The devotee is always right. The non-devotee in the shape of the empirical pedant is always and necessarily wrong. In the one case there is always present the Substantive Truth and nothing but the Substantive Truth. In the other case there is present the apparent or misleading hypothesis and nothing but un-truth. (The Harmonist, Dec. 1931, page 169)
Be intelligent and try to give them brain. And if you remain dull-brained like that, then you'll say, "Yes, yes, you are right." You are not right. At every step we shall say, "You are not right. You are wrong. You have no brain. You are all rascals." 770218R2.may
Devotees are the best scientists, the best philosophers, the best historians, the best social critics, the best everything. Internally, a devotee has a profound sense of humility that his accusers cannot begin to comprehend. A devotee feels himself to be miniscule, unqualified and totally dependent on the mercy of his spiritual master. But he does not join the karmis' game of mutually deceptive dealings, of putting a nice face on their greed and exploitation. He does not cheat others by withholding knowledge of the Absolute Truth. By delivering spiritual knowledge as it is he acts as the best friend of the conditioned souls, even if in their madness they feel he is their worst enemy.
Those sadhus who speak sharp words to drive away the witch of the illusory energy are actually the only real devotees of Krsna and friends of the living entities. The conditioned living being experiences the distressful quarreling of his wife and close relatives and is rudely treated by them until death, yet he never desires to leave their association. On the other hand, he absorbs himself in trying to appease and serve them. But when a devotee of the Lord, who is always desirous of the living entity's ultimate welfare, chides him just once with instructions meant to drive away Maya, then that conditioned entity immediately makes plans to leave the saintly person for his entire life. If you actually want to perform devotional service properly, then you must accept the harsh language of the sadhu as the medicine by which Maya can be given up. By this one can obtain the necessary spiritual advancement to successfully chant the Holy Name. (Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, quoted in Babaji Maharaja p. 36)
- From the "My Memories of Srila Prabhupada" by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami
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