Purify desire by redirecting it from personal gratification toward satisfying Krishna and the spiritual master.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Viśāla: I have understood from other devotees that you said that anyone who has taken birth in India is in the mode of goodness, but anyone who has taken birth in the United States is in the mode of passion. And yet everyone is born śūdra. So could you make it clear to me? I don’t understand.
If we’re all born śūdra, how are the people born in the mode of goodness in India and the people in the United States are born in the mode of passion? Prabhupāda: Same thing: that if you are born in a rich family, but you can squander away your money and become a poor man. Viśāla: Ah. Ah. Thank you very much. Prabhupāda: [laughs] To be born in a rich family is not a guarantee that you will continue to be rich. [laughs] [break] Viśāla: …how do you achieve the transcendental blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but better still, how do you achieve the transcendental blessings of the spiritual master? Prabhupāda: [to Gurudāsa:] Answer him. Gurudāsa: By carrying out the orders of the spiritual master, cent per cent. Prabhupāda: Answer him explaining.
What is his question? Viśāla: How does one achieve the mercy of the spiritual master, the real mercy of the spiritual master, in order to achieve full Kṛṣṇa consciousness? [break] Gurudāsa: The spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, so by serving the spiritual master, then we know how to serve Kṛṣṇa, and in that way we’re serving..., we are receiving the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. So this process is descending process, that we’re receiving the benediction moon of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy through the spiritual master, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is saying, “Surrender to Me,” but the question is how to surrender.
So the spiritual master is there to explain how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So by doing what the spiritual master wishes, that is what Kṛṣṇa wishes. Just like a representative of an industrialist or the head of a university or any big, big man, his representative can distribute how best to serve in that way. And when that is being carried out, then the mercy is distributed.
And similarly, with the spiritual master, we don’t really know how to serve him. We can say, “I surrender to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda,” but that doesn’t mean very much. But from simply by following your instructions you have set down, will this be enough to destroy all material desires we have? Prabhupāda: What do you mean by material desires? Devotee (3): Even within spiritual life, I may… Prabhupāda: No. Define material desires. Devotee (3): Material desires?
To enjoy the senses and the body. To desire… Prabhupāda: Desire means sense gratification. Devotee (3): Yes, sensual gratification. Prabhupāda: Then? Devotee (3): Even within spiritual life one can desire to be a great spiritualist, or one can desire to be a best devotee or best at doing this or being closest to the spiritual master, and things like that. Prabhupāda: That is not material desire. Devotee (3): That is not material desire? Prabhupāda: No. Material desire means sense gratification: I shall eat more, I shall sleep more, I shall have sex life more, I shall defend more—these are material desires.
I shall serve more Kṛṣṇa—that is not material. I shall try my best for serving Kṛṣṇa—these are not material desires. These are spiritual desires. Desire you cannot stop.