Actually there is no goodness, because here people dress like in the platform of goodness, but thinking just like animals. That kind of goodness has no value. Actually goodness, that goodness is sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26), when one transcends the qualities of material nature, above the brāhmin quality. Brāhmin quality is . . . suppose . . . suppose actually, in comparison to other qualities, that is the first-class quality. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam . . . eh? Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). When one is situated in these qualities—truthfulness, satyam; śamaḥ, controlling the senses; damaḥ, controlling the mind; śamo dama titikṣā, tolerant—in spite of all tribulation, tolerant—śamo dama titikṣā śaucam, cleanliness. Then jñānam, full knowledge. Full knowledge means, "What I am, what is God, what is this material world, what is our relationship." That is called knowledge. And that knowledge, when practically applied in life, that is called vijñānam. Vijñānam. Vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam, full faith in the śāstras and in God, that is called āstikyam. If you have full faith in the revealed scriptures, then you are āstikya.
Because you cannot manufacture your God, so-called incarnation God. No. You must have full knowledge of God through the authority of revealed scriptures. That is God consciousness. If you give up the injunction of the scripture, revealed scripture, you consider something as God, that is not God. Or you consider something as religion, that is not religion. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhim sa avāpnoti (BG 16.23). If you become abhorrent to the injunction of the śāstras, then na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti, you'll never get happiness. Na sukham . . . yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na . . . na siddhim sa avāpnoti. There is no question of siddhi, perfection, neither there is question of happiness, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim, and what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead. It is useless.
Therefore we must abide by the sādhu-śāstra-guru. (banging sound) (aside) Ah, what is this sound, is going on now? You can ask somebody to stop. Sādhu means saintly person. Śāstra means revealed scriptures. Sādhu, śāstra and guru, spiritual master. So we must follow the footprints of saintly person, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That is the way. We have to follow great superior personalities, just like ṣaḍ-gosvāmī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chay gosāi jār tār mui dāsa: "I become servant, servant or disciple, of such a person who follows the footprints of the six Gosvāmīs." Otherwise one becomes guru, anyone, just like nowadays they become. They are manufacturing guru. Guru is not manufactured. Guru is in the disciplic succession, one who is strictly follows the footsteps of the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi jār. Anyone who is following the footsteps of the gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī . . . Rūpa Gosvāmī gives his Upadeśāmṛta instruction: vāco vegam, krodha-vegam, udaro-vegam, upastha-vegam, jihvā-vegam, mano vegam, etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt (NOI 1) This is the injunction given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Vāco vegaṁ. Vāco vegaṁ means the force of talking, vegam. What is the meaning, vegam?
Nitāi: Control. Pushing. Urge.
Prabhupāda: Urge, yes. Just like I am talking some nonsense. That is the vāco vegam; it has no value. We should fix something which has value, one who can control. It is better not to talk than to talk foolish. So that is the world. All foolish talking or foolish literature, it has no value. So it has to be controlled. That is called controlling the vāco vegam. Krodha-vegam. Krodha means anger. So it has also urge. Suppose I am insulted by somebody. Naturally I'll be angry, but if I can control, "All right, let me . . . he's a foolish. He has done. Why shall I lose my temper?" that is called controlling krodha-vegam. Vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegam, manasa-vegam, mind. It has got so many urges. Mind is driving practically, "Let us go there, let us go there, let us do this, let us . . ." Never mind sinful or pious, mind is always dictating and rejecting.