One who remains attached to material sense gratification cannot be steady in the process of chanting Hare Krishna. Being shackled by illusory desires, he is not able to fully control the senses. Actually, one should take shelter of devotional service to Lord Krishna twenty-four hours a day, for by such service one remains within the scope of spiritual reality. By chanting and hearing the holy names of the Lord along with the Lord's glories and pastimes, one naturally drifts away from the field of material sense gratification. Good association with Lord Krishna and His devotees automatically vanquishes useless material association, and one is able to carry out the Vedic injunctions meant to lift the conditioned soul out of the material field and onto the liberated platform of Krishna consciousness. In this regard, Srila Rupa Gosvami states in his Upadesamrita (4),

dadati pratigrihnati

guhyam akhyati pricchati

bhunkte bhojayate caiva

shad-vidham priti-lakshanam

"Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasadam and offering prasadam are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another."

One who thus learns to associate with the Lord's devotees actually remains insulated from the contamination of material life. By pure association one gradually understands the name, form, qualities, associates, pastimes and devotional service of Lord Sri Krishna, and thus even in this lifetime one can become a resident of the spiritual world. In the association of pure devotees there is no material contamination and no useless discussion, since all pure devotees are fully engaged twenty-four hours a day in the loving service of the Lord. By the influence of such devotees, one develops equal vision (sama-darsana) and sees the realized knowledge of Krishna consciousness everywhere. As one begins to understand his eternal relationship with Lord Krishna, he becomes atma-van, situated in his constitutional position. An advanced Vaishnava, constantly enjoying the mellows of loving devotional service and carrying out the mission of the Lord on the earth, is atma-krida, one who enjoys life within the internal potency of the Supreme Lord. The advanced devotee remains constantly attracted to the Supreme Lord and His devotees and is therefore atma-rata, fully satisfied by constant engagement in devotional service. One cannot possibly develop the exalted qualities mentioned here without becoming an unalloyed devotee of Lord Krishna. One who is envious of the Lord and His devotees becomes attracted to bad association, gradually loses control of the senses and falls down into the network of impious life. The innumerable varieties of nondevotees are like branches sprouting from the single tree of enviousness of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, and their association should be given up by all means.

Without unalloyed devotional service to the Lord, one loses touch with the desire and mission of the Personality of Godhead and becomes attracted to worshiping the wonderful male and female creations of the Lord's illusory energy -- demigods, demigoddesses, celebrities, politicians, prostitutes, etc. In this way, one foolishly considers something besides Lord Krishna to be supremely wonderful. Actually, Lord Krishna is the only true object of worship for those desiring to experience unlimited beauty and pleasure. By seriously taking to Krishna consciousness one can realize the transcendental position of Lord Krishna and gradually develop all of the qualities mentioned in this verse.