This material world is padaṁ padaṁ vipadām, only danger. Every step there is danger. That's a fact. So if we take shelter of that abhaya-caraṇāravinda, then we have no fear. This is a fact. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ (BG 16.1). Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. Our existence, when it is purified . . . so this bhakti-mārga, or devotional service, is the process of purifying. Purifying process.
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
Satām, those who are devotees, they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Simply these centers are created to give chance to the people in general to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Because as soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa attentively and try to assimilate it, then the purification of the heart begins.
- ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
- śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
- ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
- . . . paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
- (CC Antya 20.12, Śikṣāṣṭaka 1)
So śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam is so nice. It has no expenditure, no loss; simply gain. If you kindly hear śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, if you cannot chant Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, you are so reluctant, or if you cannot . . . because to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that also requires little fortune. Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam (SB 3.33.7). Anyone who is chanting on the top of his tongue, where there is name, holy name, he is garīyān śva-paco 'taḥ. Even though he is born in low-grade family, the dog-eaters, it is still garīyān. Aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. So in this Kali-yuga, if you simply chant—or even if you cannot chant, because that requires little fortune—if we simply hear, that will also help us. So these centers are meant for chanting and hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Simply this process, chanting and hearing, will purify our existence. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). It will increase piety of life. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who is hearing and one who is chanting, both of them, śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ . . . this is the beginning.
So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. We become purified. This is purificatory process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. On account of impure life, we are embarrassed with so many designation. Impure life. So we have to become designationless, no designation, sarvopādhi . . . "I am not Hindu," "I am not Mussulman," "I am not Christian," "I am not brāhmaṇa." This is designation. Even sannyāsī . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir yatir vā (Padyāvalī 63), He described Himself, "No, I am not kṣatriya. I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not sannyāsī. I am not gṛhastha. I am not vaiśya." Simply negation. He simply said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80): "I am the servant of servant of servant of the gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa."
So that is pure life, when we think like that, that "We are no more servant." Nāyaṁ kiṅkaram, that is, what is called, indemnifying this contaminated existence of material life. Simply I identify as servant of the Supreme Lord. Then you become purified, designationless.
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
Bhakti means when you are designationless, purified in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, when your senses are purified, the senses are no more material. In our contaminated state, our senses are acting in designation. "I am Indian. I have to work for India. The others must go out of India." Or others are thinking, "Now your visa is finished. Now you can go out. You cannot stay here." This is all due to designation. But real life is designationless. The United Nation is working, but there is not . . . they are not working on the platform of becoming designationless. They want to keep the designation. They are struggling there to become united for the last twenty years. And the . . . we have seen in New York the United Nation center, only the flags are increasing. Because unless one becomes designationless, no designation, there cannot be any unity.
Unity is possible on the spiritual platform, not on the material platform. Material platform means, "I am envious of you; you are envious of me." Mātsaratā. Mātsaratā means mātsaratā para utkarṣaḥ asahanam: when I cannot tolerate other increasing in opulence, I become envious. This is material life. Spiritual life is different. Spiritual life means if somebody has advanced in spiritual life, and somebody, one, he is still in the neophyte stage, he will eulogize, "Oh, how fortunate he is. He has advanced. He is serving Kṛṣṇa in such a nice way. When I can get that position?" There is no enviousness. That is glorifying. That is the distinction between material life and spiritual life. Spiritual (material) life means enviousness, "How to kill you, how to stop you." But spiritual life means to see you advancing, one becomes happy, "Oh, how fortunate he is." This is spiritual life. Therefore spiritual life is meant for a person who is completely not envious. That is spiritual life. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). This Bhāgavata-dharma is meant for the person paramo nirmatsara, paramahaṁsa. He is not envious of anyone. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21).