pure / purity

 
Prabhupada: Why? Gurusu nara-matih. [Padma Purana, Brahma Khanda 25.15-18] Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matih. Naraki, if anyone thinks arca-vigraha, the Deities, as made of stone, made of earth, or made of something material, and guru, the spiritual master, "He is an ordinary man"-these are forbidden. So why guru is to be considered saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair, exactly the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That reason is given there. That reason is that he is giving the Krsna knowledge; therefore he is as good as Krsna. Even though his family members or his friend thinking, "Oh, he has now become guru," still he should be considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That reason also given there, that even Krsna was taken as ordinary man, but does it mean that He has become ordinary? Similarly, any... Our movement, it may appear just like other movement, but because the movement is giving Krsna, therefore it is as good as Krsna. This is the example. Ajnaya hana. [Cc Madhya 20.152] It may appear to others... And there are so many movements, and the hippies have taken another shape, but it is not that. It is actually Krsna so long it adheres to the principles as enjoined, as we have accepted. Otherwise it is ordinary movement. This same man, he's guru so long he gives the real knowledge of Krsna. And the same man, he's ordinary man as soon as he cannot give. Same thing: just like a stone doll, when it is worshiped according to the regulative principles-Krsna. And the same doll, kept in the sculptor's showroom, it is stone.    (More...)
First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.
The authorized description of bhakti, or devotional service, following in the footsteps of previous acaryas, can be summarized in the following statement by Srila Rupa Gosvami: "First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Krsna consciousness, serving the Lord favorably." The purport is that one may also be in Krsna consciousness unfavorably, but that cannot be counted as pure devotional service. Pure devotional service should be free from the desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification, as these desires are cultivated through fruitive activities and philosophical speculation. Generally, people are engaged in different activities to get some material profit, while most philosophers are engaged in proposing transcendental realization through volumes of word jugglery and speculation. Pure devotional service must always be free from such fruitive activities and philosophical speculations. One has to learn Krsna consciousness or pure devotional service from the authorities by spontaneous loving service.    (More...)