"The path of karma is very intricate; therefore we should understand  the distinctions between karma, akarma and vikarma. If we simply engage  in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything becomes clear. Otherwise we will have  to make distinctions between what we should do and what we should not  do in order not to become entangled. In the ordinary course of life we  unknowingly break some law and have to suffer the consequences.  Similarly, the laws of nature are very strict and stringent, and they  accept no excuse. It is a law of nature that fire burns, and even if a  child touches it, he will be burned despite his ignorance and innocence.  Thus we have to choose our course of action very carefully lest the  stringent laws of nature react to bind us to suffering. It is therefore  necessary to understand what work to do and what work to avoid. The word karma refers to prescribed duties. The word vikarma  refers to activities which are against one's prescribed duties. And the  word akarma refers to activities which have no reaction at all. In the  execution of akarmic activities, there may appear to be some reactions,  but in actuality there are not. When we work under the directions of  Kṛṣṇa, this is actually the case - there are no reactions." | "On the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna engaged in fighting, and those  on the side of Duryodhana also engaged in fighting. We must understand  how it is that Arjuna is free from reaction whereas Duryodhana is not.  Externally we can see that both parties are engaged in fighting, but we  should understand that Arjuna is not bound by reactions because he is  fighting under the order of Kṛṣṇa. Thus when we see someone working in  Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should understand that his work does not carry  any reaction. One who can see such work and understand it is to be  considered very intelligent (sa buddhimān). The technique is not so much  in seeing what a person is doing but in understanding why he is doing  it." | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find   us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram &   Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

"We take on a wife because we have some desire to fulfill, but Kṛṣṇa is  complete in Himself (pūrṇam). A poor man may desire to have a thousand  dollars in the bank, but a rich man who has millions has no such desire.  If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why should He have  desires? Rather, He fulfills the desires of others. Man proposes and God  disposes. If Kṛṣṇa had any desire, He would be imperfect, for He would  be lacking something. Therefore He says that He has no desire to  fulfill. As Yogeśvara, or as master of all yogīs, whatever He wills is  immediately realized. There is no question of desire. He becomes a  husband or lover or friend just to fulfill the desires of His devotees.  If we accept Kṛṣṇa as friend, master, son or lover, we will never be  frustrated. Every living entity has a specific relationship with Kṛṣṇa,  but at present this relationship is covered. As we advance in Kṛṣṇa  consciousness, it will be revealed." |  | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find  us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram &  Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

We are actually suffering due to our ignorance. In the law court  ignorance is no excuse. If we tell the judge that we are not aware of  the law, we will be punished anyway. If one has illegally amassed so  much wealth and yet claims ignorance of his transgression, he will be  punished nonetheless. The whole world is lacking this knowledge, and therefore thousands of  teachers of the science of Kṛṣṇa are needed. There is a great necessity  for this knowledge now. We should not think that because Kṛṣṇa was born  in India that the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā is sectarian or that Kṛṣṇa  is a sectarian God. Indeed, in the Fourteenth Chapter Śrī Kṛṣṇa  proclaims Himself to be the father of all beings, as pointed out  previously (BG 14.4) | We must understand the meaning of relationships with Kṛṣṇa. In this  material world we have many relationships as father, mother, wife or  husband. Whatever relationship we find here is but a perverted  reflection of the relationship we have with the Supreme Lord. Whatever  we find in this material world is born of the Absolute Truth, but here  it is pervertedly reflected in time. Whatever relationship we have with  Kṛṣṇa goes on. If we have a relationship in friendship, that friendship  is eternal and continues from life to life. In the material world, a  friendship exists for a few years and then breaks; therefore it is  called perverted, temporal, or unreal. If we make our friendship with  Kṛṣṇa, it will never break. If we make our master Kṛṣṇa, we will never  be cheated. If we love Kṛṣṇa as our son, He will never die. If we love  Kṛṣṇa as our lover, He will be the best of all, and there will be no  separation. Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, He is unlimited and has  an unlimited number of devotees. Some are trying to love Him as lover or  husband, and therefore Kṛṣṇa accepts this role. In whatever way we  approach Kṛṣṇa, He will accept us, as He states in Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find  us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram &  Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

"Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is  controlled and owned by the Lord. One must therefore accept only those  things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one  must not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong."

