Bhakti Quotes

Vrajanātha: You said earlier that the spiritual (cit) world is eternal, and so is the jīva. If this is true, how can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced? If it is created at some point of time, it must have been non-existent before that, so how can we accept that it is eternal? Bābājī: The time and space that you experience in this material world are completely different from time and space in the spiritual world. Material time is divided into three aspects: past, present, and future. However, in the spiritual world there is only one undivided, eternally present time. Every event of the spiritual world is eternally present. Whatever we say or describe in the material world is under the jurisdiction of material time and space, so when we say, “The jīvas were created,” “The spiritual world was manifested,” or “There is no influence of māyā in creating the form of the jīvas,” material time is bound to influence our language and our statements. This is inevitabl

  Question:  What is the true meaning of being humbler than a blade of grass?* _____________ * C.f.  Śrī Śikṣāṣtaka  (3): “ tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ” Answer:  Although the Vaiṣṇava is the topmost personality, he considers himself more insignificant than a blade of grass. In reality, he is not insignificant or lowly. Rather he is worthy of being honoured by the Supreme Lord Himself. Vaiṣṇavas are worthy of everyone’s worship and honour. This is why the word  su-nīca * has been used instead of simply  nīca  (low). _____________ * Apart from adding emphasis, the prefix  su-  indicates goodness, virtue and beauty. Therefore  sunīca  has often been translated as ‘humbler’ rather than ‘lower’. “I am the dust of the lotus feet of Śrīla Gurudeva. I am the servant of  śrī guru  and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” This transcendental self-conception ( abhimāna ) is indeed  tṛṇād api sunīcatā * – being humbler than a blade of grass. _____________ *  ṭṛṇāt  – than