The best quality of association is devotional service, the devotees, because they're transcendental, above goodness. Above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic . . . if you live in the forest, that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest, or in the village . . . not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly person they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city, that is association with passion. And in the city if you live in the brothel, the liquor shop, gambling, that is association with ignorance. Three kinds of. But if you live in the temple, that is transcendental; that is Vaikuṇṭha.
So in this way we have to detach ourself from the association of the three guṇas. Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45): "My dear Arjuna, just become transcendental to the three guṇas." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Who can transcend these three guṇas? We have to go above goodness. Here in this material world goodness is supposed to be very nice quality, but here the goodness also, nice, temporary. There is chance of being affected, or infected with the other quality, sattva-rajas-tamo guṇa.
So we can . . . at least we have to transcend the rajas-tamo guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamo, the quality of passion and ignorance, these . . . the symptoms of these qualities is kāma and lobha, lust and greediness. So long there is lust and greediness . . . lust for sex, lust for opposite sex, this is called lust. And greediness—to eat more, more than we can digest. When these two things are there, lust and greediness, that means we are now being conducted by the ignorance and passion.
And when there is prominence of goodness, then we can understand what is what: what is God, what I am, what is this world. That is knowledge. And above this, transcendental, not only knowledge but practical application of knowledge in life. That is called śuddha-sattva, practical application. Only theoretically know, "Yes, there is God . . . there must be God, that is theoretical knowledge. Practical knowledge is . . ."
(break) . . . when you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, that is śuddha-sattva.
So here the question is that puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi. "Now we are very much eager to hear from you, to listen from you. Kindly let us know what is the easiest method to achieve the highest goal of life." This is the question. So next verse, read. Oh, purport. Hmm.
Pradyumna: ". . . they are especially spiritual well-wishers. Spiritual well-being is automatically followed by material well-being."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual well-being, that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if the society becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, or spiritually advanced, the so-called material advancement will automatically be there. There will be no scarcity. For example, take for practical example, we have got about one hundred centers. So we are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. So, so far our material necessities are concerned, we are not badly situated. We are living in a nice house, we are eating nice foodstuff, we have got nice dress, and the devotees look very nice, bright-faced. What is the wrong there? What is the wrong there?
But they are not busy for earning money or going to the office or going to the factory or so many other sources of business. They are depending on Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is supplying them. Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ (BG 9.22): "If anyone is completely engaged in spiritual advancement of life then," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, "I take charge of yoga-kṣemam." yoga-kṣemam means what is not in possession, to supply that thing. And kṣema means what is already possessed, to protect. For example, take for practical example, we have got about one hundred centers. So we are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. So, so far our material necessities are concerned, we are not badly situated. We are living in a nice house, we are eating nice foodstuff, we have got nice dress, and the devotees look very nice, bright-faced. What is the wrong there? What is the wrong there?
But they are not busy for earning money or going to the office or going to the factory or so many other sources of business. They are depending on Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is supplying them. Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ (BG 9.22): "If anyone is completely engaged in spiritual advancement of life then," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, "I take charge of yoga-kṣemam." yoga-kṣemam means what is not in possession, to supply that thing. And kṣema means what is already possessed, to protect, or for welfare activities.