108 Teachings of Lord Chaitanya

Personality of Godhead and offers himself fully under His care, he actually
attains immortality at that time, and is eligible to become in association with
the Supreme Lord, and to enjoy transcendental bliss.

The Lord then explained to Sanatan Goswami about the various types and
symptoms of practical devotional service. When devotional service becomes
practical—to be performed with our present senses—at that time it is called
practical devotional service. Actually, devotional service is the eternal life of
the living entity, and is lying dormant in everyone’s heart. The practice which
invokes that dormant devotional service is called practical devotional service.
The purport is that a living entity is constitutionally part and parcel of the
Supreme Lord. The Lord is compared to the Sun, and the living entities are
compared to the molecules of sunshine. Under the spell of illusory energy,
that spiritual spark is almost extinct. But, by practical devotional service, one
is again revived to his natural constitutional position. When one is practicing
such devotional service, it means that he is going back to his original normal
position of liberation. Such devotional service can be practiced with one’s
senses, under the direction of a bona fide Spiritual Master.

The beginning of such spiritual activities for making advancement in
Krishna Consciousness, or devotional service, is to hear. Hearing is the most
important subject matter for advancement in Krishna Consciousness. One
should be very eager to hear favorably about Krishna. One should give up
speculative knowledge or fruitive activities, and simply worship and desire
to achieve love of Godhead. That love of Godhead is eternally existent within
oneself. One has to simply practice the process of hearing. Hearing and chant-
ing are the principal processes of devotional service.

Such devotional service may be regulative or affectionate. One who has
not developed transcendental affection for Krishna should conduct his life
under the direction of Scriptural injunction, and the guidance of the Spiritual
Master. In the Srimad Bhagwatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, Sukadeva
Goswami advises Maharaj Parikshit as follows:

“O best amongst the Bharatas, it is the prime duty of persons who want
to become fearless to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari,
and to chant about Him, and always remember Him. Lord Vishnu is always
to be remembered, and not to be forgotten for even a moment. He is the sum
and substance of all regulative principles.”

The purport is that there are so many rules and regulations in the revealed
Scriptures: so many recommended activities, and so many prohibited activi-
ties—but when all of them are taken together, it appears that remembrance
