You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamuna, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. Finished. "I am doing all things, but my center of gravity is my family."

Signs of Devotion: There's more to it than just a dot

First-class religion, without motivation

"The supreme occupation, dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

This has been proved divertedly edited. Actually, devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord not for my satisfaction, but rendering devotional service to the Lord, the self is automatically satisfied. If I make a motive that "I shall render service to the Lord so that I will be very much satisfied..." No. No. That, that becomes motivated. That "I will be satisfied," that is the first consideration. There should be no motive at all. I may be satisfied, not satisfied — that is not my business. But still, I'll have to serve the Lord.

That is the teaching of Lord Chaitanya. Ashlishya va pada-ratam pinashtu mam adarshanan marma-hatam karotu va [Chaitanya-charitamrita Antya 20.47]. "Either You embrace or You trample me down or make me broken-hearted...." Every devotee aspires to see the Lord. That is natural. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that "It doesn't matter. Whether I see Krishna or not, it doesn't matter. He may not be present before me for millions of years and make me broken-hearted." If I aspire to see Krishna, and Krishna does not come, naturally I become sorry, broken-hearted. But even one is broken-hearted, still, he should not stop devotional service. Not that "I have served Krishna for so many days, or so many years, and Krishna did not come. Oh, what is the use of it?" No, not like that. One should be confident that... Just like Mukunda. Mukunda, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's class friend and devotee, was attending many jñani, karmi, yogi [philosophers, materialists, yogis]... He was going everywhere. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became very much displeased, just to show example that we should not be hodgepodge, [thinking] "This is also good, this is also good. Everything is same." No. This is hodgepodge. One must be fixed up in devotional service. That is wanted. So when Mukunda was going here and there, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him the name kharajati adata.(?) So He stopped him that "He should not come before Me. Stop him." So nobody could induce [the Lord to allow Mukunda in His presence]. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very soft, softer than the flower, but harder than the thunderbolt. When He used to be very hard, then, then He become thunderbolt. Nobody can induce Him. But naturally, He is very soft-hearted. So Mukunda was standing outside in every day's meeting, and he was asking other devotees, "I'll not be able to see Lord Chaitanya anymore?" So they asked Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that "You have forbidden Mukunda to come before You, but he's asking only if there will be any opportunity in the future to see You." Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said: "Yes, after three hundred millions of years, he can see Me." So the devotees informed Mukunda, "Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that after three hundred millions of years, He'll be able to see you." He began to dance: "Oh, that's nice. That's nice." Asha-bandhah samutkantha nama-gane sada rucih. This is the sign of pure, advanced devotee. He's never disappointed. There is no motive. "My Lord is there. My duty is to serve." That's all. "Whether I shall be benefited, whether my senses will be satisfied, gratified..." — these are conditions. Unconditional. Without any motive, without any condition, when we love Krishna, that is first-class religion.

Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Para and apara. Apara means "inferior," and para means "superior." Just like there are two energies of Krishna: para and apara, inferior and superior. So paro dharmah means superior, the occupational duty in superior energy.

Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakritim ashritah [Bhagavad-gita 9.13]. Daivim prakritim. Mahatma, one who is broad-minded, or greater souls, they are under the control of daivi-prakriti. Daivim prakritim ashritah. And what is the symptom? They have no other motive than to render service to the Lord. That's all. This is the symptom of mahatma. No motive. No gain, no exchange. Simply to serve the Lord. Any kind of desire, even liberation, no. But if one is pure devotee, liberation will be at his door. He, what he has got to ask for liberation? He's already liberated. He hasn't got to ask for liberation. This is explained by Bilvamangala Thakura: if one is pure devotee, then liberation is standing before the devotee with folded hands: "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" That is the position.

And people are very much busy for religiosity, dharma; artha, economic development; kama, sense gratification; and moksha, liberation. Human society, there must be religious system. And they take to religious..., generally, people take to religious system for some material gain. Generally. Those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, they go to temple, worship the Lord. They're also pious. They're pious. But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is described here that, sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is first class.

