8 kinds of spiritual knives to cut attachments (Srila Prabhupada)

** 8 kinds of spiritual knives to cut our attachments. **

1. Feb 15 1971 Gorakhpur

Therefore Krishna advises to his devotees that "Don't plan anything. You rascal, you nonsense, you don't give Me trouble. (laughter) Please surrender unto Me. Just go under My plan; you'll be happy. You are making plan, you are unhappy; I am also unhappy. I am also unhappy. (laughter) So many plans are coming daily, and I'll have to fulfill."

2. Sept 4 1966 New York

And what is the result of good association? Now, because, if we make good association, the santah chindanti. Santaha means the persons who are sadhu, who are pious. They can cut off by their words our attachment with this material world. They can cut off. … Just like when a person cuts something, there is no mercy, similarly when a sadhu or a person saint, speaks to his student, he does not make, show any mercy. He speaks the truth so that his mind may be cut off from the unreal attachment.

3. SB 3.25.20 Purport

..because if one associates with a sadhu, the result will be that the sadhu will teach him how to become a devotee, a worshiper and a sincere servitor of the Lord. These are the gifts of a sadhu. If we want to associate with a sadhu, we cannot expect him to give us instructions on how to improve our material condition, but he will give us instructions on how to cut the knot of the contamination of material attraction and how to elevate ourselves in devotional service. That is the result of associating with a sadhu

4. Madhyalila lecture NY 1976

So the Krishna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas again nitya-siddha, to bring them. It is a difficult task. Just I was talking in the morning, it is very difficult task to… Just like a madman. A madman, to again bring him to the normal life is very difficult task. You have got in your country so many institutions. So the whole world, anyone who is in this material world, he's a madman…

…The dull brain… Just like a madman cannot understand. So our task is very difficult. We have to cure so many. It is not possible to cure all of them, but as far as possible we are trying to cure, and simply one has to accept this philosophy seriously, then he'll get knowledge. Sad-dharmasyavabodhaya yesam nirbandhini matih.

5. Nov 23 1966 New York

So sometimes, if Krishna takes special care for you, He'll do in such a way that you will have no other way than to go back. He'll take charge, take charge. If we sincerely want Krishna, if He sees that "Here is a person. He wants Me. But he's a foolish. He wants Me; at the same time he wants to enjoy this material world. So crush this, crush this, his material propensities, and let him become simply devoted." Yes. Sometimes we see like that.

6. Dec 13 1970 Indore

So the other devotees, (laughs) they cannot rise…, come at five o'clock. That is the test. Yes. One who cannot rise early in the morning, he is not spiritually serious. That is test. Brahma-muhurta, this hour, one hour before sunrise, is very auspicious moment.

7. Oct 26 1976 Vrindavan

I have got already one body which is kleshada. Everyone has got experience. No one is here who can say that "My body is very nice. There is no klesha. There is no pains and pleasure. I am very perfect." That is not possible. As soon as you get a material body, it must be subjected to so many sufferings: adhyatmika, adhibautika, adhidaivika. Tribulations there must be. Material body means kleshada. Therefore the Vedic civilization is to stop getting this material body. That is Vedic civilization. Not that increase

8. Nectar of Devotion Chapter 10

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended this process of hearing as a means of self-realization in the present age of Kali. In this age it is very difficult to follow thoroughly the regulative principles and studies of the Vedas which were formerly recommended. However, if one gives aural reception to the sound vibrated by great devotees and acharyas, that alone will give him relief from all material contamination. Therefore it is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu that one should simply hear from authorities who are actually devotees of the Lord. Hearing from professional men will not help.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada !