Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is the system; not by force one can become first class. According to the śāstra, who is first class, who is second class, who is third class, who is fourth class, who is fifth class, that is to be understood. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. So when one becomes above the guṇas by devotional service . . . guṇa means quality. A devotee is on the position of first-class human society because a devotee is engaged in devotional service. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
"Anyone who is engaged cent percent without any motive in the devotional service of the Lord," māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena, bhakti-yogena, avyabhicāreṇa, "without any adulteration, such person," māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate, sa guṇān . . . guṇān means these material qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. These are guṇas. Sa guṇān samatītya, samah atītya, "fully transcendental, fully surpassing." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate: "Then that is the stage of self-realization."
So if one is not even on the stage of self-realization, how he can teach others? That is cheating. That is cheating. If one is not a graduate, if he becomes a teacher, he is not a teacher, he is a cheater. One must be first of all qualified. That qualification means one must be above the three qualities of material nature. Goodness . . . even you have to go beyond the quality of goodness. In the material world we have made, concocted, "This is good; this is bad." So even taking it . . . actually, everything in the material world is bad. Anything. It is simply mental concoction. We are creating, "This is good; this is bad." The . . . so long one is in the material world, everything is bad. Even the so-called religious practice, that is also bad in the material world. So therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sa guṇān samatītya etān: "One has to transcend even the quality of goodness, the so-called goodness."
Actually there is no goodness, because here people dress like in the platform of goodness, but thinking just like animals. That kind of goodness has no value. Actually goodness, that goodness is sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26), when one transcends the qualities of material nature, above the brāhmin quality. Brāhmin quality is . . . suppose . . . suppose actually, in comparison to other qualities, that is the first-class quality. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam . . . eh? Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). When one is situated in these qualities—truthfulness, satyam; śamaḥ, controlling the senses; damaḥ, controlling the mind; śamo dama titikṣā, tolerant—in spite of all tribulation, tolerant—śamo dama titikṣā śaucam, cleanliness. Then jñānam, full knowledge. Full knowledge means, "What I am, what is God, what is this material world, what is our relationship." That is called knowledge. And that knowledge, when practically applied in life, that is called vijñānam. Vijñānam. Vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam, full faith in the śāstras and in God, that is called āstikyam. If you have full faith in the revealed scriptures, then you are āstikya.