You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamuna, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. [laughter] Finished. "I am doing all things, but my center of gravity is my family." Grihamedhi. Yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.45]. Grihamedhi, those who are attached only to the home life, their happiness is sex. That's all. And in order to protect that sense enjoyment, they take to dharma, artha, kama, moksha [SB 4.8.41, Cc. adi 1.90]; everything, whatever you call... But this thing must be there.

Just like when I presented this, my Easy Journey to Other Planets, so one scientist friend... Not scientist; he was a librarian. So he read this book and he said, "So we cannot come back again?" [laughter] Just like they are going to the moon planet, and they must come back again. The aeronautics, they go very high, the Russians, by the sputnik, and they see, from up, "Where is Moscow?" [laughter] This was published in the paper. Actually, his attachment is Moscow. So similarly, generally, people, they show religiosity so that they may get some money, economic development, and by money they can satisfy their senses. And when they are baffled in satisfying their senses, they want to merge into the existence of God. This is dharma, artha, kama, moksha. When he is dissatisfied with sense gratification, kama, then he says, "This is all false. Now I shall merge into the body of Krishna, or in the effulgence." But they do not know that this type of desiring, that "I shall merge into the existence of God," that is also kama, because he's desiring something.

Therefore in the Chaitanya-charitamrita it is said, krishna-bhakta–nishkama ataeva shantabhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami–sakali ashanta. [Cc. Madhya 19.149] They want sense gratification. Whatever they do, the center is yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. They perform big, big sacrifices, but the goal is "How I shall be elevated to the heavenly planets, Svargaloka. And I shall enjoy there the urvashis, nice women, and the nandana-kanana, nice gardens." Actually, in higher planetary systems, the standard of living is very, very high — hundreds and thousands of times better than this planet. Living duration, duration of life, is very great. That is kama [sense gratification].

And when they are unable to satisfy the senses by this material enjoyment, they are mukti-kamis [looking for liberation]. That is also kama. Void. The Buddha philosophy. Mukti, vacant. Mukti, of course, not void. The same thing, in a different name, "Merge into the effulgence of Brahman, and stop my individuality." That is also voidness, zero. I make myself zero. This is another explanation of nirvana, voidism. "Finish everything. You are suffering from fever. All right, I cut your throat. So your fever is gone? You also gone, finished." This is called shunyavadi, "Make everything zero. Why you are suffering from fever? The best means is to cut your throat and become happy." So bhukti, mukti, that is also desire.

And siddhi. Siddhi-kami, yogis, ashtanga-yoga, and ashta-siddhi: anima, laghima, prapti-siddhi, ishita, vashita... like that. Anima, anu, you can become very small. Not these [commercial] yogis. Actually those who are in perfectional yoga, they can become like that, smaller than the smallest. And laghima, you can become lighter than the lightest. You can fly in the air. They go, by touching the beam of sun, moon, they can go. They are trying to go to the moon planet by artificial, material weapons, material means, but those who are yogis, they can catch up the beam of the moon and go. This is called... Mahima. You can become very big, heavy. Mahima. Just like Hanuman, he jumped over this ocean. That he, means, he assumed a big body so, so that one leg here, one leg there. He can jump. That is called mahima-siddhi. Prapti: you can get anything you like at any time. Prapti-siddhi. So many things. Sometimes people do not like the devotees because the devotees, they cannot show this magic. They do not like that within four years, five years, the whole world should be chanting Hare Krishna mantra. That is not magic. But if he can jump over a river, that is the magic. That is magic. The other side of the magic they have no eyes to see.

