marked by a tangible shift in taste—as one relishes spiritual happiness, one proportionately abandons material attachment. Even in the face of severe suffering or past sinful reactions, a sincere soul can make rapid progress by taking shelter of a bona fide guru and the holy name.
- The Final Test: The culmination of all spiritual endeavor is remembered at the time of death. If one can remember Kṛṣṇa then, their life is successful.
- Role of the Spiritual Master: One cannot progress without the mercy and guidance of a bona fide guru. Strict adherence to his instructions is the secret to advancement.
- Symptoms of Progress: Spiritual realization is characterized by detachment. As the mirror of the mind becomes cleansed, the desire for material sense gratification diminishes.
- Resilience: True progress is unhampered by material calamities. Like Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee continues to advance even amidst persecution and suffering.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Whatever Spiritual Progress One Makes Is Tested at Death.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Making Spiritual Progress within Family Life.
Pages in category "Making Spiritual Progress"
The following 116 pages are in this category, out of 116 total.
A
- A bona fide spiritual master means there is no difference of instruction from the original instructor and down to this point. He's bona fide spiritual master. So therefore you have to select. If you actually want to make progress in Krsna consciousness
- A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and may be attached to a spiritual organization, but if he is not intelligent enough to make progress, then Krsna from within gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come to Him. BG 1972 purports
- Acaryopasana. We have to worship the acaryas. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita for making progress in spiritual life
- According to a Bengali proverb, whatever spiritual progress one makes in life will be tested at the time of death
- Actually situated in renunciation, such (yukta-vairagya) activities clear the mirror of the mind, and as the actor gradually makes progress in spiritual realization he becomes completely surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 1972 purports
- After qualifying as a dvija one may study the Vedas, and after becoming well versed one becomes a vipra. A vipra, or a qualified brahmana, thus realizes the Absolute and makes further progress in spiritual life until he reaches the Vaisnava stage
- An ascetic is never disturbed by all kinds of sufferings, and that makes him strong and determined on the path of spiritual progress
- Apratihata means in spite of your so-called suffering, the suffering will be reduced or there will be no suffering. But in spite of suffering, you can make progress in spiritual life
- As confirmed in the Vedic injunctions, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau (SU 6.23). One should have complete faith in the guru, who helps the disciple make progress in spiritual life
- As the actor gradually makes progress in spiritual realization he becomes completely surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As we begin to relish spiritual happiness, we proportionately abandon material happiness. As we make progress in understanding the Absolute Truth, we naturally become detached from this false happiness
- As we make progress and get taste of spiritual happiness, so proportionately we give up the taste of this material happiness
- At least a certain percentage of the human society must be brahmin, otherwise the society cannot make any progress in spiritual life. And if we cannot make progress in spiritual life, then our human life is frustrated
B
- By following these principles of devotional service strictly, chanting twenty-four hours a day the maha-mantra one makes positive progress in spiritual life and ultimately becomes completely fit to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face
- By Krsna consciousness, we shall gradually develop our intelligence, real intelligence. Then we shall naturally like to enjoy that spiritual happiness. And as we make progress and get taste of spiritual happiness
- By receiving transcendental messages from the lips of realized souls a person may continue to live in whatever condition he is in and still make progress in spiritual advancement. Thus one can surely advance and fully realize the SPG
- By serving a bona fide spiritual master, gradually a conditioned soul becomes detached from material enjoyment and invariably makes progress in spiritual realization under the direction of the spiritual master
- By serving such guru, bona fide guru, and surrendering unto him, and then questioning him, he can make actual progress in spiritual life, and then he understands properly what is God, what is our relationship with Him
- By simple chanting of this transcendental vibration the people of this age will make exact progress in the matter of spiritual realization....Those who are hopeless about their spiritual realization, Lord Caitanya is the only one hope
- By studying Bhagavad-gita under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, we can remove these doubts and make definite progress
E
- Empty sophistry may show off some mundane erudition, but it cannot help one make spiritual progress. In fact, these dry empirical debates often create big hurdles. So it is better to avoid them
- Engagement in worship of the Deity, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the householders to purify their very existence and make rapid progress in spiritual knowledge
