Want to Make Progress in Spiritual Life Requires Faith in the Spiritual Master
The rare opportunity of a human birth brings with it the responsibility to elevate one's consciousness and escape the cycle of material existence. Through his deeply compassionate instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda maps out the practical and philosophical requirements for ensuring steady advancement on the path of devotional service. This progress is anchored in unwavering faith in the spiritual master, strict regulation of the material senses, and the enthusiastic execution of one's prescribed spiritual duties.
Firm Faith and Worship of the Ācārya
Just as a student seeking material education must enroll in a university, a seeker of the Absolute Truth must submit to a qualified teacher. A central theme illuminated by Śrīla Prabhupāda is that without selecting and deeply trusting a bona fide spiritual master, any attempt at self-realization will stall. By maintaining firm faith in the instructions passed down through the disciplic succession, the disciple is guaranteed safe passage to the spiritual world.
- 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.
- Another important thing is acaryopasanam. If you want to make progress, then you have to approach acarya. Just like if you want to be educated, you go to school, you go to college, you go to university.
- If you want to make real progress, then you must be firmly faithful at the lotus feet of guru.
- Sri-guru-carane rati, ei se, uttama-gati. If you want to make real progress, then you must be firmly faithful at the lotus feet of guru.
Controlling the Senses and Renouncing Material Enjoyment
The material senses are fiercely turbulent and constantly drag the living entity toward sinful behavior and bodily attachment. In his powerful warnings, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that unchecked desires for sex, overeating, and frivolous association completely ruin one's spiritual momentum. To actually progress, a devotee must willfully lose interest in mundane sense enjoyment and strictly control the urges that bind them to the material sphere.
- A devotee who actually wants to make progress in devotional service and go back home, back to Godhead, must lose interest in sense enjoyment and associating with persons who are after money and sense gratification. This is the advice of Lord Caitanya.
- If one wants to make steady progress on the path of self-realization, he must try to control the forces of the material senses.
- 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.
- So I saw that most of the boys and girls, they are keeping the boyfriend, girlfriend. So I requested them that if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you have to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities.
Enthusiasm and Steadiness in Devotional Practice
Mechanical practice without a genuine desire to serve Kṛṣṇa leads to stagnation and a lack of joy in one's spiritual life. To counter this, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that enthusiasm (utsāha) is the foremost requirement for maintaining a vigorous and progressive devotional attitude. When a devotee feels lacking in this crucial enthusiasm, they must carefully rest and re-evaluate their mind rather than agitating themselves further.
- If you want actually to make progress in our devotional life, the utsahan, enthusiasm, is the first thing. If you are lacking enthusiasm, then you should rest, instead of making too much agitation within the mind.
- If we actually want to make progress, then we must take to Krsna consciousness so that after leaving this body there is no more coming down to accept a material body. That is real progress. Otherwise, there is no progress.
- By nature's course, you automatically come to human body. Now, in the human body it is a junction, whether you want to make further progress and if you want to go back again to the cycle of the birth and death and the evolutionary process.
- If we want to make progress towards spiritual advancement of knowledge, this preliminary knowledge we must have that, - I am not this body.
The Role of Austerity and Association
Human life is distinguished from animal life by the capacity to voluntarily perform austerity for a higher purpose. A recurring lesson imparted by Śrīla Prabhupāda is that tapasya—such as restricting one's eating habits—is essential for anyone serious about ascending to the spiritual platform. Moreover, this austerity must be coupled with the association of liberated devotees, who inspire and guide the practitioner along the correct path.
- Tapasya is meant for the human being. He must do it if he at all wants to make progress in life. It is essential.
- 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.
- In this way he (Prthu Maharaja) lived in the forest and underwent severe austerity, especially in regards to eating. In other words, overeating is not at all recommended for one who wants to progress in spiritual life.
- It is said, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh: (SB 5.5.2) if one wants to progress on the path of liberation, he should associate with mahatmas, or liberated devotees.
Conclusion
Advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a deliberate and dynamic process that demands sincerity, discipline, and proper guidance. As meticulously explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda, those who truly wish to make spiritual progress must place their full faith in the bona fide spiritual master and rigorously control their senses. By abandoning the vanity of mundane learning and embracing enthusiastic, austere devotional service, the soul ultimately achieves the supreme destination.
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 Wanting to Make Progress. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.