Best of both worlds - Srila Prabhupada writes-

But even though he falls down, a devotee is never to be considered the same as a fallen karmi. A karmi suffers the result of his own fruitive reactions, whereas a devotee is reformed by chastisement directed by the Lord Himself. The sufferings of an orphan and the sufferings of a beloved child of a king are not one and the same. An orphan is really poor because he has no one to take care of him, but a beloved son of a rich man, although he appears to be on the same level as the orphan, is always under the vigilance of his capable father. A devotee of the Lord, due to wrong association, sometimes imitates the fruitive workers. The fruitive workers want to lord it over the material world. Similarly, a neophyte devotee foolishly thinks of accumulating some material power in exchange for devotional service. Such foolish devotees are sometimes put into difficulty by the Lord Himself. As a special favor, He may remove all material paraphernalia. By such action, the bewildered devotee is forsaken by all friends and relatives, and so he comes to his senses again by the mercy of the Lord and is set right to execute his devotional service.

   In the Bhagavad-gita it is also said that such fallen devotees are given a chance to take birth in a family of highly qualified brahmanas or in a rich mercantile family. A devotee in such a position is not as fortunate as one who is chastised by the Lord and put into a position seemingly of helplessness. The devotee who becomes helpless by the will of the Lord is more fortunate than those who are born in good families. The fallen devotees born in a good family may forget the lotus feet of the Lord because they are less fortunate, but the devotee who is put into a forlorn condition is more fortunate because he swiftly returns to the lotus feet of the Lord, thinking himself helpless all around. . [Srila Prabhupada’s purport, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.19]

Cracked up to be- from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam lecture 6/11/69 NV-

Just like Yamunacarya. He was emperor. He was emperor. And his standard of living is very, was very high. Standard of living, materialistic standard of living, means, high standard of living means, unrestricted enjoyment of wine and woman. That's all. That is the standard. So he was addicted to all these habits. He was king. At his command everything was there. If, if a man is rich, three things, four things will be at his command: wine, woman, gold and gambling. It is called. Yes. So therefore these are the places, I mean to say, allotted to Kali by Pariksit Maharaja. Therefore a persons who is desirous of advancing in Krsna consciousness, he should take care. So this Yamunacarya later on became a great devotee. So he has got... He happened to be the spiritual master of Ramanujacarya. He became a great devotee, Yamunacarya, in the Sri-sampradaya Vaisnavas. So he writes very nice... These are practical experience of the acarya. Yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde nava-nava-dhamany udyatam rantum asit... He was, in his previous life, very extravagant. So he says, "Since I have taken to Krsna consciousness and I am enjoying daily new, new transcendental pleasure, being advancing myself in that science, the result is," tad-avadhi, "from that day, since that day," bata nari-sangame... Because he was accustomed to associate with women very much. "So now, simply by thinking of this womanly association..." Means sex life. He says, bhavati mukha-vikarah susthu nisthivanam ca: "Oh, I hate. My face immediately becomes turned. Oh, what nonsense. I used to..." So the bhakti, this Krsna consciousness, the test is there. The more you become advanced, more you become, no more any interest in this material pleasure.

brahma-tejas- Srila Prabhupada writes- 

The sages say that when we surrender to the Lord, we will clearly see how the He personally makes arrangements for us, even in small matters. Then we will easily see how with His omnipotent supreme intelligence He is assisting us out of love. So it is unnecessary to waste time in further speculation. We have to vanquish illusion, develop equanimity and spontaneity, and practice bhakti-yoga. Then a supremely powerful force will gradually transform our material existence into spiritual existence. All our misconceptions, accumulated over millions of lifetimes, will be rectified in a short time. Hence we need not become anxious because of a lack of time. The eightfold yoga practice--yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and so on--gives quick results, and one feels that he is doing something substantial. However, although such efforts may certainly make one materially proficient, they are nevertheless simply human endeavors. They are totally distinct from the activities carried out by the Lord's potency. The Supreme Lord's energy often works in subtle ways, but where it ultimately takes us is inconceivable to the human mind. [from Srila Prabhupada's book of his early essays - Renunciation through Wisdom.]

