Neither doctrine, nor ritual, but love affair ()

Krishna consciousness is essentially a love affair; all its doctrines and all its rituals are meant for helping us revive our love for Krishna. The doctrines can tell us why to love Krishna and the rituals can tell us how to love Krishna, but it is we alone who can choose to love Krishna. If we merely proclaim the doctrines or rehearse the rituals without desiring to love Krishna, then the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.8) cautions that we are unfortunately failing to put our time to good use. Only when we consciously and consistently desire to make Krishna the supreme object of our love will the doctrines and rituals accelerate our journey toward him.