Prabhupada 0182 - Keep Yourself in that Washed-Off Condition
Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972
One profit is, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, he becomes gradually sinless, simply by hearing. Unless we are sinful, we don't come into the material world. So we have to become sinless before going back to home, back to Godhead. Because kingdom of God ... God is pure, the kingdom is pure. No impure living entity can enter there. So one has to become pure. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28). "One who has completely been freed from all sinful reaction of his life," yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām (BG 7.28), "and always engaged in pious activities, no more sinful activities..." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that once he's given chance to erase all the sinful activities and keeping himself intact: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. If we follow these regulations, then after initiation, all my sins are washed off. And if I keep myself in that washed—off position, then where is the question of becoming sinful again?
But once washed off... You take your bath and again take the dust and throw on your body—that process will not help. If you say, "I take again wash and again throw," then what is the use of washing? Wash off. Once washed off, now keep yourself in that washed-off condition. That is required. So that will be possible if you keep yourself constantly in touch with Kṛṣṇa by hearing about Him. That's all. You have to remain uncontaminated. And that is puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, then puṇya, you will be always in pious position. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Either you chant or... Therefore our recommendation is always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So we should be careful about our slipping down again into the sinful activity. Everyone should be careful and keep oneself in the chanting process. Then he's all right. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). And gradually, as you go on hearing about Kṛṣṇa, the all the dirty things within the heart will be cleansed.
The dirty things are that "I am a material body; I am American; I am Indian; I am Hindu; I am Muslim; I am this; I am that." These are all different types of covering of the soul. The uncovered soul is fully conscious that "I am eternal servant of God." That's all. One has no other identification. That is called mukti. When one comes to the understanding that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, God, and my only business is to serve Him," that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you will have another two hands, another two legs. No. The same thing, simply it is cleansed. Just like a man is suffering from fever. The symptoms are so many, but as soon as the fever is not there, then all the symptoms gone. So our, this fever in this material world is sense gratification. Sense gratification. This is the fever. So when we become engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this sense gratification business ceases. That is the difference. That is the test how you are becoming advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.