To advance in spiritual life, What basic qualities should We try to cultivate?

To advance in spiritual life, What basic qualities should We try to cultivate?

Srimad-Bhagavatam lists four qualities essential for spiritual growth. Anyone who cultivates these qualities and sincerely chants Krishna’s names can make rapid spiritual progress.

(1) Mercy (2) Cleanliness (3) Self-discipline and (4) Truthfulness.

The four activities that slow down a devotee’s spiritual progress--

(a) Meat Eating (destroys mercy);

(b) Illicit sex (destroys cleanliness);

c) Intoxication (destroys self-discipline) and

(d) Gambling (destroys truthfulness).

Qualities of a pure devotee of Krishna--

A pure devotee is:

(1) Merciful, Kind :

(2) Not defiant, Humble :

(3) Truthful :

(4) treats everyone Equal :

(5) Surrendered to Krishna in words, deeds, and mind

(6) Charitable :

(7) He is pure from material contaminations.

( Sees everything as Krsna’s property.and engage everything in Krsna’s service.

(9) Cares the welfare of everyone :

(10) Peaceful :

(11) Fully Surrendered to Krishna :

(12) He does not have any material desire anymore and his only desire is to serve Krishna.

13) Fixed in Krishna consciousness :

(14) He controls all the six bad qualities, such as lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy by engaging in Krishna’s service.

Jai Shri Krishna

Shrimati Radha and Shri Krishna

 

To be able to serve Shrimati Radha and Shri Krishna, one must first approach a bona fide spiritual master. Krishna has two energies—material and spiritual. The spiritual energy is full of eternal bliss and knowledge, whereas the material energy causes ignorance, misery and death. Although we are all originally spiritual, unfortunately we are now engrossed in the material energy. Because of illusion, however, we do not remember our real position, nor do we know how to return to the spiritual world. Therefore Krishna personally descends to this material world to attract us by exhibiting His transcendental pastimes and by speaking the message of Bhagavad-Gita for our enlightenment. We may approach him through His representative, the spiritual master.

Srimati Radharani, the tenderhearted female counterpart of Lord Krishna, represents His compassionate nature. Therefore he spiritual master, who compassionately appears in the material world for the sake of the fallen souls, is considered a representative of Srimati Radharani. By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can obtain the mercy of Krishna. There is no alternative means for success. Without the mercy of the spiritual master, one cannot make any progress in devotional service. This is the opinion of all bona fide authorities on devotional life.

Radharani is the potency who gives transcendental pleasure to Krishna. When the mercy of that potency is bestowed upon a living entity, he develops love of Godhead and thus attains the highest pleasure—and he can also distribute that pleasure—and he can also distribute that pleasure to others. The process of divine chanting to the Western countries and is spreading it all over the world. The chanting is exactly like the cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

Radhe Radhe Jai Shri Krishna.