The real test of renunciation comes as we encounter various situations in daily life. Renunciation means a genuine commitment to serve the Lord rather than ourselves in all circumstances. We must see ourselves as caretakers for the Lord rather than proprietors of anyone or anything.
Real preaching is through example. Speaking the philosophy without honestly being an example of the message falls into the category of karma-kanda according to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. A proper devotee’s vacana (speech) should be in line with his pracara (behavior), and his sadacara (good behavior) ultimately is his real preaching.
Leaders at any level can design programs and implement policies that do not waste valuable resources and that maintain the delicate balance of planetary ecosystems. In line with this approach,the most constructive form of economic growth and development is people-oriented, based on appropriate technology—technology that is on a human scale—and does not consider economic profit as its sole measure of value.
As we associate with others in our spiritiual communities, we should do so in a mood that these are the people that I am living with and they will probably also be the people that I will leave this body with.