Soul comes to perfection-From essay by Srila Prabhupada- 

As the air carries the scent of the place it blows over, so the soul carries a person's subtle body of mind, intelligence, and false ego, along with his state of consciousness, on to his next birth, and his body is determined accordingly. When a breeze blows over a garden, it carries the fragrance of flowers with it, but when it blows over a rubbish heap, the breeze is filled with the stench. Similarly, the activities a person performs during his lifetime continuously influence his mentality, and at the time of death the cumulative effect of these activities determines his state of consciousness. Thus the subtle body formed during one's lifetime is carried over to one's next birth and manifests as the soul's next gross body. Naturally, therefore, the gross body reflects one's state of consciousness. As the popular saying goes, "The face is the index of the mind." And the mind is the product of the activities of one's present and previous lives. In other words, one's mind, intelligence, and false ego, which are influenced by one's habits in this and previous births, form the matrix that determines the type of body and mentality one will have in the next life. Hence the connection between one's previous, present, and future lives is the mind, intelligence, and false ego.

The activities of the day evoke dreams at night and induce emotions appropriate to those activities. Similarly, the activities performed in one's lifetime flash across one's mind at the moment of death and determine one's next life. Therefore, if one's present activities are directed toward chanting, hearing, and remembering the Supreme Lord's transcendental name, along with descriptions of His beauty, qualities, pastimes, associates, and paraphernalia, then one's consciousness at the moment one leaves his body will automatically be attracted to the Lord. [from Srila Prabhupada's book of his early essays - Renunciation through Wisdom.]

Note: We can see from "the index of the mind" or Jayananda's face [of which we have many photos], that the matrix of his body and mentality of his earthly life was determined by his previous life, which was permeated by a dominance of pious mind and intelligence, like the example of the breeze blowing over a garden accumulating sweet qualities.

Bhava- Srila Prabhupada writes- 

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was a liberated soul, and thus he remained always alert not to be trapped by the illusory energy. In the Bhagavad-gita this alertness is very lucidly explained. The liberated soul and the conditioned soul have different engagements. The liberated soul is always engaged in the progressive path of spiritual attainment, which is something like a dream for the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul cannot imagine the actual engagements of the liberated soul. While the conditioned soul thus dreams about spiritual engagements, the liberated soul is awake. Similarly, the engagement of a conditioned soul appears to be a dream for the liberated soul. A conditioned soul and a liberated soul may apparently be on the same platform, but factually they are differently engaged, and their attention is always alert, either in sense enjoyment or in self-realization. The conditioned soul is absorbed in matter, whereas the liberated soul is completely indifferent to matter. This indifference is explained as follows. [explanation is in next verse, 1.5.5] [passage from Srila Prabhupada’s purport, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.4]

Service- Srila Prabhupada’s lecture- 

So what is the defect? The defect is that my business is to render service to the Supreme Lord which is misplaced in so many ways. In so many ways I am giving service to my society, to my friend, to my community, to my nation, and so on, so on. That is misplaced. Your duty is to render service to Krsna, or God, but that is being misplaced. Therefore you are not satisfied, neither the person to whom you are giving service, they are also not satisfied. This is the material world. Therefore Krsna comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata. Dharmasya again. What is that dharma? To render service. When there is discrepancy to render service, then Krsna comes to teach you how you should render service. Bhagavad-gita class Durban Oct 11, 1975

Rascals - Srila Prabhupada lecture-

Everything is being pulled down by the laws of material nature, and still, because we are so fool and rascal, we are thinking, "independent." This is our fault. This is our fault. We do not know what is the aim of life, how prakrti, nature, is carrying us, how we can protect ourself from the problems of life. We are busy in solving the temporary problems of life, just like dependence or independence. These are temporary problems.

Actually we are not independent. We are dependent on the laws of nature. And suppose we become independent, so-called independent, for a few days. That is not independence. Real independence is how to get out of the clutches of these material laws. Therefore Krsna presents before you the problem amongst... We have got so many problems, but that is temporary. Real problem is, Krsna says, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. A man of knowledge should always keep in the front the real problem. What is that? Birth, death, old age, and disease. This is your real problem. So the human life is meant for solving these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Krsna consciousness.  Bhagavad-gita class Durban Oct 11, 1975

Kirtan-

Srila Prabhupada lecture-

The process is how to think of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. This is meditation. So this... By kirtana it becomes very easy. If you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra twenty-four hours like Haridasa Thakura... That is not possible. So as much as possible... Tirtha-yasasa. Kirtana, this is also kirtana. We are talking about Krsna, reading about Krsna, reading Krsna's instruction in the Bhagavad-gita or reading Krsna's glories in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. They are all kirtana. It is not that simply when we sing with musical instruments, that is kirtana. No. Anything you talk about Krsna, that is kirtan.  Srila Prabhupada  lecure on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.18  date-10/27/1975 Nairobi

Equal vision-

Here Lord Siva's excellent character is described. In spite of the cursing and countercursing between the parties of Daksa and Siva, because he is the greatest Vaisnava he was so sober that he did not say anything. A Vaisnava is always tolerant, and Lord Siva is considered the topmost Vaisnava, so his character, as shown in this scene, is excellent. He became morose because he knew that these people, both his men and Daksa's, were unnecessarily cursing and countercursing one another, without any interest in spiritual life. From his point of view, he did not see anyone as lower or higher, because he is a Vaisnava. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (5.18), panditah sama-darsinah: one who is perfectly learned does not see anyone as lesser or greater, because he sees everyone from the spiritual platform. Srila Prabhupada’s purport - Srimad Bhagavatam  4.2.33

Service attitude-

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not perceivable through the gross material senses. It is said that Lord Sri Krsna's name, fame, pastimes, etc., cannot be understood by material senses. Only to one who is engaged in pure devotional service under proper guidance is He revealed. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated, premanjanacchurita.... one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, always within himself and outside himself if he has developed the transcendental loving attitude towards Him. Thus for people in general He is not visible. Here it is said that although He is all-pervading, everywhere present, He is yet not conceivable by the material senses. But actually, although we cannot see Him, everything is resting in Him. BG 9.4P 

The summary is that one has to, first of all, seek the association of pure devotees who not only are learned in the Vedanta but are self-realized souls and unalloyed devotees of Lord Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. In that association, the neophyte devotees must render loving service physically and mentally without reservation. This service attitude will induce the great souls to be more favorable in bestowing their mercy, which injects the neophyte with all the transcendental qualities of the pure devotees. Gradually this is developed into a strong attachment to hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, which makes him able to catch up the constitutional position of the gross and subtle bodies and beyond them the knowledge of pure soul and his eternal relation with the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead. SB 1.5.34P

She thought that the Supreme Personality of Godhead could be pleased only out of His own causeless mercy upon the devotee; otherwise, there was no other means to please Him. Lord Caitanya, in the same way, prayed in His Siksastaka verses, "My Lord, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other I have fallen into this material existence. If You kindly pick Me up and fix Me as an atom of dust at Your lotus feet, it will be a great favor to Your eternal servant." The Lord can be pleased only by a humble attitude in the service spirit. The more we render service unto the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master, the more we make advancement on the path of approaching the Lord. We cannot demand any grace or mercy from the Lord because of our service rendered to Him. He may accept or not accept our service, but the only means to satisfy the Lord is through the service attitude, and nothing else. KB chap 58

Special mercy-

Only by devotional service is the Supreme Truth, Krsna, pleased, and by His inconceivable energy He can reveal Himself to the heart of the pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Krsna within his heart; therefore he is just like the sun that dissipates the darkness of ignorance. This is the special mercy rendered to the pure devotee by Krsna. BG 10.11P

Confidential devotees of the Lord see in every step a benedictory direction of the Lord. What is considered to be an odd or difficult moment in the mundane sense is accepted as special mercy of the Lord. Mundane prosperity is a kind of material fever, and by the grace of the Lord the temperature of this material fever is gradually diminished, and spiritual health is obtained step by step. Mundane people misunderstand it. SB 1.6.10 P

