A pure devotee always thinks himself as non-devotee. If one thinks he is a big devotee that is not good, thinking that he is first degree. We should not be puffed up. A devotee avoids it, remaining always in the second degree. Krishna has given everyone something extraordinary, and to serve Krishna with one’s extraordinary talent means successful life.
- Letter to Sukadeva, March 17, 1973.

Today, 15th March, now it is 7:35, gone, as soon as it is 7:36, you cannot bring back that 15th March, evening, 7:35, again. Even if you pay millions of dollars, “Please come back again,” no, finished. Chanakya Pandita says, “Time is so valuable that if you pay millions of golden coins, you cannot get back even a moment.” What is lost is lost for good. “If you spoil such valuable time for nothing, without any profit, just imagine how much you are losing, how greatly you are loser.”
- San Francisco, March 15, 1968

We act according to our whims, and the resultant action is there immediately. Nature’s law, God’s law, is there. It is not God’s creation that somebody is suffering from some painful condition and somebody is enjoying.

No. We infect ourselves with some contamination because this material world is full of contamination. You must remain very cautious. Otherwise you will have to suffer.
- Mayapur, March 19, 1976.

In the material world we want to minimize our activities and take rest more, but in the spiritual world, there is no rest and there is no limit of activities. Krishna is unlimited, His service is unlimited, and the energy of His servants is unlimited.

Although we are in the midst of ignorance, still if we keep ourselves alert there is no place for ignorance.
- Letter to Tamal Krishna, March 18, 1969.

Depend on Krishna, because after all, He is the ultimate Master of all situations. It is not the doctor, or the medicine, or the place, but it is ultimately Krishna who is the Master to do everything.
- Letter to Rayarama, March 20, 1969.

When we are children, innocent, we have no bad habits, but as we grow and associate with bad company, we also acquire all these bad habits. To give up all these bad habits means we have to associate with sadhus or devotees, saintly persons.

Then we can give it up. This is called anartha-nivrtti means giving up all unwanted bad habits.
- Mexico, February 11, 1975.

God is also an individual person as you are individual person, I am individual person, but the difference between God and you and me is this, that you know your business, I know my business. But God knows everyone’s business. That is the difference.
- Melbourne, April 3, 1972.

When I eat meat, mamsa, it means, “This animal also will eat me again.” You cannot escape this. “Life for life.” That is the law everywhere. If you have murdered somebody, you must be killed also. You can escape the so-called state laws, but you cannot escape the laws of the material nature.
- Vrindavan, April 7, 1976.

A good citizen knows what lawful work is and what unlawful work is. You can hide yourself from the eyes of the police, man-made law, but it is not possible to hide yourself from the eyes of the Supreme because the Supreme is sitting within your heart.
- Bombay, April 6, 1974.

One of the symptoms of a devotee is that he is kind. If our God brother becomes ill, it is our duty to help him get the proper medicine and treatment so that he can recover. There is no question of ill-treating our own God brothers simply because they are sick, nor should you allow such neglect to go on. So long we have this material body there will be sickness, but we have to remain on the transcendental platform nevertheless.
- Letter to Sukadeva, April 5, 1974.

So far as your working engagement is concerned, certainly you are not a karmi. Any person whose constant occupation is Krishna consciousness, he is not a karmi; he is a devotee in all circumstances. You should accept the best source of monetary income and use it for Krishna. That is better than sannyasa. Stick to your job and use it for Krishna consciousness. You are not a karmi.
- Letter to Gopal Krishna, April 4, 1971.

Mango is so nice, either ripened or unripened, it is always good. And that goodness may be tasted by different types of men. But mango is always good. Mango is mango, “King of all fruits.” So devotional service is king of all processes of God realization. That is its position always, either ripened or unripe.
- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971.

Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent. And after being nonviolent one has to learn tolerance and simplicity of living.
Shrimad-Bhagavatam 2.7.37 purport

I can only suggest, and wherever possible that can be applied, but I do not force anyone. After all, you are working so hard to please Krishna only out of love for me, so there can be no question of force if love is there. We should not ever try to force anyone or reduce our Society to an impersonal business exchange.

