"By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.7)
"A person who is detached from the modes of material nature remains just like the sun reflected on water. When the sun is reflected on water, the movement of the water or the coolness or unsteadiness of the water cannot affect the sun. Similarly, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7): when one engages fully in the activities of devotional service, bhakti-yoga, he becomes just like the sun reflected on water. Although a devotee appears to be in the material world, actually he is in the transcendental world."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.27.1, Purport)
"The devotee's intelligence is always in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His attitude towards the material existence is one of detachment, for he knows perfectly well that this material world is a creation of illusory energy. Realizing himself to be part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the devotee discharges his devotional service and is completely aloof from material action and reaction. Thus at the end he gives up his material body, or the material energy, and as pure soul he enters the kingdom of God."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.48, Purport)
"One must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and by his instruction increase one's knowledge in devotional service, become detached from the material world and thus become liberated. An advanced devotee, therefore, does not live within the material body but within his spiritual body, just as a dry coconut lives detached from the coconut husk, even though within the husk. The pure devotee's body is therefore called cin-maya-śarīra ('spiritualized body'). In other words, a devotee's body is not connected with material activities, and as such, a devotee is always liberated (brahma-bhūyāya kalpate), as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 14.26). Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also confirms this:
īhā yasya harer dāsye
karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
'Whatever his condition may be, one who is engaged fully with his body, mind and speech in the service of the Lord is liberated, even within this body.' "
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.26, Purport)
"Persons engaged in devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, have naturally perfect knowledge and detachment from this material world. Therefore such devotees are not interested in the so-called happiness or so-called distress of this world."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.17.31)
"An iron rod put into a fire becomes warmer and warmer, and when it is red hot it is no longer an iron rod but fire. Similarly, when a devotee constantly engages in devotional service and thinks of the Lord in his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he no longer has any material activities, for his body is spiritualized. Advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very powerful, and therefore even during this life such a devotee has achieved the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.36, Purport)
"When a person is fully engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he is pleased in himself, and thus he is no longer engaged in sense gratification or in fruitive activities. Otherwise, one must be engaged in sense gratification, since one cannot live without engagement. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one must be always seeking self-centered or extended selfish activities. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person can do everything for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa and thereby be perfectly detached from sense gratification."
(Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.4, Purport)
"As for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection, but when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can make his home very happy because this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Kṛṣṇa, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four will make one happy."
(Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 13.8-12, Purport)
"We have got history in our country, great sages, muni, ṛṣi, they used to live in the forest to culture knowledge and become detached from these material activities, jñāna-vairāgya. But that is not possible in this age. From the very beginning of our life we are brought up in big cities like Bombay, Calcutta, London, New York. Then where is the question of going to the forest? Does it mean that if one cannot go to the forest for acquiring knowledge and detachment then he has no chance? No.
Kali-yuga, there is special concession that is given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You haven't got to go to the forest of Himalaya for attaining jñāna and vairāgya. You can stay in your place. You can remain in Bombay, you can remain in London, you can remain in New York, big, big cities, and you can perform your prescribed duties. You can be very businessman. You can remain an engineer or anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He says also from the Vedic, sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir, jñāne prāyasam udapāsya namanta eva, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām (SB 10.14.3). Then, what to do? Namanta eva: just become submissive, then san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya, just try to hear from a realized soul. This process."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, December 28, 1972)
"The youth of America who are so searching I am very much sympathetic with them and their qualification of detachment to the material advancement of civilization will alone help them to advance in Krishna or God consciousness."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, May 21, 1967)
"Actual spiritual advancement means detachment for everything material. So our activities are nothing material. Detachment from material activities, means attachment for spiritual activities, devotional service. After all, our energy has to be utilized, so when it is materially detached it means with greater enthusiasm our spiritual activities increase."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 3, 1970)
"Our intelligence at the present moment in the conditioned state of life is impure on account of being engaged in sense gratification. So the result of all meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord shall be manifested by our detachment from sense gratification. Therefore the ultimate purpose of meditation is purification of our intelligence."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 21, 1970)
"Regarding your other question, should we become detached from the results of our activities, or should we become simply attached to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, the answer is that both of these philosophies are right. One should not be attached to his personal achievement. But, if one is attached in order to please his Spiritual Master, then it is all right. Unattached to my benefit, attached to Krishna's benefit. Krishna Consciousness means attachment for Krishna and detachment for personal benefit, that's all."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 25, 1972)
"As far as your attachment for tending the Deities is concerned by no means this can be considered material attachment, but this is our real desireless state to be always engaged twenty four hours in the service of the Lord. But if the facility for serving the Deities is not there, then we should not be discouraged. This is real detachment."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, February 16, 1973)
"Human life is meant for acquiring knowledge and detachment to the material world. Knowledge means to understand that everything belongs to Krishna. Krishna consciousness means that everything including myself are different energies of the Lord and as such should be utilized for the purpose of Krishna. Krishna wants that all living entities should live with Him, as the father likes the whole family to live with him. Our Krishna consciousness movement is to educate people how to re-enter the family of Krishna and thus become eternally happy and blissful."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 28, 1974)
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