The Lord's mercy upon the fallen souls is equally distributed. He has no one as the specific object of hostility. The very conception of the Personality of Godhead as a human being is misleading. His pastimes appear to be exactly like a human being's, but actually they are transcendental and without any tinge of material contamination. He is undoubtedly known as partial to His pure devotees, but in fact He is never partial, as much as the sun is never partial to anyone. By utilizing the sun rays, sometimes even the stones become valuable, whereas a blind man cannot see the sun, although there are enough sun rays before him. Darkness and light are two opposite conceptions, but this does not mean that the sun is partial in distributing its rays. The sun rays are open to everyone, but the capacities of the receptacles differ. Foolish people think that devotional service is flattering the Lord to get special mercy. Factually the pure devotees who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord are not a mercantile community. A mercantile house renders service to someone in exchange for values. The pure devotee does not render service unto the Lord for such exchange, and therefore the full mercy of the Lord is open for him. Suffering and needy men, inquisitive persons or philosophers make temporary connections with the Lord to serve a particular purpose. When the purpose is served, there is no more relation with the Lord. A suffering man, if he is pious at all, prays to the Lord for his recovery. But as soon as the recovery is over, in most cases the suffering man no longer cares to keep any connection with the Lord. The mercy of the Lord is open for him, but he is reluctant to receive it. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a mixed devotee. Those who are completely against the service of the Lord are considered to be in abject darkness, those who ask for the Lord's favor only at the time of necessity are partial recipients of the mercy of the Lord, and those who are cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord are full recipients of the mercy of the Lord. Such partiality in receiving the Lord's mercy is relative to the recipient, and it is not due to the partiality of the all-merciful Lord. SB 1.8.29P

Mango - Srila Prabhupada says the mango is the king of fruit, and the example of the mango is used many times in his books. From Caitanya-caritamrta- Cc Adi.17.80-88-

   The Lord then sowed a mango seed in the yard, and immediately the seed fructified into a tree and began to grow.  As people looked on, the tree became fully grown, with fruits that fully ripened. Thus everyone was struck with wonder. The Lord immediately picked about two hundred fruits, and after washing them He offered them to Krsna to eat.  The fruits were all red and yellow, with no seed inside and no skin outside, and eating one fruit would immediately fill a man's belly. Purport- In India a mango is considered best when it is red and yellow, its seed is very small, its skin is very thin, and it is so palatable that if a person eats one fruit he will be satisfied. The mango is considered the king of all fruits.  Seeing the quality of the mangoes, the Lord was greatly satisfied, and thus after eating first, He fed all the other devotees.  The fruits had no seeds or skins. They were full of nectarean juice and were so sweet that a man would be fully satisfied by eating only one. In this way, fruits grew on the tree every day throughout the twelve months of the year, and the Vaisnavas used to eat them, to the Lord's great satisfaction. These are confidential pastimes of the son of Saci. Other than devotees, no one knows of this incident. {Purport- Non-devotees cannot believe this incident, yet the place where the tree grew still exists in Mayapur. It is called Amra-ghatta or Ama-ghata.} In this way the Lord Performed sankirtana every day, and at the end of sankirtana there was a mango-eating festival every day for twelve months. {Purport- On principle, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu would distribute prasada at the end of kirtana performances. Similarly, the members of the Krsna consciousness movement must distribute some prasada to the audience after performing kirtana.}

Also- from Teachings of Lord Kapila- From the Vedas we can receive education of all kinds. On a mango tree, there are ripened mangoes and green mangoes. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is the ripened mango of the desire tree of Vedic knowledge: nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam. If the mango is tasted by the parrot, it becomes doubly tasty. The word suka means parrot, and Sukadeva Gosvami spoke Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is therefore more relishable from his lips.

Siksa-guru - SB 4.12.32- Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Suniti. It was Suniti who had given him the clue which had now enabled him to be personally carried to the Vaikuntha planet by the associates of Lord Visnu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Maharaja's mother, Suniti, was his patha-pradarsaka-guru. Patha-pradarsaka-guru means "the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way." Such a guru is sometimes called siksa-guru. Although Narada Muni was his diksa-guru (initiating spiritual master), Suniti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the siksa-guru or diksa-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru, and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja's diksa-guru. Still, he was not less obliged to Suniti. There was no question of carrying Narada Muni to Vaikunthaloka, but Dhruva Maharaja thought of his mother.  [6/30/02 - still adding hypertext to chap 2]

Eager to hear- From Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.25P- 

A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking shelter of His lotus feet, and therefore he has a direct connection with the saffron mercy-particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of the Lord. Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything.

   For a conditioned soul, therefore, it is very important to hear from the mouth of a pure devotee, who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord without any material desire, speculative knowledge or contamination of the modes of material nature. Every one of us is kuyogi because we have engaged in the service of this material world, forgetting our eternal relationship with the Lord as His eternal loving servants. It is our duty to rise from the kuyoga platform to become suyogis, perfect mystics. The process of hearing from a pure devotee is recommended in all Vedic scriptures, especially by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One may stay in his position of life--it does not matter what it is--but if one hears from the mouth of a pure devotee, he gradually comes to the understanding of his relationship with the Lord and thus engages in His loving service, and his life becomes completely perfect. Therefore, this process of hearing from the mouth of a pure devotee is very important for making progress in the line of spiritual understanding.

Smaranam - SB 2.4.16P- 

Lecture BG 4.11-12 NY 7/28/1966
Now, we have received this news, very pleasing. Now next duty? Taj-josanat. Now, if you little try to assimilate it. And what is that assimilation? Smaraëam. Simply by thinking, "Oh, this has been spoken." Try to argue whether it is true or not. So you have to think over. Satam prasangan, taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani. And if you do that... Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-gita, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: "What Bhagavad-gita says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?" Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don’t take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel... Taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati. You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then, gradually, you will make progress.

Kuruksetra-  quotes from the NOD, Nectar of Devotion-

In the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventy-first Chapter, verse 27, it is stated that when Krsna arrived in the city of Indraprastha, Bhima was so overwhelmed with joy that with tears in his eyes and a smiling face he immediately embraced his maternal cousin. Following him were his young brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, along with Arjuna, and they all became so overwhelmed at seeing Krsna that with full satisfaction they embraced the Lord, who is known as Acyuta (the infallible). There is a similar statement about the cowherd boys of Vrndavana. When Krsna was on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, all the cowherd boys came to see Him, wearing jeweled earrings in their ears. Becoming so greatly overjoyed, they extended their arms and embraced Krsna as their old friend. These are instances of full satisfaction in friendship with Krsna.

When Lord Krsna, along with His elder brother Balarama and sister Subhadra, came to Kuruksetra in a chariot on the occasion of a solar eclipse, many mystic yogis also came. When these mystic yogis saw Lord Krsna and Balarama, they exclaimed that now that they had seen the excellent bodily effulgence of the Lord, they had almost forgotten the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman realization. In this connection one of the mystics approached Krsna and said, "My dear Lord, You are always full with transcendental bliss, excelling all other spiritual positions. And so, simply by seeing You from a distant place, I have come to the conclusion that there is no need of my being situated in the transcendental bliss of impersonal Brahman."

There is another statement in Srimad-Bhagavatam telling of the damsels of Vraja meeting Krsna at the sacred place of Kuruksetra, many years after their childhood pastimes. When they met in that sacred place, all the gopis became stunned by the occurrence of a solar eclipse. Their breathing, blinking of the eyes and all similar activities stopped, and they stood before Krsna just like statues. This is another instance of a diseased condition resulting from exuberant transcendental pleasure.

Ruffian - from SB 7.4.31-32P

A Vaisnava is always determined to understand the Absolute Truth, and to understand the Absolute Truth one needs to have full control over his senses and mind. Prahlada Maharaja possessed all these qualities. A Vaisnava is always a well-wisher to everyone. The six Gosvamis, for example, are described in this way: dhiradhira jana-priyau. They were popular with both the gentle and the ruffians. A Vaisnava must be equal to everyone, regardless of one's position. Atmavat: a Vaisnava should be like Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati. Paramatma does not hate anyone; indeed, He is in the heart of a brahmana, but he is also even in the heart of a pig. As the moon never refuses to distribute its pleasing rays even to the home of a candala, a Vaisnava never refuses to act for everyone's welfare. Therefore a Vaisnava is always obedient to the spiritual master (arya). The word arya refers to one who is advanced in knowledge. One who is deficient in knowledge cannot be called arya. At the present, however, the word arya is used to refer to those who are godless. This is the unfortunate situation of Kali-yuga.
   The word guru refers to the spiritual master who initiates his disciple into advancement in the science of Krsna, or Krsna consciousness, as stated by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (sri-bhagavan-mantropadesake gurav ity arthah).