Consequently all living entities, beginning from Brahmā, the  highest demigod, down to the lowest ant, have the right to use natural  resources. Nārada Muni points out that we can use these resources as  much as we require, but if we take more than required, we become  thieves. Unfortunately everyone is trying to conquer and predominate.  Countries race to the moon in order to put up their flags and claim that  planet. When Europeans came to America, they put up their flag and  claimed it for their nation. This flag planting and flag waving is all  due to ignorance. We do not stop to think where we are putting our flag.  It is not our property, but God's. Knowing this is knowledge, and  thinking that it is my property is ignorance. We have the right to  utilize but not to claim or hoard.

If we throw a bag of grain into the street, pigeons may come and  eat four or five small grains and then go away. They will not take more  than they can eat, and having eaten they go freely on their way. But if  we were to put many bags of flour on the sidewalk and invite people to  come and get them, one man would take ten or twenty bags and another  would take fifteen or thirty bags and so on. But those who do not have  the means to carry so much away will not be able to take more than a bag  or two. Thus the distribution will be uneven. This is called  advancement of civilization; we are even lacking in the knowledge which  the pigeons, dogs and cats have. Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord,  and we can accept whatever we need, but not more. That is knowledge. | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find  us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram &  Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

"Those who are hesitant in taking this path of knowledge have no chance.  Hesitation is due to ignorance (ajñaś ca). For one hesitant in taking to  Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not even this material world will be happy, and  what to speak of the next life. The material world is already miserable,  but if one has no faith it will be more miserable. Thus for the  faithless the situation is very precarious. We may put thousands of  dollars in a bank because we have faith that that bank will not close  down. If we have faith in banks and airlines, why not have faith in Śrī  Kṛṣṇa who is acknowledged by so many Vedic literatures and by so many  sages to be the supreme authority? Our position is to follow in the  footsteps of great authorities like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya and  Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If we keep our faith by executing our duties and  following in their footsteps, success is guaranteed."  | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram & Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

"We may be in a miserable condition, but we accept it thinking that we  are very happy. This is called ignorance. But when one is awakened to  knowledge, he thinks, "Oh, I am not happy. I want freedom, but there is  no freedom. I don't want to die, but there is death. I don't want to  grow old, but there is old age. I don't want diseases, but there are  diseases." These are the major problems of human existence, but we  ignore them and concentrate on solving very minor problems. We consider  economic development to be the most important thing, forgetting how long  we shall live here in this material world. Economic development or no  economic development, at the end of sixty or a hundred years our life  will be finished. Even if we accumulate a million dollars, we must leave  it all behind when we leave this body. We need to come to understand  that in the material world whatever we are doing is being defeated by  the influence of material nature. We want freedom, and we want to travel all over the world and all over the universe. Indeed, that is our right as spirit soul." | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram & Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

"It is not that we are to search out a spiritual master whimsically. We  should be very serious to find a person who is actually in knowledge of  the subject....If we go to a store to purchase some gold or jewelry and we know nothing  about jewels or gold, we are likely to be cheated. If we go to a  jeweler and say, "Can you give me a diamond?" he will understand that  this is a fool. He could charge us any price for anything. That kind of  searching will not do at all. We first have to become a little  intelligent, for it is not possible to make spiritual progress  otherwise."  | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram & Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]

 "Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins with śravaṇam, hearing about Kṛṣṇa through  Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures, and kīrtanam, repeating what  we've heard and glorifying Kṛṣṇa by chanting His names. By chanting and  hearing of Kṛṣṇa we can actually associate with Him, for He is absolute  and nondifferent from His names, qualities, forms and pastimes. As we  associate with Kṛṣṇa, He helps us to understand Him and dispels the  darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa is sitting  within our hearts acting as guru. When we begin hearing topics about  Him, the dust which has accumulated on our minds due to so many years of  material contamination becomes gradually cleaned. Kṛṣṇa is a friend to  everyone, but He is a special friend to His devotees. As soon as we  become a little inclined toward Him, He begins to give favorable  instructions from within our hearts so that we can gradually make  progress." | Link to get  your own copy or  read: www.biglink.to/rajavidya | Find us on social  media:  Facebook  "Sravanam Diaries" | Instagram & Tumblr  @sravanamdiaries | Email:   [email protected]