So the yoga-siddhi, that is magic. But devotee can show better magic, but they do not bother their time for yoga practice. That is bhakta. Because he's under the care of the supreme magician, Krishna. So if there is need of magic, Krishna will show. Why he should bother? Just like a small child is dependent on his father. Father is rich man. So he says to his father, "Father, I want this." That is very costly. So he doesn't require to get the money. The father is there. He'll get the money. "All right, take it." So that is the facility for the devotees. A devotee is under the care of the Yogeshvara. If you can catch up the hand of Yogeshvara Hari, then you can show wonderful magic, which no magician, no yogis can display. That is the position of devotee. They do not care for practicing yoga to show some magical feats. Neither they require it. Neither they want it. Because devotee's position is ashlishya va pada-ratam pinashtu mam adarshanan marma-hatam karotu va [Cc. Antya 20.47]. "Whatever You like, You can do." That's all. He has no desire.

Therefore Chaitanya-charitamrita says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali ashanta. Ashanta means where they can get peace? They have to work for it. The karmis [sense gratifiers], they have to work for it. The jñanis [mental speculators], they have to cultivate for that. The yogis, they have to practice. But bhakta [devotee] has nothing to do. Therefore it is first class. Without doing anything, he will show magic. This is the first class. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is first class.

Yato bhaktir adhokshaje. If you have got unflinching faith in the Supreme, Adhokshaja... Adhokshaja means beyond the perception of the senses. Our knowledge, our activities they are sensual. I can jump, but jumping requires two legs, sense organs. So adhokshaja means you cannot realize the Supreme by sensual activities. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokshaja. So one has to become... If one becomes a devotee, such devotional service can never be checked. It is not conditional. "If I am very learned, then I can read Vedanta philosophy, then I can understand what is the Absolute Truth." So that is checked. "If I am not very nice Sanskrit scholar, then I cannot become a Vedantist." That is conditional. But bhakti is not conditional. Not that because you are not a Vedantist, not that because you are a very not rich man... Not that. Bhakti is unconditional. They're... Just like class of men, they say, "First of all, let us enjoy this world. Then we shall think of bhakti, God, later on." That is the general public; they say like that. But no. Bhakti is not that conditional, that you finish your business of sense gratification, then you become bhakta. No. Become bhakta immediately. Immediately. Kaumara acharet prajño dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1]. If one is intelligent, he should begin devotional service immediately. As soon as he gets the information that devotional service is the perfect type of religion, he should take immediately, without waiting. It is not that "I am conditioned by so many things. I cannot take to bhakti just now." No. Without any check. Without any hindrance, you can adopt bhakti.

Human life is meant for vairagya and jñana [renunciation and knowledge]. We are attached to this material world. So perfection of life is how to become detached from this material world. That is called vairagya. For vairagya, this process of renunciation, sannyasa, is advised, according to the Vedic system. First of all, he's trained up as a brahmacari just to know the relationship, perfect education. Then he's allowed to become a grihastha. Then he's to accept vanaprastha, then accept renunciation. These are gradual steps. The real purpose is renunciation, give up your attachment for this material world. Because that is my bondage. So long I shall try to enjoy maybe a fractional percentage, still, I'll have to accept this material body. It may be a small ant's body, but because the desire is that "I shall eat one grain of sugar," he has to take the body. Therefore one should be completely without desire for material desire, or material enjoyment. Then we can enter. Anyabhilashita-shunyam jñana-karmady-anavritam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Jñana has been especially mentioned because the jñanis, they are contaminated by the desire of merging into the existence of God. Therefore one should give up this desire. Karmis, they are for sense gratification; jñanis, for merging into the existence. Jñana-karmady-anavritam, anukulyena krishnanushilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Anukulyena. Anukula means favorable. What Krishna wants, you serve Him. Service means that. Service does not mean, "I want something and you give me something." No, that is not service. Service means, "What I want, you must give me. That is service. If I say, "Please give me a glass of water," and if you bring a glass of milk, you can say, "Sir, milk is better than water." No. That is not service. I want water now. You must give me water. That is service.

