Vaisnava Behavior Quotes

“The definition of sin is clear: disobedience against the laws of God. But the age is so dark in ignorance that people defiantly deny that there is even such a thing as sin. Their defiant disobedience is itself the essence of sin.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“And as the age of godlessness increases, all remnants of morality will disappear, until people will eat the flesh of their own family members and – as they are already doing – engage in sex acts with less discrimination then the hogs and dogs.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“The devotee does not cry out God’s name while continuing to defy His laws. An honest devotee is not such a hypocrite or blasphemer of God’s mercy.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“The urge for sin is the contamination of the false ego (ahaṅkāra). Due to false ego a conditioned soul thinks that he is the center and enjoyer of existence; therefore, he is not inclined to be restrained by God’s law.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“Blind, materialistic leaders guide the blind masses, and everyone is falling into the ditch of repeated birth and death.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“The progressive religionists and those who are responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil their valuable human lives should refrain from all the principles of irreligiosity, especially illicit connection with women. If a brāhmaṇa is not truthful, all his claims as a brāhmaṇa at once become null and void. If a sannyāsī is illicitly connected with women, all his claims as a sannyāsī at once become false. Similarly, if the king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and smoking, certainly they become disqualified to discharge public welfare activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle for all religions. The four leaders of the human society, namely the sannyāsīs, the brāhmaṇa, the king and the public leader, must be tested crucially by their character and qualification. Before one can be accepted as a spiritual or material master of society, he must be tested by the above-mentioned criteria of character. Such public leaders may be less qualified in academic qualifications, but it is necessary primarily that they be free from the contamination of the four disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter. – Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.41, purport”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“Again, behavior is the criterion, and since the devotee is the standard for the most important part of life – spiritual advancement – his misbehavior is the greatest disservice to society.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior

“But if the guru and sādhus behave hypocritically, then their teaching cannot be accepted as a transparent via medium, and the whole epistemological system of receiving the truth breaks down.”
― Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Vaisnava Behavior