Superior training, not artificial renunciation.

No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called yogi or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one's position and to try to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Kṛṣṇa's maya.

Bg 3.33

How is Arjuna a devotee?

Now people may say that "He was not chanting. He was fighting. How he became a great devotee?" But Kṛṣṇa says, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: "You are My dear friend. You are My devotee. Because you are utilizing your energy for Me." So bhakti means you utilize your energy for Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is perfect.

Śrīla Prabhupāda Lecture – Bhagavad-gītā 1.15 – July 15, 1973, London

Higher intelligence.

But if anyone even goes to the church and temple for asking something to God, he is pious. At least, he has approached God. So one day, when he will be advanced devotee, he will not ask anymore. He knows that "Why shall I bother God? He is supplying everyone food, so why shall I ask Him food? My food is also there. Let me serve Him." That is his higher intelligence. Bhagavad-gītā 1.15 - July 15, 1973, London

Maṇigrīva at work today!

These are seriously big auctions.

Looking for a new tractor.

Maṇigrīva, our farm manager, is going to Ritchies Industrial Machinery auction today in Geelong. He and Doug Armistead, our neighbour and local mechanic, have done a lot of research on equipment suitable for our needs. They’ve contacted owners and researched remedial measures for issues in each of the items we might bid on. If we get a good break and price we could have a new (used) tractor by the end of today.

Love!

So-called love here means that "you gratify my senses, I'll gratify your senses," and as soon as that gratification stops, immediately there is divorce, separation, quarrel, and hatred. So many things are going on under this false conception of love. Actual love means love of God, Kṛṣṇa.

SSR Ch7

Genuine Guru

The genuine guru is God's representative, and he speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine guru is he who has no interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of the tests of a genuine guru: brahma-niṣtham. He is absorbed in the Absolute Truth. SSR Ch2