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur-

So this is Vaisnava's policy. Vaisnava thakura, tomara kukkura, baliya janaha more. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, "My dear vaisnava thakura, you just accept me as your dog, as the dog works by the indication of the master." He will give his life. Dog has a good qualification. However a strong dog may be, when the master orders, he will give his life. This is dog, faithful, so faithful to the master. So vaisnava thakura... So Bhaktivinoda Thakura is praying, vaisnava thakura, tomara kukkura, baliya janaha more: "My dear vaisnava thakura..." Vaisnava thakura means guru. "Kindly accept me as your dog." And he describes, I forget the exact language, that "I will always try to protect you. As dog keeps watch, so I will watch so nobody will come to disturb you. And whatever little prasadam you'll give me, I'll be satisfied." That dog's qualification. The master is eating, but the dog will never come, unless the master gives little morsel. He is satisfied. He is satisfied.
So this is Vaisnavism, to follow the previous acarya. This is Vaisnavism. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah.... Tarko 'pratisthah srutayo vibhinna. Tarko, if you are very great logician, you can argue, "Oh why Krsna can be God? I can be God," by logic you may defeat an ignorant devotee, but sastra says by becoming a big logician, you cannot understand transcendental knowledge. Transcendental knowledge you have to understand by submitting, pranipatena, tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg. 4.34]. First of all surrender. Tad viddhi.  => Bhagavad-gita 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973
We are simply sticking to a false platform that "This will save me, this will save me." No. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that jada-bidya jato mayara vaibhava. This material advancement of civilization, very nice, very dazzling. Just like when we pass on the street or road of your American cities, it looks so nice. So many lights and so many night-illuminating signboards. But we should always remember that this nice situation is not permanent settlement. Any moment I'll have to give up everything. Everything. So therefore, if one becomes attached to this false platform, illuminating, so-called illuminating, false platform, then his determination to go back to Godhead will not be very much intense.> Bhagavad-gita 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968




Comforts

Maharaja Yudhisthira was fixed in the service of the Lord Mukunda (the Lord, who can award salvation), and therefore he had no attraction even for such comforts of life as are available in the kingdom of heaven, because even the happiness obtained on the planet Brahmaloka is also temporary and illusory. Because the living being is eternal, he can be happy only in the eternal abode of the kingdom of God (paravyoma), from which no one returns to this region of repeated birth and death, disease and old age. Therefore, any comfort of life or any material happiness which does not warrant an eternal life is but illusion for the eternal living being. One who understands this factually is learned, and such a learned person can sacrifice any amount of material happiness to achieve the desired goal known as brahma-sukham, or absolute happiness. Real transcendentalists are hungry for this happiness, and as a hungry man cannot be made happy by all comforts of life minus foodstuff, so the man hungry for eternal absolute happiness cannot be satisfied by any amount of material happiness. > SB 1.13.17

Hippie-

We are the sons of the richest person. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. Bhagavan means who is the proprietor of all riches. So we are sons of such a rich man. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetana... But we have become mad. We have become mad. We want to enjoy... Just like there are many sons. Although the father is... In America we find many. Although father is rich, millionaire, he has become a hippie, out of frustration, confusion, or some other reason. So our condition, like that. We are the sons of the richest person. Not only richest, the wisest. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. The most powerful, Krsna. The most powerful, the richest, the wisest, the most beautiful. Everything, supreme degree. We are sons of such a father, but we have become mad after this material enjoyment. This is our madness.=> Bhagavad-gita 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973  ---  even if one gives a man the best medicine, he still may die. The results are not always predictable. Therefore, there is a higher authority, daiva-netrena, a supreme director. Otherwise, how is it that the son of a rich and pious man becomes a hippie in the street or that a man who works very hard and becomes rich is told by his doctor, "Now you may not eat any food, but only barley water"? => Krsna Consciousness: Hindu Cult or Divine Culture?

