So spiritual life, or transcendental life, does not mean that we are free from activity. Simply artificially if we sit down, "Oh, no more I shall do anything material. I shall simply meditate," oh, what meditation you will do? Your meditation will be in a moment broken, just like even Viśvāmitra Muni, he could not continue his meditation. We have to always, cent percent, be engaged in spiritual activities. That should be the program of our life. Rather, in spiritual life you will hardly find any time to get out of it, you have got so much engagement. Rasa-varjam. And that engagement can only be possible when you find some transcendental pleasure in it.
So that will be done. That will be done. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15). Spiritual life begins, first of all, śraddhā, some faith. Just like you are coming here, kindly, to hear me. You have got little faith. This is the beginning. Without faith, you could not spare your time here, because here there is no cinema playing, there is no political talks, nothing of the . . . it may be, to some, it is very dry subject. Very dry subject. (chuckles)
But still, you come. Why? Because you have got some little faith, "Oh, here is Bhagavad-gītā. Let us hear it." So the faith is the beginning. The faithless cannot have any spiritual life. Faith is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Śraddhā. And this faith, faithfulness, as much it is intensified, you make your progress far.
So this faith has to be intensified. The beginning is the faith. And now, as you make your faith intensified, so you become progressive in the spiritual point. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. If you have got some faith, then you will find out some sādhu, sādhu or some saint, some sage, who can give you some spiritual enlightenment. That is called sādhu-saṅga.
Ādau śraddhā. The basic principle is śraddhā, and the next step is sādhu-saṅga, association of spiritually realized persons. That is called sadhu . . . ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. And if there is actually association of spiritually self-realized person, then he will give you some process of spiritual activities. That is called bhajana-kriyā.
Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And as you are more and more engaged in spiritual activities, so, proportionately, your material activities and affection for material activities will diminish. Counteraction. When you engage in the spiritual activities, your material activities diminishes. But just mind that.
Material activities and spiritual activities, difference is that . . . suppose you are engaged as a medical man. You don't think that "If I become spiritually engaged, then I have to give up my profession." No, no. That is not. You have to spiritualize your profession. Just like Arjuna, he was a military man. He became a spiritualist. That means he spiritualized his military activities.
So these are the techniques. So ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha means . . . anartha means that creates my miseries. Material activities will continue to increase my miseries. And if you adopt spiritual life, then your material miseries will be gradually decreased, and practically it will be nil.