Real Devotees of God Have No Motive for Material Gain
In a world filled with professional religionists and imitation yogis, finding a genuine saint can be extremely difficult. The clear parameters given by Śrīla Prabhupāda allow us to distinguish those who are truly surrendered to the Supreme Lord from those harboring hidden agendas. By recognizing and associating with these pure souls, we can safely navigate the path back to the spiritual world.
Free From Material Desires
A genuine servant of the Lord does not approach God to fulfill a shopping list of material demands. The singular characteristic of a pure Vaiṣṇava, which Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently highlights, is their complete detachment from worldly acquisitions and their unalloyed desire to simply please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They accept only what is absolutely necessary to maintain their existence for the sake of service.
- A devotee means, real devotee means, he has no purpose for material gain. That is real devotee. Now we have to see what kind of devotee he is. There are two kinds of devotees: with purpose and without purpose.
- Real devotees of bhakti-yoga accept only the material necessities of life absolutely needed to maintain the body and soul together; they refrain completely from all exaggerated material sense gratification.
- The real devotee first offers his surrender to Krsna with his body, mind and words and then uses his body, mind and words for the service of Krsna as Krsna desires.
- They (Real Devotees of Bhakti-yoga) are prepared to undergo all kinds of tribulation, provided they can make progress in the realization of the Personality of Godhead.
Hearing From the Proper Source
Spiritual literature cannot be understood by mere academic study or by listening to those who recite scripture for a livelihood. As Śrīla Prabhupāda constantly instructs, transcendental knowledge descends properly only when heard from the lips of a realized, pure devotee. These genuine saints possess the purified vision necessary to transmit the deep message of the absolute truth directly to the heart.
- According to the sastras: bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya. One should understand the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam by hearing them from a real devotee.
- Now, namanta eva san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. "Just hear the message of God." "From whom?" San-mukharitam: "through the mouth of the devotees." Not professional, not gramophone - through the mouth of, through the lips of real devotee.
- Understand Srimad-Bhagavatam not from professional men but from a real bhagavata, a devotee.
- The purpose of the Bhagavad-gita can be preached only when it is taken up by real devotees of Krishna the Personality of Godhead.
Unwavering Dependence on the Lord
Those who have fully surrendered to the Supreme Lord remain completely undisturbed by the dualities of the material world. The vision of a pure devotee, as Śrīla Prabhupāda so beautifully describes, allows them to see the loving hand of God in every situation, even during times of apparent hardship. Because they know they are eternally protected, they are free from fear and anxiety.
- He (a Vaisnava) knows that "Everywhere I will be protected by Krsna," so he has no problem. Therefore real Vaisnava, he wants to deliver all these fallen souls from this miserable condition of life.
- King Puranjana accepted the punishment as actual love and affection from his wife. In the same way, when a person is punished by the laws of nature, by the will of God, he should not be disturbed. A real devotee thinks in this way.
- Devotee always thinks of his special devotional service and attachment. Such attachment does not violate the regulative principles of devotional service, and a real devotee adheres to these principles strictly; yet always thinks of his particular attachment.
Compassion and Transcendental Vision
Unlike ordinary philanthropists who only attend to the temporary physical body, pure devotees work to cure the root cause of all suffering. The boundless compassion of a saint, which Śrīla Prabhupāda exemplified perfectly, drives them to share the message of Godhead with the most fallen souls. Their purified eyes, anointed with love, see beyond the superficial distinctions of the material energy.
- Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who is the incarnation of Godhead as divine master, delivered the typical naradhamas, the brothers Jagai and Madhai, and showed how the mercy of a real devotee is bestowed upon the lowest of mankind.
- Real devotee, santah, saintly persons, their eyes are purified by the ointment of love of Godhead.
- By allowing her son (Caitanya) to go as a sannyasi and search for Krsna, Sacimata instructs all mothers of the world. She indicates that all sons should become real devotees of Krsna and should not stay at home under the care of an affectionate mother.
Conclusion
Identifying a true saint requires understanding the symptoms of pure devotion, which are completely separate from worldly ambition or showbottle asceticism. The unmatched contribution of Śrīla Prabhupāda was to create a society where one can find such real devotees and learn the art of unconditional surrender. By following their footsteps and adopting their mood of service, anyone can achieve the highest perfection of life.
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 Real Devotees of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.