No sleep-

Prabhupada: Well, there is no guarantee of holding up your body even if you have no sleep or have sleep. The material condition is so cruel that body can be finished at any moment. So that is no consideration. The consideration is how to advance in the spiritual consciousness or Krsna consciousness. And if you make, I mean to say, considerable advance, then the eating and sleeping and sex demand or defense, these things will be negligible. Negligible. These things are depending on our practice. Because actually, I don't depend on sleeping or eating or mating or defending. It is simply due to my bodily consciousness these things are required. But when one is actually spiritually advanced, he has no such appreciation. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified, but he never protested because he had no bodily consciousness at all. So when one is spiritually advanced, there is no bodily consciousness. But we should not imitate. That requires advancement, as we have mentioned. Nothing has to be done in hasty. But if you follow the rules and regulation, then someday it will be experienced that how we have spiritually advanced. Just like if you go on eating, not in the first morsel, second morsel, you become immediately satisfied. But when you are full in your satisfaction of hunger you feel happiness, you feel strength. Similarly, we have to follow the spiritual process, and gradually as we develop we become free from all these demands of the body. There was Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he was eating only say a few grains of butter every alternate day. Only a few grains of butter only. Every alternate day he was eating. So eating is also nonessential to one who is spiritual advanced. And so-called sex life, oh, that can be given up from the very beginning. > Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968

Freezing cold-

Aside from jewels, mantras, and medicine, every living being in the creation possesses acintya-sakti to some degree. Although human beings often consider themselves the most powerful of all God's creatures, many lowly creatures possess abilities far beyond those of human beings. For example, growing grass endures trampling and stays out all night in freezing weather without a protest. A human being is not so tolerant. Frogs possess an inconceivable ability to maintain their lives even while buried under the earth. Hummingbirds and insects are flying machines so sophisticated that they can outmaneuver airplanes in many ways. Although scientists tend to think of their work as demystifying the secrets of the universe, they admit that nature at its most basic level remains inconceivable.
The presence of acintya-sakti in both the smallest and the greatest aspects of the universe should lead us to ask, Who is the source of this inconceivable energy? That source is described in the Brahma-samhita as the acintya-rupa, or inconceivable form, of Lord Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.> MM 32  ---  When after the dense, dark night there is finally sunrise in the morning, it is very pleasant; when there is scorching heat, cold water is very pleasant; and when there is freezing winter, hot water is very pleasant. Similarly, when a devotee, after experiencing the distress of the material world, relishes the spiritual happiness awarded by the Lord, his position is still more pleasant and enjoyable.=> KB 88: The Deliverance of Lord Siva

His big heart-

To offer another example, a grave, magnanimous heart is compared to a great city, and a soft heart to an insignificant cottage. There may be many lights, or even great elephants in the big city, but no one will take particular notice of them. But when such lights or elephants are seen near a small cottage, everyone can distinctly point them out.
A hard heart is compared to a lightning bolt, to gold and to shellac. The lightning bolt is very strong and never becomes soft. Similarly, the hearts of those who are engaged in severe austerities and penances do not become very easily softened. The golden heart becomes melted at high temperature, as in ecstatic love. And the shellac heart is very easily melted in slight temperature.
A soft heart is compared to honey, to butter and to nectar. And the condition of the mind is compared to sunshine. As honey and butter become melted even in slight sunshine, softhearted persons become easily melted. Nectar, however, is by its nature always liquid. And the hearts of those who are in pure ecstatic love with Krsna are by nature always liquified, just like nectar.
A pure devotee of Krsna is always specifically qualified with nectarean qualifications and sometimes with the qualifications of butter and honey. On the whole, the heart in any of the different conditions mentioned above can be melted under certain circumstances, just as a hard diamond is sometimes melted by a combination of certain chemicals. In the Dana-keli-kaumudi it is stated, "When love develops in the heart of a devotee, he cannot check the transformation of his sentiments. His heart is just like the ocean at the rising of the moon, when the ebb tide cannot be checked: immediately there must be movement of high waves." Although in its natural state the ocean is always grave and unfathomable, when the moon rises, nothing can check the ocean's agitation. Similarly, those who are pure devotees cannot on any account check the movement of their feelings within.
NoD 32: Symptoms of Continuous Love> NoD 32: Symptoms of Continuous Love

