This chanting process is the purifying process- From the book PQPA

Continued from the book Perfect questions and perfect answers...

Bob: The devotees have said that the sensual pleasures they have given up are replaced with spiritual kinds of pleasures, but—see—I haven't felt this.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Spiritual pleasures come when you desire to please Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual pleasure. For example, a mother is more pleased by feeding her son. She's not eating, but when she sees that her son is eating very nicely, then she becomes pleased.


Bob: Hmm-m. Spiritual pleasure, then, is pleasing God.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Spiritual pleasure means the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa.


Bob: Pleasing Kṛṣṇa.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Material pleasure means the Pleasure of the senses. That's all. This is the difference. When you simply try to please Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual pleasure.


Bob: I had viewed this as—my thought of pleasing God was to—


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Don't manufacture your ways of pleasing God. Don't manufacture. Suppose I want to please you. Then I shall ask you, "How can I serve you?" Not that I manufacture some service. That is not pleasing. Suppose I want a glass of water. If you concoct the idea, "Swāmījī will be more pleased if I give him a glass of milk, hot milk," that will not please me. If you want to please me, then you should ask me, "How can I please you?" And if you do what I order, that will please me.


Bob: And pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then, is being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: A devotee is one who is always pleasing Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business. That is a devotee.


Bob: Can you tell me some more about chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? I have for quite some time chanted, but never regularly—just a little bit here and there. I just got beads very recently, and once in a while I feel comfortable chanting, and once in a while not comfortable at all. Maybe I don't chant Properly. I don't know.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, everything has a process. You have to adopt the process.


Bob: The devotees tell me of the ecstasy they feel when chanting.


Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, the more you become purified, the more you will feel ecstasy. This chanting process is the purifying process.


To Be continued...