Real bhakti… that is raganuga-bhakti. This raganuga-bhakti, we have to come after surpassing the vaidhi-bhakti [regulative process]. In the material world, if we do not try to make further and further progress in devotional service, if we are simply sticking to the shastric [scriptural] regulation process and do not try to go beyond that...
The shastric process is kanishtha-adhikara, lowest stage of devotional service… This is nice beginning, but one has to go above this… If I become satisfied only with these regulative principles for worshiping… but if I have no other idea, then sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah. Prakrta means on the material platform.
…So any devotee can fall down if he remains prakrta-bhakta. So he has to raise himself above this in the madhyama-adhikara [intermediate stage]…
Therefore, if we do not associate with the advanced devotees, uttama-adhikari, if we simply want to remain in the lowest stage of devotional service, then we are not making progress. Then we shall si
stage (3)
"Therefore I say that the Christians, they're also Vaiṣṇavas; the Muslims, they're also Vaiṣṇava, very, mean, lower stage, because they're offering prayer. Yad-vandanam. They offer prayer: "O God, give us our daily bread." They do not know very much, but the beginning is there. Beginning is there because they have approached... Catur-vidhā bhajanti māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. That going to the church or going to the mosque, that is also pious activities. One day they'll come out pure Vaiṣṇava, one day. But that beginning is good.
But atheism—"Don't go to church. Don't go to temple. Don't go to mosque"—this propaganda is very, very dangerous to the human society. Something do... Try to understand. That education, that a child is sent to school. Let him learn simply A,B,C,D. It doesn't matter. So one day, if he's interested, he may become very good scholar. But to give up religion altogether, secular, simply open factory, bolts and nuts, and work hard and drink and take meat... What is this civ
David Sherk Gadai Dasa; Purport: Also by His Divine Grace