This will kill everything. Our only purpose in every endeavor is simply to make advancement in spiritual life or in pleasing Krishna.
- Letter to Bhakta Das, April 9, 1972.

Our only request is that if you want happiness, if you want to prosper, make your life successful, you must read Bhagavad-gita thoroughly, as it is, as Krishna says. Don’t try to misinterpret.
- Bombay, April 2, 1974.

It is said by one Vaishnava poet that in every form of life, one gets a father and mother, because without father and mother, nobody is able to get a material body. So father and mother are possible in any form of body, but only in this human form of body one can get in touch with Krishna and a bona fide Spiritual Master.

That is the highest gain of our traveling in different species of life in different planets.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, November 1968

Krishna is like the sun, and maya is just like darkness. Where Krishna is present there cannot be any darkness of maya.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, November 1968 When we keep our association with Krishna, every activity is proper and liberating, but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord's mercy, then like a hand which is severed from the body we become ugly and useless.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, November 1968

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu represented Himself as a very foolish disciple even though He proved Himself as the greatest scholar and was actually Krishna Himself. So one who feels humble and meek has the door for the Kingdom of God opened for him or her.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, December 1968

When one becomes accustomed to inoffensive chanting, then his fruit is that he is promoted to the stage of pure Love of Godhead, or prema. This prema is the perfectional stage of consciousness and the most blissful by very far.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, December 1968

When a person becomes Krishna Conscious, he can understand the falsity representation of this material civilization…. One is satisfied with income which can simply maintain his body and soul together and he is no more interested to increase the bank balance unnecessarily for sense gratification.
- Correspondence, Seattle, October 1968

It is understood that everyone has some nasty habits, but by sticking to Krishna Consciousness, chanting our required rounds loudly, and tending the deities, these items will surely save you. So always be seriously engaged in serving Krishna and pray to Krishna to help you with your frailties.
- Correspondence, Los Angeles, December 1968

As we go on chanting Hare Krishna, in the pure status, we shall be on the loving platform, and at that time, we shall feel the greatest separation from the Lord; but that feeling of separation from the Lord is more relish able than meeting the Lord. These are all transcendental existential understandings and as we grow in Krishna Consciousness, we understand everything, gradually, by the Grace of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and He reveals Himself to the devotee with the progress of Krishna Consciousness.
- Correspondence, Seattle, October 1968

Satisfaction of the mind can be obtained only by taking the mind away from thoughts of sense enjoyment. The more we think of sense enjoyment, the more the mind becomes dissatisfied.
- Bhagavad-gita 17.16 purport

Our business is to try our best. Result we leave it for consideration of Krishna, and we shall not be disappointed whether the result is favorable or unfavorable. Actually there cannot be any unfavorable result, because we are serving Krishna.
- Correspondence, Seattle, October 1968

If you have got some time, the best thing would be to chant Hare Krishna more and more. Because our life is very short, we have to finish our Krishna Consciousness in this life very quickly.

We do not know when we shall meet our next death, our next exit from this platform. But before going out of this platform, we may try to finish Krishna Consciousness. That is our main business.
- Correspondence, Seattle, October 1968

Without cleaning the mind, nobody can advance in spiritual understanding. And the chanting of Hare Krishna is the cleansing process of the mind.
That is our motto. - Correspondence, Montreal, August 1968

On the spiritual platform, the service rendered by a calf to Krishna and service rendered by Radharani and Her Associates, to Krishna, there is no difference. Krishna is so kind and liberal that everyone's service, when it is sincerely offered to Krishna, He accepts.
- Correspondence, Montreal, August 1968

Eating, sleeping, mating, all these are material demands; the more we minimize, then that is good, but not at the risk of health. Because we have to work for Krishna, so we must maintain our health nicely. But we should not eat more than is required for maintaining body and soul together.
- Correspondence, Montreal, August 1968

If by the tongue you chant Hare Krishna mantra, and by the tongue you taste prasadam, you will be perfect, simply by executing these two things.
- London, July 12, 1973.