751102mw.nai Conversations
Brahmananda: The quality of the chanting he’s asking. How can we make
the quality the best?
Prabhupada: Quality, you’ll understand first of all come to the
quality. Without having quality, how he’ll understand the quality? You
follow the instruction of your spiritual master, of the sastra. That
is your duty. Quality, no quality–it is not your position to
understand. When the quality comes there is no force. You will have a
taste for chanting. You will desire at that time, “Why sixteen round?
Why not sixteen thousand rounds?” That is quality. That is quality. It
is by force. You’ll not do it; therefore at least sixteen rounds. But
when you come to the quality, you will feel yourself, “Why sixteen?
Why not sixteen thousand?” That is quality, automatically. Just like
Haridasa Thakura was doing. He was not forced to do. Even Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, He requested, “Now you are old enough. You can reduce.” So
he refused, “No. Up to the end of my life I shall go on.” That is
quality. Have you got such tendency that you will go on chanting and
nothing to do? That is quality. Now you are forced to do. Where is the
question of quality? That is given a chance so that one day you may
come to the quality, not that you have come to the quality. Quality is
different. Athasaktih. Asakti, attachment.
Just like Rupa Gosvami says that “How shall I chant with one tongue, and how shall I hear, two
ears? Had it been millions of tongue and trillions of ear, then I
could enjoy it.” This is quality. Quality is not so cheap. Maybe after
many births. For the time being you go on following the rules and
regulations. It is being done by force. Where is the quality? So you
wanted to understand quality. This is the quality. You’ll not be
forced, but automatically you’ll desire. That is quality.
I am writing books. I am not being forced by anyone. Everyone can do that. Why one
does not do it? Why I get up at night, one o’clock, and do this job?
Because I cannot do without it. How one will do it artificially? This
is quality. Therefore they like my purports. That quality is shown by
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me. “Oh,
I do not see Govinda. The whole world is vacant.” Sunyayitam jagat
sarvam govinda virahena me. This is quality. Just like we have got
practical example. One man’s beloved has died, and he is seeing the
whole universe vacant. Is it vacant? So that is quality of love. So
there is no formula of quality. It is to be understood by himself.
Just like if after eating something you feel refreshed and get
strength, that is quality. You haven’t got to take certificate: “Will
you give me a certificate that I have eaten?” You’ll understand
whether eaten or not. That is quality. When you will feel so much
ecstasy in chanting Hare Krsna, that is quality. Not
artificially–“Chant. Chant. Otherwise get out.” This is not quality.
This is in expectation that someday you may come to quality. That
requires time. That requires sincerity. But quality is there.
Sravanadi suddha citte karaye… It will be awakened. Not by force.
So if we want this quality of chanting we must have constant devotee association
68-09-20.Sat Our relationship is eternal. But if somebody lags behind, so in
spite of our eternal relationship one may not meet other at the
destination. Just like a flock of birds–although very intimately
related, everyone of them has to fly in the sky by individual
strength. If one is less strong, the other cannot keep him in the sky.
That is the law of nature. So long everyone of us is strong in Krishna
Consciousness, there is no doubt, you can fly in the spiritual sky and
meet together without failure. Therefore, individual strength is most
important. And that individual strength is achieved in the association
of devotees also. So you can make your own judgment.
71-10-22.Ray Letter: Rayarama
So in theassociation of devotees we learn this important item–how to
surrender, but if we keep our independence and try to become devotees,
that is not possible.
SB 4.9.11 P Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees…. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in
Krsna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is
not possible. From this statement by Dhruva Maharaja it is clear that
unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does
not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities.
660328BG.NY Lectures
cannot approach God. Therefore it is stated that sato vrtteh. Our
occupation, our vrtti, should be very clear, pious. Sato vrtteh and
sadhu-sanga. Last, last word is very important, that all these things
can be executed if we make our association with similar persons,
similar persons. Those who are on the path of realizing spiritual
perfection, we must make our association with such association. Sat-sanga
means association with good persons who are engaged, if not cent
percent, at least engaged, certain portion of his life for spiritual
realization..