Prabhupāda: So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized. By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the orders of the master. So by training, it can be possible. But there are two kinds of training process. One process is scheduled: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13). Undergoing tapasya, austerity, brahmacaryeṇa... Brahmacaryeṇa means controlling sex indulgence or sex impulse. Brahmacarya means practically no sex life. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena, damena (SB 6.1.13), by controlling the senses, by controlling the mind. Tyāgena, by giving up in charity. So there are gradual process, but there is another process. Another process means this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Either you practice in this way... Just like if you want to go up, there are two vehicles or process. You go step by step, one step after another. Suppose you have to go one hundred steps. So you have to go step by step. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena (SB 6.1.13), practicing. The another process is... (someone making tapping sound) (aside:) Why you are making this sound? Stop it. Another process is the lift. You go by step by step or take the process of lift. Within a second, you come up.
So the bhakti-yoga process is like that. Bhakti-yoga process means if you take to this process, then immediately, very quickly, within a second, you come to the top floor. Otherwise, you have to go by step by step, one step, two step. Although both the process leading to the target, to the topmost floor, the one is very slow and the other is very quick, immediate. Just like another example: if there is fog. You have got experience in your country, sometimes there is fog. You cannot see even a person one yard off from you. So there are so many processes to take precaution in the fog. But somehow or other, if the sun is little strong, immediately, the fog is over. So similarly, to purify ourself... This is the purification process, austerity, penance, controlling sex life, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, giving in charity whatever you possess, everything regulated. This is one process. And the other process is this bhakti-yoga.
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
Simply by this process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is, we were discussing. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu, simply by hearing. Abhadreṣu, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, all the dirty things within heart, being almost cleansed, you come to the stage of goodness. There are three stages, three platforms-ignorance, passion and goodness. So simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you are promoted immediately to the platform of goodness. And as soon as you come to the platform of goodness, then, tadā, at that time, rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Because there are three platforms: ignorance, passion and goodness. So you have come to the point, to the platform of goodness, means that you have passed over the other lower stages. If you have come to the college, that means you have passed your school stages. It is to be understood. Therefore we offer sacred thread. The idea is one who has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has already passed the stage of becoming a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means to come to the stage of goodness. That is brāhmaṇa. Kṣatriya means to remain on the stage of passion. Vaiśya means to remain on the stage of mixture, passion and ignorance. And śūdra means to remain on the stage of ignorance. There are four divisions of the three modes. So when we come to the stage of becoming a devotee, that means we have already passed all these lower stages. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19).
So what are the symptoms of goodness? Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Lusty. Lust and greediness. The whole world is moving by lust and greediness. This is the stage of ignorance and passion. Those who are embarrassed with the lower qualities of material nature, they are embarrassed with two things: lust, not satisfied; and greedy, and lobha. "Give me more, give me more, give me more." "Give me..." Anything, he's not satisfied. The whole world, you see... They, sometimes they think that "If I get my income, say, one thousand dollars, I will be satisfied." But as soon as he gets one thousand, he wants one hundred thousand. If he gets one... Just like in your... Everywhere, all over the world, the worker class, they are given increment, but again they undergo strike, "More, more wages, more wages, more wages." So... But as soon as they get more money... Not only... Here in these Western countries, then they'll utilize it for lust. Lust and greediness. That's all. They do not know how to utilize money. That a millionaire is so lusty that... I have seen in Paris. They are going to some clubs. What is the business in that club? Old men, they are going. So lusty that they enter the club by paying fifty dollars, and then there is young women and wine, and that is their pleasure. Lust, kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. One thing, one side, they are not satisfied, even they have got millions of dollars, "Still I want, still I want, still I want." This is one side, greediness, lobha, and the other side is lust. This is called kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye.
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.
So voluntarily you have to try to give up these bad habits, and at the same time, to maintain yourself on the platform, you have to chant sixteen rounds: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is the process. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Then the result will be this: ceta etair anāviddham. Because they are, māyā is attacking you with these... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī. Guṇa means these qualities, the three modes of nature. The material nature is guṇamayī. Guṇamayī means involved or full of these three modes of material nature, guṇamayī. Maya means... Just like golden. It is smeared with gold or it is gold, you can..., you can say golden. Golden means it is made of gold or it is covered with gold glittering. Similarly, this māyā, this material nature, is made of these three modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas. Therefore it is called guṇamayī.