Without Fail - Strict Execution of Devotional Duties
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently uses the phrase "without fail" to emphasize both the absolute guarantees of the Supreme Lord and the uncompromising standard required of a sincere disciple. When a devotee strictly executes the daily principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness without fail, they are completely assured of overcoming the illusions of the material world and attaining the supreme spiritual destination.
Kṛṣṇa's Absolute Promise
The path of devotional service is not based on blind faith, but on the direct guarantee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights Kṛṣṇa's ultimate promise to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā, assuring that pure devotion inevitably results in liberation.
- Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.
- One should not think that he will do well to wait for the next life to attain Krsna consciousness. We should try to fulfill the mission of Krsna consciousness in this life. Krsna promises us that one who becomes His devotee will come to Him without fail.
- Krsna replied, "My dear kings, I bestow upon you My blessings. From this day forth you will be attached to My devotional service without fail. I give you this benediction, as you have desired."
- A child born in that Krsna atmosphere is sure to develop Krsna consciousness. The perfection which he failed to attain in his last life is again offered in this life, and he can make himself perfect without fail.
The Law of Transmigration
The time of death is the ultimate test of a living entity's consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that nature's law is extremely strict; the exact thoughts held at the moment of leaving the body determine one's next birth without any exception.
- According to Bhagavad-gita: Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
- Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail. Therefore one must train the mind in the system of bhakti-yoga, as did Maharaja Ambarisa, who kept himself always in Krsna consciousness.
- We should pray to the Lord to be able to remember His lotus feet without fail at the time of death, when we are in such a precarious condition.
- One who invokes His transcendental names, even unconsciously, at the time he quits this life, is certainly washed immediately of the sins of many, many births and attains Him without fail.
The Daily Vow
To ensure that one's consciousness is fixed on Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, strict daily practice is required. Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly instructs his followers that to remain spiritually strong and protected from māyā, one must execute the basic rules and regulations of temple life without fail.
- Keep our standard Krishna Consciousness programme to the highest level by always without fail rising early, chanting 16 rounds, holding arotik, going out for street sankirtan, reading books daily, distributing as many books as possible, like that.
- Always strictly follow all the rules and regulations, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes and without fail chanting 16 rounds daily. This will make you strong in Krishna Consciousness which is the most essential thing.
- I may inform you that in order to maintain our status of spiritual strength, everyone of us must very rigidly chant daily sixteen rounds without fail and follow the regulative principles strictly.
- It is better if one fixes up a regulative principle according to his own ability and then follows that vow without fail. That will make him advanced in spiritual life.
The Power of Hearing and Chanting
The processes of śravaṇaṁ and kīrtanaṁ (hearing and chanting) are the lifeblood of devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that if a person diligently hears the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and chants the holy names without fail, they will quickly cleanse their heart of all sinful reactions.
- As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one's sinful activities.
- By the process of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam one can attain the highest perfection of life, namely going back home, back to Godhead, without failure.
- The narrations of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam may be read thousands and thousands of times, and still, without fail, new aspects of the subject matter will be relished by the devotee.
- The twentieth branch of the Caitanya tree was Haridasa Thakura. His character was wonderful. He used to chant the holy name of Krsna 300,000 times a day without fail.
Conclusion
To be victorious over the powerful forces of material nature, a spiritual seeker must adopt a highly disciplined lifestyle. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the laws of transmigration are absolute; whatever one remembers at death will be their next destination without fail. Therefore, to ensure that the mind is fully absorbed in the Supreme Lord at the crucial moment, a sincere devotee must construct their entire life around executing the orders of the spiritual master. By chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles, and studying the transcendental literatures daily and without fail, one becomes perfectly insulated from the illusions of māyā and easily returns back home, back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Without Fail. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.