Pradyumna: "A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta or ātmānandi, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance . . ."
Prabhupāda: Yes, just like a cat and dog are sitting silently, very good men. That kind of inactivity is useless. Rather, one who is devotee, he is very active to serve Kṛṣṇa, "How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa more and more? How shall I advance this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" That activity, you see; not sitting idly, "I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Go on.
Pradyumna: "The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied ātmānandī is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed up in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul."
Prabhupāda: Soul. This is, this is the activity of the soul. You stop the activity of the body, of the mind, then you must be engaged in the activity of the soul. Actually, the soul is active, not this body and mind. As soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no activity. So the real source of activity is coming from the soul. So how it is that after one becomes liberated, he becomes inactive?
That is the theory of the Māyāvādī. Real activity begins there. Here we are active. We have got so many impediments offered by the mind and the body; and when we actually come to the platform of soul, that is liberated position. The activity should be very nice and very polished, very advanced.
Then?
Pradyumna: "The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination . . ."
Prabhupāda: Sleep and inactivity is a sign of ignorance. The more we are inactive and sleepy, that means we are in the modes of ignorance. And passion means activity for sense enjoyment. And goodness means free from the inactivity of ignorance and the activity of passion, but to see things as they are, "Oh, I am eternal servant of God, so my actions should be to serve God." That is goodness. These are the stages.
When one is inactive, lazy, sleeping, that means ignorance. When one is very active for sense enjoyment, it is passion, and when one is neither active like the sense gratifiers nor sitting idly like the ignorant, but he is trying to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, service, that is goodness. And one who is actually serving Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental platform, liberated platform.