A Vaiṣṇava is never matsaraḥ. Matsaraḥ means.... It is described by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Matsaratā parā utkarṣaṇam asahanam.(?) The material world is such that if your even own brother becomes prosperous, you will be envious, "Oh, my brother has become so prosperous. I could not." This is natural here. Jealousy. Because the jealousy has begun from Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the enjoyer? I shall also enjoy." This jealousy has begun. Therefore the whole material life is full of jealousy. I am jealous of you, you are jealous of me. This is the business of material world. So here it is called vimatsaraḥ, no jealousy. How one can be jealousless unless he is a Kṛṣṇa devotee? He must be jealous. This is the nature.
Therefore Śrī Bhāgavata says that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām, vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Dharma... There are many religious systems. There is jealousy. So-called religious system, cutting the throat of the animals. Why? If you are so broadminded that if you see everywhere Nārāyaṇa, why you are cutting the throat of the goats or the cows or other animals? You should be merciful to them also. But that mercifulness cannot be exhibited without being a devotee, vimatsaraḥ. Nirmatsaraḥ.
Therefore the so-called religious system which is full of matsaratā, jealousy, that is called kaitava-dharma, cheating in the name of religion. So this God consciousness is not a cheating religion. It is very broad-minded. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām (SB 3.25.21). This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everyone wants to become friend of everyone. Otherwise if a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not feel like that, why he should take trouble to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world? Vimatsaraḥ. One should understand that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that everyone should relish it, everyone should take part of it.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. Because people are suffering on account of lack of God consciousness. That is the cause of suffering.
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
- (Prema-vivarta)
This is the formula. As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is māyā. Just like the sunshine and in the shade, they are existing side by side. If you don't remain in the sunshine, then you come to the shade, darkness. And if you don't remain in the darkness, you come to the sunshine. Similarly, if we don't accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we have to accept māyā consciousness. And if we don't accept māyā consciousness, then we have to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Side by side.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means not to remain in the dark consciousness. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. That is the Vedic instruction, "Don't remain in the darkness." And what is that darkness? The darkness is bodily concept of life.