Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: We live in sin, so is it not speculation to consider a sinless state?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you speculate, then also you will not be in position to understand what is sin and what is pious. Therefore you have to hear from the authority. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ kriya na tyājyam: "These four things should not be given up: performing sacrifices, giving in charity, and practicing tapasya." So you cannot speculate. You take the instruction from authority and try to do it. It is not speculation. It is receiving the instruction from the authority.
Guest (2): But because we do not know what sin is, wouldn't whatever the authority said be purely an idea to us?
Prabhupāda: So they do not know; therefore they must search out if he is serious.
Guest (2): But is there no way of finding out what is good and bad besides obeying guru, and the because to follow the guru would obviously be to create frustration.(?)
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is there some way to find out good without following the rules and regulations laid down by the authorities?
Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. You cannot violate the rules and regulation. That is not possible.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He says that to follow the rules is to be frustrated.
Prabhupāda: Why frustrated? So many people are following the rules and regulation. What is the frustration?
Guest (2): ...if you follow rules, then isn't it obvious that you must be frustrated? You want to do something, but the rule says, "No, you must not do it."
Prabhupāda: That is tapasya. I want to do something, but the rule says, "Do not do," so I'll have to do it. This is called tapasya. I have no intention to do it, but because it is ordered by the authority, I have to do it. Just like the law... In the street you find it convenient to go by one side of the road, but the law says, "Keep to the right." So you don't like it, still, you have to go.
Guest (2): (indistinct)
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He says that to follow the rules and regulations... These rules and regulations, they have been forced upon us in our upbringing...
Guest (2): And also that are forced upon us in any religion.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: And he says also in religion rules and regulations are forced upon us. And does this not bring frustration because we are doing something we may not like to do? Is that your question?
Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. This is called tapasya. You have to do something which you may not like to do. That is tapasya.
Guest (2): ...you do not like to do.
Prabhupāda: That is advised: tapo divyaṁ putrakā. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ kriyaḥ (SB 5.5.1). This is called tapasya. I do not like to do something, but I have to do it because I have accepted somebody as authority. This is tapasya. So this has to be practiced. But it will be easier by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There will be no Just like these boys, European, American boys. They are strictly following the rules and regulation, but it has become not very difficult, very easy, because they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the only method.