we are these bodies-

Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: "All glories to the Sri Krsna sankirtana!" Why is it so glorious? This has also been explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] by the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one's heart is cleansed. The whole difficulty is that in this age of Kali there is no sattva-guna and no clearance of the heart, and therefore people are making the mistake of identifying with their bodies. Even the big philosophers and scientists with whom we deal are practically all under the impression that they are their bodies. The other day we were discussing a prominent philosopher, Thomas Huxley, who was proud of being an Englishman. This means that he was in the bodily conception of life. Everywhere we find this same misunderstanding. As soon as one is in the bodily conception of life, one is nothing but an animal like a cat or a dog (sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]> SB 8.5.23

honor and dishonor-

Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge -- who knows that he is not this body -- anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this body is useless. One should not be hankering after this material deception. People are very anxious to be famous for their religion, and consequently sometimes it is found that without understanding the principles of religion one enters into some group which is not actually following religious principles and then wants to advertise himself as a religious mentor. As for actual advancement in spiritual science, one should have a test to see how far he is progressing. He can judge by these items.> Bg 13.8, Bg 13.9, Bg 13.10, Bg 13.11, Bg 13.12, Bg 13.8-12

no impediment-

Sometimes we receive letters from neophyte devotees questioning why they have fallen sick, although pursuing Krsna consciousness. They should learn from this verse that they have to become tolerant (dvandva-titiksaya). This is the world of duality. One should not think that because he has fallen sick he has fallen from Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness can continue without impediment from any material opposition. Lord Sri Krsna therefore advises in Bhagavad-gita (2.14), tams titiksasva bharata: "My dear Arjuna, please try to tolerate all these disturbances. Be fixed in your Krsna conscious activities."> SB 4.22.24 

One who is attached to the nectarean honey of the Lord's lotus feet, and whose mind is always absorbed in His glories, may sometimes be checked by some impediment, but he still never gives up the exalted position he has acquired.> SB 5.1.5



unselfish love-

Text- Whenever there is unselfish love, that is its style. The reservoir of love derives pleasure when the lovable object is pleased. When the pleasure of love interferes with the service of Lord Krsna, the devotee becomes angry toward such ecstasy.
PURPORT - As mentioned above, the gopis are the predominated lovers, and Sri Krsna is the predominator, the beloved. The love of the predominated nourishes the love of the predominator. The gopis had no desire for selfish enjoyment. Their feeling of happiness was indirect, for it was dependent on the pleasure of Krsna. Causeless love of Godhead is always so. Such pure love is possible only when the predominated is made happy by the happiness of the predominator. Such unadulterated love is exemplified when the lover deprecates her happiness in service that hinders her from discharging it. Adi 4.202

back to Godhead-

So even Lord Brahma, he is still material and wants to lord it over. He may come down to become a germ, but then he may rise up to Krsna consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the position.
So when I say Yes, there is eternal lila with Krsna, that means on the evidence of Jaya-Vijaya. Unless one develops full devotional service to Krsna, he goes up only up to Brahmasayujya but falls down. But after millions and millions of years of keeping oneself away from the lila of the Lord, when one comes to Krsna consciousness this period becomes insignificant, just like dreaming.
Because he falls down from Brahmasayujya, he thinks that may be his origin, but he does not remember that before that even he was with Krsna. So the conclusion is that whatever may be our past, let us come to Krsna consciousness and immediately join Krsna. Just like with a diseased man, it is a waste of time to try to find out how he has become diseased, better to spend time curing the disease.
On the top of the tree there is a nice tal-fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down, Some panditas, big big learned scholars saw this and discussed: the fruit fell due to the crow agitating the limb. No, the fruit fell simultaneously with the crow landing and frightened the crow so he flew away. No, the fruit was ripe and the weight of the crow landing broke it from the branch, and so on and so on. What is the use of such discussions? So whether you were in the Brahmasayujya or with Krsna in His lila, at the moment you are in neither, so the best policy is to develop your Krsna consciousness and go there, never mind what is your origin. > Letter to Madhudvisa, date and place unknown, letter excerpt, crow and tal-fruit logic.