My Guru Mahārāja used to say that if one is inclined to collect money by showing Deity, it is better to become a sweeper in the street. It is better to become a sweeper in the street, because he's earning his livelihood honestly. And this man who is keeping a temple and doing all nonsense, simply by showing Deity, collecting some money, this class of men, they're most sinful. You cannot do, sir. You cannot take other's money. You'll be debtor.
Therefore gradually, because this class of men are developed at the present moment, they have become . . . in Vṛndāvana there are so many temples, they have become . . . made a business by showing temple, collecting money. This is not good. There must be . . . temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. That is temple. Not that to make a business of temple. Therefore everything is, not only in India, all over the world, the churches also, they have dwindled. Now, in Europe and America, so many churches are for sale. We have purchased so many churches, because people have no more even interest in. There is no education. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came . . .
Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test. This is the test.
So anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he's the, mean, greatest mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described that out of many, many human being, common man, one is karmi. Karmi, karmi means honestly working according to the direction of Veda. Karmi does not mean that a monkey also jumping, that is also karma. No. Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma.
And what is dharma? Dharma means varṇāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties. The prescribed duty is that you act, you enjoy life.
For example, just like in the Vedas there . . . everything is there. The propensity of sense enjoyment is sex life, eating meat and drinking. This is the propensity. Material life, these are the propensity. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā (SB 11.5.11). Everyone has got natural . . .
(aside) What is that?
. . . natural instinct for sex life, for meat-eating and for drinking. This is natural instinct. But they are restrained. They are co-ordinated by the Vedic injunction, "Yes, you'll have sex life, but you get yourself married." So there are so many paraphernalia for marrying. The subject matter is sex life, everyone knows. Therefore in Western countries they say "Legalized prostitution." But actually it is not prostitution; it is regulating the sex life. So Vedas describe, "Yes. Sex life you have, but marriage."
And then drinking, "Yes. Drinking you may have by worshiping Cāṇḍī, offering him (her) liquor," that is all. Not that you go to the liquor shop and drink. No. Restricted. Similarly, eating meat also: "Yes. You can eat meat. Just worship Goddess Kālī and have a goat sacrifice." So many rules and regulation. Everything is regulated. But they have avoided this. These Vedic injunction they have avoided. Now they have opened slaughterhouse, liquor house, prostitution. That is sinful. It is actually sinful, either you do this way or that way. But if you act according to the Vedic injunction, the sinful activities are restrained. The sinful activities are restrained, so that gradually you come to the spiritual platform. This is the Vedic principle.
So anyway, one has to become freed from the sinful activities. Then one can understand. But the easiest method of becoming free from sinful activity is to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Easiest way. Voluntarily give up. It is not very difficult. If the Europeans, Americans can give up, who are trained up in these activities from their birth, if they can give up, what about Indians? So it is not difficult. Anyone can give up illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. That's all. So this is the restriction of sinful activity. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If these European, American boys can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra day and night while walking in the street, while going in the car, while in the temple, everywhere, where going to sell books, what is the difficulty for the Indians? There is no difficulty.