- Even for a king like Maharaja Pariksit there was need of a spiritual master for guidance. Without such guidance one cannot make progress in spiritual life
- Even ordinary students who are trying to make progress in spiritual life, they are not interested, amisa-madya-seva (meat-eating and intoxication). They are not interested. This is practical
- Everyone should engage in the performance of yajna, and the sacrificial fire should be ignited everywhere, the entire purpose being to make people happy, prosperous and progressive in spiritual life
F
- For making advancement in spiritual knowledge, there may be many impediments, but we should be tolerant and continue our progress with determination. BG 1972 purports
- Forget sleeping, eating, mating. This is all material necessities. If you increase these things, then you cannot make any progress in spiritual life
- From these (aquatics), insects and reptiles evolve, and from them birds, beasts and then human beings and finally civilized human beings. Now, the civilized human being is at a junction where he can make further evolutionary progress in spiritual life
H
- Here the first thing is recommended, satyam, truthfulness. Satyam param dhimahi (SB 1.1.1). And the biggest politician says: "This is the qualification of an ass." Just see how much opportunity we have got to make spiritual progress
- Hina means without. And bala means strength. So sastra says, nayam atma bala-hinena labhyah - One who is less strong, or one who has no support of the strength, then he cannot make any progress in spiritual self-realization
- Hiranyakasipu tried to kill him in so many ways, but Prahlada tolerated him. So there may be many impediments to making advancement in spiritual knowledge, but we should be tolerant and continue our progress with determination
- How much you making progress towards spiritual realization and real, real identity of pure consciousness
- Human society means that society which is making progress toward spiritual realization. The most advanced human society was known as arya; arya refers to those who are advancing. So the question is, which society is advancing
- Husband-wife means, a man requires a woman, a woman requires a man. They should be combined in such a way that they can live peacefully. If there is no disturbance of the mind, then they can make further progress in spiritual life
I
- I (Prabhupada) can understand by your activities that you are making good spiritual progress, by Krishna's grace. That is very good news to me. It is not by accident that you are coming gradually to the right point
- I am so glad to see your picture, just a Brahmacarini. The picture was very attractive for me, and I pray Krishna that you may make further progress in Krishna Consciousness so your spiritual beauty may come out more and more
- If anyone, even if he is a householder, wants to make progress in spiritual life, he must control his sex life and should not beget a child without the purpose of serving Krsna. BG 1972 purports
- If he makes progress under the direction of the Spiritual Master, then he revives his original Krsna Consciousness in full and thus he regains his position in the eternal Kingdom of God
- If I am full of anxiety, how can I make progress in spiritual realization?
- If I become victim of the dictation of the senses, then I cannot make progress in my spiritual life; I am third-class, fourth-class man. Mind wants to steal something. If you can control, "No, why stealing?" Then you are master
- 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 gopis and Krsna, and he makes quick progress in spiritual life
- If one is satisfied with his material father and mother and their instructions and does not make further progress by accepting a spiritual master and being educated in the sastras, he certainly remains in darkness
- If one wants actual success in life, he must strictly follow the instructions of the spiritual master. By following such instructions, one is sure to make rapid progress in spiritual life
- If we execute this varnasrama-dharma rightly, then we gradually make progress towards spiritual realization. It is so arranged in that way, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, not by birth but by qualification
- If we want to make progress towards spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have that, - I am not this body
- If you want to be trained up spiritually, then you must accept a spiritual master. So spiritual master trains with these books and explanation, practical demonstration. In this way the student makes progress spiritually
- In Bhagavad-gita it is said that in order to make spiritual progress, one must become fearless. Abhayam sattva-samsuddhih (BG 16.1). Fearfulness is the result of material involvement
- In human society, however, if one is satisfied with his material father and mother and their instructions and does not make further progress by accepting a spiritual master and being educated in the sastras, he certainly remains in darkness
- In order to make progress towards the end of spiritual realization, we must make distinction, but the aim should be one
- In spite of any suffering, you can make progress in spiritual life. Just like Prahlada Maharaja himself. His father put him into so many suffering conditions, but he was not impeded - he made spiritual progress
- In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is therefore explained that one should serve both the spiritual master and Krsna simultaneously and in that way make progress in Krsna consciousness
- In the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita you will find that this is the process by which you can understand practically whether you are making actually progress in spiritual life
