918 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch, 22
title, svamt or gosvami, must be very strict in controlling his senses. Indeed,
he must be master of his senses. This is possible when one does not desire
any material sense gratification. If, by chance, the senses want to work
independently, he must control them. If we simply practice avoiding
material sense gratification, controlling the senses is automatically
achieved.

Another important point mentioned in this connection (anindaya) is
that we should not criticize others’ methods of religion. There are
different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of
material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion
cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-
gita everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore
religious systems are similarly categorized. When people are mostly under
the modes of passion and ignorance, their system of religion will be of the
same quality. A devotee, instead of criticizing such systems, will encourage
the followers to stick to their principles so that gradually they can come
to the platform of religion in goodness. Simply by criticizing them, a
devotee’s mind will be agitated. Thus a devotee should tolerate and learn
to stop agitation.

Another feature of the devotee is nirthaya, simple living. Nirtha means
gentle, meek or simple. A devotee should not live very gorgeously and
imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recom-
mended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he can to keep
the material body fit for the execution of devotional service. He should
not eat nor sleep more than is required. Simply eating for living, and not
living for eating, and sleeping only six to seven hours a day are principles
to be followed by devotees. As long as the body is there it is subjected to
the influence of climatic changes, disease and natural disturbances, the
threefold miseries of material existence. We cannot avoid them. Some-
times we receive letters from neophyte devotees questioning why they
have fallen sick, although pursuing Krsna consciousness. They should
learn from this verse that they have to become tolerant (dvandva-
titiksaya). This is the world of duality. Because he has fallen sick, one
should not think that he has fallen from Krsna consciousness. Krsna con-
sciousness can continue withoutimpediment from any material opposition.
Lord Sri Krsna therefore advises in Bhagavad-gita, tars titiksasva bharata:
“My dear Arjuna, please try to tolerate all these disturbances. Be fixed
in your Krsna conscious activities.” (Bg. 2.14)
