One of the devotional quality is titiksa, tolerance

Prabhupada, Mexico, February 14, 1975: […] So one of the devotional quality is titiksa, tolerance. That should be learned, how to tolerate in every condition of life. Just like those who are actually brahmanas in India… We have got also brahmanas in the Western countries, now created.

So because it is pinching cold, they do not forget to take bath early in the morning. It is simply practice. It may be painful for one day or two day, but if you practice, it is no longer painful.

So one should not give up the practice of taking bathing early in the morning because it is severe cold. That is not. Similarly, in the summer season, because it is scorching heat, one should not decide that “We shall stop cooking.” Because in the kitchen it may be too hot, but for that reason we cannot give up cooking.

Similarly, all the rules and regulation that are there, it may be painful, but we cannot give it up. We have to learn how to tolerate. Therefore Krishna advises, tams titiksasva bharata: “My dear Arjuna, the good descendant of Bharata Maharaja, you try to tolerate this.”

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised, therefore, just to advance in Krishna consciousness, how one should be tolerant. He has said, trnad api sunicena: “Just you become humbler than the grass.” Just like one grass so many people are trampling over. It does not protest. Trnad api suni cena, taror api sahisnuna: “And tolerant more than the tree…”

Just like tree. Somebody is taking his branches, somebody is snatching its fruit, sometimes cutting it, but still, the tree is giving you shelter, fruit, and leaves and fruits and flowers. Very good example. So anyone who is desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead, he has to learn to be tolerant and forbearing.

That is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna, amanina manadena: “For himself, one should always think that he has no respect. He doesn’t require to command any respect.

But all respects he offer to others.” In this way, if we become practiced, then we become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Full Lecture