- It is also stated (in Srimad-Bhagavatam) that even if one is anxious to make spiritual progress, there are many pseudo-spiritual societies to take advantage of him. People are also characterized in this age as being unfortunate
- It is the duty of the spiritual master to find fault with his students so that they may make progress, not that he should always be praising them
M
- Man is meant for hard working, and woman is meant for homely comfort, love. So both of them, if they are situated in their respective duties under proper training, then this combination will help them to make progress in spiritual life
- Material world means in every step there is danger. That is material world. So therefore we should take guide from guru, from the teacher, from the spiritual master how to make progress
N
- Nothing should be accepted which is not recognized. You see? So this (harer nama eva kevalam) is recognized method. Now it depends on us. Let us follow this process and see how we are making progress in the spiritual path
- Now you be always travelling here and there, visiting the centers in your zone, seeing how things are going on and how the students are making spiritual progress. That is our real concern, the spiritual progress of life
- Now you must very strictly follow the orders of your spiritual master by chanting 16 rounds of japa daily & accepting the 4 restrictions; no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, & no meat-eating. In this way you will surely make progress in KC
O
- Offer something. Just be in love with Him. Then just see how much peaceful you feel. How much tranquility you feel and how you are protected by Krsna, how you avoid insufficiency, how you become pure and how you make your progress in spiritual life
- One clergyman, he was talking with me. He said, "Swamiji, I have seen your disciples have a very nice face, glowing face." And "Yes, certainly. They must be. They are making spiritual progress"
- One has to accept a spiritual master in order to make a solution of his life. In every step of his life the spiritual master guides him. He also makes question to the spiritual master and he guides him so that his progress of life may be systematic
- One has to make progress in spiritual life by not associating with persons who are simply interested in sense gratification and making money. Not only such persons, but one who associates with such persons should be avoided
- One need only be firmly convinced by the spiritual master that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one decides this, he can make further progress by thinking of Krsna, chanting of Krsna and glorifying Him
- One should strictly follow the regulative principles, namely no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling, and in this way one should make progress in spiritual life
- Our real interest lies in understanding this simple fact. Then we can make further spiritual progress. Otherwise, if we remain in the bodily conception of life, our miserable material existence will continue forever
S
- Simply chanting Hare Krsna. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam (CC Antya 20.12). And as the cleansing process of your heart makes progress, then you become freed from the blazing fire of material existence
- Spiritually, all these persons who are very proud of their learning, they're all damn rascals. Asat. Simply rascals. Simply rascal. So you must know that "I am simply rascal" if you want to make progress in spiritual life
- Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna - One should be more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass to make progress in spiritual life
- Srimate Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati used to say, "This place is not fit for a gentleman." Once one has approached Krsna and has attempted to make spiritual progress, Krsna, who is situated within the heart, begins to give directions
- Steadiness means that one should be very determined to make progress in spiritual life. Without such determination, one cannot make tangible progress. BG 1972 purports
- Suffering all sorts of unavoidable misfortunes, one should make progress in spiritual realization because that is the mission of human life. The spirit soul is transcendental to all material calamities; therefore, the so-called calamities are called false
T
- Tapo divyam: (SB 5.5.1) if you want to simply be a human being, and especially if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you must act according to the sastric injunctions. That means tapasya
- That is the sublime philosophy of Krishna Consciousness understanding; implicit faith in Krishna and Spiritual Master. This will make your steady progress towards the Ultimate Goal of back to Home, back to Godhead
- The atmaramas, or self-realized persons, gradually making further progress in spiritual bliss, come to the platform of association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the perfection of life
- The beginning is the faith. And now, as you make your faith intensified, so you become progressive in the spiritual point
- The bona fide spiritual master’s concern is how the devotees who have surrendered to him as a representative of the Lord may make progress in devotional service
- The conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaisnava and that a woman should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard. Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Krsna consciousness
- The disease of the modern civilized man is his disbelief of everything in the revealed scriptures. Faithless nonbelievers cannot make progress in spiritual realization, for they cannot understand the spiritual potency
