The intermediate devotee loves God through loving His devotees, showing mercy to the innocent while avoiding the envious.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.49–65 — February 7, 1967, San Francisco 670207CC-SAN FRANCISCO [22:41 Minutes] Prabhupāda: While Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, Rūpa..., Sanātana Gosvāmī met Him, and He taught him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the procedure to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For two months He instructed. itimadhye candraśekhara, miśra-tapana duḥkhī hañā prabhu-pāya kaila nivedana [Cc. Ādi 7.49] [While Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī, both Candraśekhara and Tapana Miśra became very unhappy. Therefore they submitted an appeal unto the lotus feet of the Lord.] So while Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, that Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara submitted with great regret that "Sir, the other party, the Māyāvādī sannyāsīns, they are criticizing Your activities. Because You are chanting and You do not give much attention to the reading of Vedānta philosophy, they are criticizing that 'What kind of sannyāsī is He?
He does not take part in the matter of studying Vedānta philosophy, and on sentiment He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and some innocent people are following Him.' So in this way they are criticizing." kateka śuniba prabhu tomāra nindana nā pāri sahite, ebe chāḍiba jīvana [Cc. Ādi 7.50] [How long can we tolerate the blasphemy by Your critics against Your conduct? We should give up our lives rather than hear such blasphemy.] It is the duty of devotee not to tolerate blaspheme. So they are presenting before the Lord that "The criticism by the other party has become unbearable. So something must be done.
Otherwise, we shall die or commit suicide." tomāre nindaye yata sannyāsīra gaṇa śunite nā pāri, phāṭe hṛdaya-śravaṇa [Cc. Ādi 7.51] [The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are all criticizing Your Holiness. We cannot tolerate hearing such criticism, for this blasphemy breaks our hearts.] There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and mahā-bhāgavata, bhāgavata, or those who are in the lower status, those who are in the middle status and those who are in the highest status. Those who are in the lower status are beginners, devotees. For them, the description is that, arcāyām eva haraye yaḥ pūjām śraddhayehate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ [SB 11.2.47] [A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a prākṛta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position.] "In the lower stage, a devotee goes to the temple or to the church or to the mosque, with great devotion and faith offers prayers to the Lord, but he has no knowledge about other devotees," na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, "and he does not know the duty to others." A devotee should not be satisfied simply by elevating himself in spiritual advancement.
He has got other duties also. What is that other duties? That those who are innocent, those who are not interested... Everyone is interested, but there are persons who have forgotten his relationship with God.
Therefore it is the duty of the devotee to enlighten others. That is required. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached the sense of God, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of devotee. It is the duty of good son of God, but the..., those who are in the lower status, they have not developed such consciousness that "I have to preach the philosophy of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others." They are simply satisfied themself.
They go to the church or mosque or temple, offer their prayers in devotion. That's all. So the next stage is one who is advanced spiritualist, he has got four visions. īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ [SB 11.2.46] [An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikārī, offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.] "A person who knows what is God, and knows also who is a devotee, and knows also who is innocent, and knows also who is atheist..." There are four kinds of people. So atheist, innocent, devotee and, er, yes, three classes, and God.
God, God's devotee. One, God; second, God's devotee; third, innocent persons; and fourth, atheist. So a person who has elevated himself to the second stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has got four kinds of dealings. First thing is, because he knows God, therefore he loves God, prema.