...So these are siddhantas, that one should be simply serving, engaged in the service of the Lord-favorably. Not unfavorably. What He wants. So in this age... Not only in this age, in all the ages, Krishna wants that all these bewildered living entities who have come here to enjoy material happiness, they should be given the information that this is not very nice plan for the living entities, to enjoy material enjoyment. The best plan is to surrender to Krishna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That will save him. This is the necessity for all the ages, especially in this age. Therefore if you can educate people to surrender unto Krishna, that is the best service to Krishna. That is the best service to Krishna. Because Krishna wants it. Krishna wants it. Personally He says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And He comes again as devotee, as Lord Chaitanya, He's teaching how to serve Krishna. Krishna is teaching how to serve Krishna. So both of them are asking... Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also asking, yare dekha tare kaha 'krishna'-upadeshaamara ajñaya guru haña tara' ei desha [Cc. Madhya 7.128] Krishna says, "This is upadesha, this is My instruction: 'You surrender unto Me.' " And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, "You surrender unto Krishna." So if we follow both the Krishnas, that is the best service. ...

So this is the process of Krishna consciousness movement. It is explained in two lines in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokshaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati [SB 1.2.6]

You can read this purport.

PRADYUMNA: [reads]

"In this statement, Sri Suta Gosvami answers the first question of the sages of Naimisharanya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so, that fallen people or the people in general might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human beings. One is called the pravritti-marga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivritti-marga."

PRABHUPADA: So both things are there, pravritti-marga, nivritti-marga, because all the living entities who have come in this material world with a pravritti, with an intention to enjoy this material world, therefore they are regulated. "All right, you want this material enjoyment?" Material enjoyment means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is material enjoyment. Eating, first-class eating, first-class sleeping, first-class sex, sexual intercourse, and first-class defending. So Vedic injunction is "All right, you want sex life?" "Yes, sir. For this purpose I have come here." "All right, you get your sex life by marriage, not like cats and dogs." This is called pravritti-marga. He has got the intention, but he's being regulated so that one day he'll become nivritti-marga. There are two ways, nivritti-marga and pravritti-marga. Pravritti-marga means he has got intention, desire for material enjoyment. So he's regulated, "Do like this," so that he may come to the point of nivritti-marga. Nivrittis tu maha-phala, pravrittir esha bhutanam. Everyone has got these desires. That is pravritti. But when he stops this pravritti, that is his great achievement. Not that to increase. When he stops. That is great achievement. So the Vedas, why one should follow? Just like Vedas says you marry. People will argue, "What is the difference of sex life, marrying or not marrying?" They do not know the purpose of the Vedas. The purpose of Vedas is to gradually, to bring him to the point of nivritti. Nivritti, he has to make. When he has got a slight desire for material enjoyment, he'll have to accept another body. Therefore nivritti is required. But one cannot come to the point of nivritti all of a sudden. Therefore Vedic injunction is gradually bring him to the nivritti-marga.

Then?

PRADYUMNA: [reads]

"The path of enjoyment is inferior, but the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior. The material existence of the living being is a diseased condition of actual life."

PRABHUPADA: This pravritti-marga is a diseased condition. Diseased condition means you have to remain. Just like if you are suffering from fever, doctor has prescribed you that "Don't take any solid food." But if you take, you'll increase your fever. That's all. If you have come here for sex life, if you increase your sex life, then you'll be bound up by the material laws. Again accept a body. If you want to increase your sex life, nature will give you facilities: "All right, you become a hog. You can have sex life without any discrimination." The hog has no discrimination, mother, sister. So nature will give you that facilities. "You want sex life? All right, you get. Without any hindrance, take it."

Therefore the sadhana-bhajana means to come to the point of nil. The six Gosvamis, they conquered over nidra, ahara. Nidra means sleeping, ahara means eating, and vihara means sex. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. You have to conquer. The more you conquer over these things, the more you are advanced. Because you have to make it nil altogether. Then you are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we train our students: "No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating"–the nivritti-marga.