The Sadhu’s Knife

There is no doubt that the words of the sadhus possess the power of destroying the evil propensities of one’s mind. The sadhus in this way benefit everyone who associates with them. There are many things which we do not disclose to the sadhu. The real sadhu makes us speak out what we keep concealed in our hearts. He then applies the knife. The very word “sadhu” has no other meaning than this. Hestands in front of the block with the uplifted sacrificial knife in his hand. The sensuous desires of men are like the goats. The sadhu stands there to kill those desires by the merciful stroke of the keen edge of the sacrificial knife in the form of unpleasant language. If the sadhu turns into my flatterer then he does me harm; he becomes my enemy. If he gives us flattery then we are led to the road that brings enjoyment but no real well-being.

By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

The Cheating of Great Souls !!

That great souls cheat others may be astonishing to know, but it is a fact that great souls cheat others for a great cause. It is said that Lord Krishna also advised Yudhishthir to tell a lie before Dronacarya, and it was also for a great cause. The Lord wanted it, and therefore it was a great cause. Satisfaction of the Lord is the criterion of one who is bona fide, and the highest perfection of life is to satisfy the Lord by one’s occupational duty. That is the verdict of Gita and Bhagavatam....To satisfy the Lord, anything is good, for it is in relation with the Absolute Truth. We also had the same opportunity to cheat the family members and leave home to engage in the service of Srimad Bhagavatam. Such cheating was necessary for a great cause, and there is no loss for any party in such transcendental fraud.
— Purport to Bhag. 1.13.37

BOILING THE MILK (PART II)

Now I want that we shall concentrate on making our devotees Krishna conscious and
ourselves becoming Krishna conscious, and not be so much concerned with expanding
ourselves widely but without any spiritualcontent. Just like boiling the milk, it becomes thicker and sweeter. Now do like that, boil the milk.
Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Letter to Rupanuga)

THE BELOW MENTIONED ARTICLE IS - BOILING THE MILK (PART I)

Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk. Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet. That is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions.
Srila A. C. BhaktivedantaSwami Prabhupada
(Letter to Hamsaduta)

"This is sense gratification music"

In 1966 in New York City, a boy came by with a record of a famous Indian musician playing a sitar. As soon as the music began, Shrila Prabhupada started to smile. The boy asked, “Do you like this music?” Shrila Prabhupada said, “This is sense gratification music.” The boy was hurt and said, “What do you mean? They play this in the temples in India.” So Prabhupada insisted, “No, this is sense gratification music and this musician is just a businessman.” The boy then replied, “Well, you used to be a businessman.” Prabhupada laughed and said, “Because I went naked then, I should go naked now?”
“Well, what if this musician wanted to become a devotee?” asked the boy.
“Oh, that would be very nice,” said Prabhupada, “if he can come. But this is sense gratification music.”

My dear Lord Krishna, until people become Your devotees, their material attachments and desires remain thieves, their homes remain prisons, and their affectionate feelings for their family members remain foot-shackles.
SB 10.14.36

Inattentiveness and negligence are synonymous. Negligent chanting sows the seeds of anarthas, which soon fructify.
Inattentiveness is of three kinds:
 audasinya: or 'apathetic devotional service', meaning a lack of fixed resolve in sadhana.
 jadya: 'laziness' or even 'inertia'.
 viksepa: which means 'distraction' or 'misplacing one's attention in engagements not directly connected with sadhana bhakti