SB 3.29.18

In order to be advanced in spiritual understanding, one has to hear from reliable sources or authentic sources about spiritual knowledge. And one can understand the science of spiritual life by putting himself under strict regulative principles and controlling the... Controlling means that one should be nonviolent, truthful, he should not steal, and abstain from sex life and shall possess things only which are absolutely necessary for keeping the body and soul together. In other words, he should not eat more than what is necessary, he should not collect things more than necessary, he should not talk unnecessarily with common men, and he should not follow the rules and regulation simply for the matter of rules and regulation. He should follow the rules and regulation so that he may actually make advancement; that should be also observed. And his behavior should be simple.

There are eighteen qualification mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. So in those qualifications it is also mentioned that…, that one should be simple, one should be without any pride, one should not be unnecessarily demand respects from other, one should be nonviolent. Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa [Bg 13.8]. One should be very tolerant and simple and accept a spiritual master and control the senses. So these things are mentioned both in Bhagavad-gita, and here it is also said that one should hear from the authentic sources how one can make advancement in spiritual life. So these things are stated in this Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and they should be..., such instruction should be taken from the acarya and try to be assimilated.

And especially it is mentioned here: nama-sahkirtanat ca. Nama-sahkirtana means chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, either individually or collectively. So…, and Lord Caitanya has given a special stress on chanting of these holy name of the Lord, the basic principle of spiritual advancement of life. Then there is one word: arjavena (a-r-j-a-v-e-n-a), "without any diplomacy." A devotee should not be planning something for self-interest. Of course, those who are preachers, sometimes they have to make some plan for executing the mission of the Lord under proper guidance. That is different thing. But here it is said for his personal self a devotee should always be without any diplomacy, and he should avoid the company of persons who are not advancing in spiritual life: anarya, anarya. Arya means Aryan. Aryan means persons who are advancing, not only in civilization, not only in material prosperity, but in knowledge of Krsna consciousness. That is the sign of Aryan. The difference between the Aryan and non-Aryan, the asuras and suras, are on the standard of spiritual advancement of life. So it is forbidden that one should not associate with persons who are not spiritually advanced. Lord Caitanya also advised that asat-sahga-tyaga (a-s-a-t s-a-n-g-a t-y-a-g-a), asat-sahga-tyaga [Cc Madhya 22.87]. One should avoid a persons who are attached to temporary things. And here explained also who is asat. Here is explained that asat means one who is too much materially attached, one who is not a devotee of the Lord and one who is too much attached to women or things enjoyable materially. They are called asat-undesirable persons. According to Vaisnava philosophy, they are persons non grata.

At the same time, a devotee should not be proud of his acquisition. A devotee's symptom is he is very meek and humble. Although he is very spir..., very much spiritually advanced, he will always remain as very meek and humble as Kaviraja Gosvami has taught us by his personal example and all the Vaisnavas. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also taught that one should be humbler than the grass on the street and one should be tolerant more than the tree. So one should not be proud or falsely puffed up, and in this way one should surely make advancement in spiritual life.