We are direct in touch with Kṛṣṇa, but it is covered by some cloud of ignorance. Otherwise, nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa's touch. That is not possible. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Kṛṣṇa is . . . one Kṛṣṇa is expanded all over the creation. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but due to the contamination of material modes of nature, we are thinking we are apart from Kṛṣṇa, separate from Kṛṣṇa, or we do not know Kṛṣṇa, although we are in touch. So that is to be cleansed. The via media impediment has to be cleansed. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). By chanting this transcendental vibration, your heart will be cleansed. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). The more you chant and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, then it becomes pious activities.
Pious activities means becoming free from the impious, sinful reaction. That is the result. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa vibration, the sound, you gradually become cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa. Darpaṇa means mirror. Just like in the mirror there are dust covering, you cannot see your face clearly. But if it is very nicely cleansed, then you can see how beautiful is your face. So similarly, as soon as you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you gradually become self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, simply by chanting. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, you can understand. Then, gradually, what is the duty? Simply to understand ahaṁ brahma . . . so 'ham, "I am spirit soul . . ." So 'ham means "I am the same spirit soul as Kṛṣṇa is, as God is," not that "I become Kṛṣṇa." That is mistake. That means it is not cleansed. You can become qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa, but if you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa—Māyāvāda philosophy—that means your heart is not yet cleansed. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Those who are thinking that . . . It is called ahaṅgrahopāsanā, ekatvena, to become one. One in quality, not in quantity. We cannot become God. That is not possible. But we can attain God's quality. Now we are . . . we have all God's quality because we are part and parcel of God, but it is covered by the material modes of nature, tri-guṇa. Manyate tri-guṇātmakam. Yayā vimohito jīva manyate tri-guṇātmakam: "Being covered by this illusory energy, the jīva, the living being, although it is transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṇa, but," manyate tri-guṇātmakam, "he is thinking that 'I am one of the products of this material world.' " This is called māyā. This is called illusion. This is called ignorance.
So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means you'll be get . . . you'll be freed from this ignorance that "I am something of this material world." This is wanted. So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that he is not the body. So if we think that "I am this body," then we are no better than the cats and dogs. So if you want to become happy, first of all we must get this knowledge, that "I am not this body." Now we are busy with the bodily demands of life. We are not busy for spiritual demand of life. That is the business of the human being, that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul. So my business is different from the business at the present moment we are engaged in." Everyone is engaged for satisfying the bodily necessities of life. Everyone. The cats and dogs, animals, they are also busy how to fulfill the demands of the body. The demands of the body are four: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca (Hitopadeśa). Āhāra means eating, and nidrā . . . nidrā means sleeping, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. Bhaya means to become fearful, to become anxious, full of anxieties. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. And maithuna, and sexual intercourse. So these are the demands of the body. They are called viṣaya. Viṣaya means so-called enjoyable, viṣaya. But the Vaiṣṇava says that viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari. The transcendental sound Hari, Hare Kṛṣṇa, should be chanted, viṣaya chāḍiyā, without any attraction for this viṣaya. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Then it will be perfect.