Prabhupāda: Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14). If one has little faith, the next stage is that he should come and live with us for some days. And if he lives with us for a few days, then he becomes infected with the ecstasy. (laughter) Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. And as soon as one is little infected by the ecstasy, then he likes to become one of us. Just like if you contaminate some infectious disease, naturally the disease will develop. Similarly, as soon as you contaminate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness disease, it will develop. (laughter) Then he solicits for being initiated. Yes. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means "Why not engage myself as one of the devotees?" This is called bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as there is bhajana-kriyā, or devotional service, immediately anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means unwanted things, they become vanquished.
This material world is . . ., means we have created so many unwanted things. This is material world. Just like we are living in this part of your country, a village. So you are living very happily, undoubtedly. There is ample opportunity for living peacefully here. You grow little grains, you get some milk, some vegetable, and all your economic questions solved. But as soon as you go to the city, the whole pollution attacks you. You have to give up this simple eating process. Instead of drinking milk, in the city you'll have to cut throat of the cow and eat the meat. So in this way we shall be implicated with so many sinful activities that our life will be entangled.
On account of your foolish civilization we do not understand what is the entanglement of life. The entanglement of life is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), to change this body. As we are changing body—the child is changing body to become a boy, the boy is changing body to become a young man, the young man is changing body to become an old man—similarly, when the old man changes the body, he gets another body. If a young man challenges the laws of nature, that he is not going to be old man, that is false prestige. He must have to become an old man. Similarly, if some rascal says that "I don't believe in the next life," that is his foolish thinking. He has to change his body. Nature's law is going on. You are not controller of the nature; you are controlled by nature. So if we entangle ourself with sinful activities, then next life means we get low-grade life. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
- madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
- jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
- adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
- (BG 14.18)
Means those who are very pious, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. Those who are ordinary, they remain with the middle planetary system. And those who are very abominable, sinful, they go down planetary system or become lower than human being—animals, trees, birds, beasts, like that. So they have no sense. Their so-called scientific understanding has no, I mean to say, advancement of knowledge. They do not inquire even wherefrom these living entities are coming, the trees, birds, beasts, lower than human being; wherefrom they are coming they do not inquire.
So the law is that according to your work you'll get your next life. It may be higher standard of life, it may be lower standard of life. So suppose higher standard of life, if we get, that's all right; but if we get lower standard of life . . . Just like today I am here, and next life if I get the body of a tree and stand up for five thousand years, is it very nice proposition? In this way we have to understand how the process of life is going on and what is wanted, what is not wanted. In this way, when you are situated, fixed up in your spiritual understanding, that is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all unwanted things are vanquished.
So our request is that you live here, very simple life. Kṛṣṇa will supply all your necessities. He's supplying to the birds and beasts; why not to you, devotee? Be confident that you'll get everything, whatever the necessities of life. Live without any sinful activities. Don't create unwanted troubles. That is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. So as soon as we are stop, full stop, unwanted things, then tato niṣṭhā, then our that beginning faith becomes firm. That is called niṣṭhā. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Then taste, that one tasted this sort of life, he cannot give up. This is called taste. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ, athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment, then bhāva, that bhāva. And if we can stay in that bhāva stage, then next stage is love of Godhead. And as soon as you come to the standard of love of Godhead, your life is successful.
So every instruction is there, books are there, your intelligence is there, and we are trying to give you all possible opportunities. Please stick to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and make your life successful.