- The sastra has made the path so clear in a way, that in either of these infection, either sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna, you can make progress spiritual life. Because we must be in either of these
- The Spiritual Master and Krishna are two parallel lines. You have to make your progress on these two parallel lines, you cannot avoid one in preference of the other
- The spiritual master must be satisfied in all respects, because simply by his good wishes a candidate can make wonderful progress along the path
- The training of devotional service for a neophyte devotee completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress towards the path back home, back to Godhead
- The woman helps the man, either as mother or wife or daughter, then both of them, if the woman remains subordinate and the man is making spiritual progress and the woman is helping the man, then both of them will make spiritual progress
- The word nirupita, meaning "concluded," is very significant in this verse (SB 4.30.22). No one has to conduct research work to find God or make progress in spiritual knowledge. Everything is conclusively there in the Vedas
- There is no need of material qualifications for making progress on the path of spiritual realization. In the material world, when one accepts some particular type of service, he is required to possess some particular type of qualification also
- These marriage things are done very psychologically, scientifically, so that they may become happy, and then, in peaceful mind, combine together, good cooperation, they make progress, spiritual. This is the plan, varnasrama-dharma
- They (eating, sleeping, mating and defending) should be so regulated in Krsna consciousness that it will not be disturbing element, but we shall make progress further and further towards spiritual realization of Krsna consciousness
- This is gradual progress of spiritual mind, and this state is called prema, prema-gadgadaya vaca. So we have to make progress as it is exemplified by Prahlada Maharaja
- This process of hearing from the mouth of a pure devotee is very important for making progress in the line of spiritual understanding
- Those who have no faith, they are called faithless. So here it is clearly stated, sraddhavan labhate jnanam - Those who are faithful, they can make progress in this knowledge of spiritual advancement
- To give up these bad habits, that is human life. If we can't do that, then we are not making any spiritual progress of life. So long you'll have a little desire for committing sinful life for your sense gratification, you will have to accept a next body
U
- Unfortunately, in present-day society so-called educated men have no idea what spiritual progress is. Although they have the opportunity in the human form of life to make spiritual progress, they remain misers
- Unless one is meek and humble, to make progress in spiritual life is very difficult
- Unless you accept some institution of making progress in spiritual life, you are animal. Man has got some institution, some social structure, religious structure, political structure. Otherwise, what is the difference between animal
W
- We are interested in spiritual subject matter. Therefore the process is adau gurv-asrayam. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is our process. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master, we cannot make any progress. It is impossible
- We first have to become a little intelligent, for it is not possible to make spiritual progress otherwise
- We have seen that in spite of the very black record of their past lives, persons who take to Krsna consciousness become perfectly cleansed of all dirty things and make spiritual progress very swiftly
- We have to become conservative, follow the rules. Not that we give liberty, that "Whatever you like, you do, and at the same time you make progress, spiritual life." That is not possible
- We may have a very good spiritual master, but if we have no power to inquire, we cannot make progress. Nor should the inquiry be of the nature of a challenge
- We should remain everlastingly a fool before the spiritual master. Not artificially but feelingly and then we can make real progress
- Whatever energy you have, utilize it for understanding Krsna consciousness. That is real progress. Make your spiritual understanding - your understanding of God and self - perfectly clear
- Whatever we learn of God from authoritative sources can be described, and that will help us make spiritual progress. This description is called kirtana
- When a disciple very perfectly makes progress in spiritual life, this gladdens the spiritual master, who then also smiles in ecstasy, thinking, "How successful my disciple has become!"
- When he (an intelligent man) is in association with saintly persons, all his doubts about the spiritual expansion of life are eradicated, and he makes tangible progress on the path of spiritual understanding
- When one can rise to the platform of spontaneous emotion, he can make further progress by spiritual attachment, feeling, love, and many higher stages of devotional life for which there are no English words
- When we buy a ticket, we have faith that the airline company will take us to our destination. Without faith we cannot even live in the material world, what to speak of making spiritual progress
- When you can understand that you are a fool that means that you are a little intelligent because you can detect your own foolishness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to remain a fool just to teach us how to make progress in spiritual life