Answer
Yes. A devotee can certainly accept comforts if they are favorable for preaching and for practicing Krishna consciousness.
The real question is not whether one can accept comforts, but why one is accepting them. If they are not accepted for one's personal enjoyment but to facilitate devotional service, then there is no objection.
For example, suppose you have to travel from here to Rajajinagar to serve the Lord. Wearing footwear is necessary. If you say, "I don't want to wear slippers," it will only disturb your service. The road may be hot or dirty, making it difficult to carry out your service effectively.
Similarly, we accept whatever assists us in devotional service. Such facilities not only make service easier but also increase our productivity. Time moves very quickly, and we must move with the times. We cannot remain in another age. If mobile phones are available, we should use them. Tomorrow, if an even better technology becomes available that can help in Krishna's service, we should adopt it immediately. We have to run faster in the service of Krishna.
However, while doing so, we must remain very careful. As mentioned earlier, there is a difference between the individual and the institution. When using a mobile phone or any other facility, one should never think, "This is for my enjoyment." Rather, one should think, "I will use this fully for Krishna's service." That attitude is essential.
Srila Prabhupada would say, "Catch the fish, but don't get wet." In other words, engage with the material world for Krishna's service without becoming materially attached. To catch a fish, you need not fall into the water.
Therefore, a devotee may use a vehicle, travel by car or airplane, or even wear respectable clothing when meeting dignitaries if it serves Krishna's mission. We do not need these things for our own sake, but neither should we reject them if they are favorable for devotional service.
A devotee's guiding principle is simple: Whatever is favorable for devotional service, let me accept it. There is no rigid list of do's and don'ts regarding comforts. A devotee accepts whatever is required for service while remaining careful that such facilities do not create material attachment.
If one is sincerely chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra every morning, there is no need to constantly worry, "Am I becoming attached because I'm using a comfortable mattress?" or "Am I becoming attached because I'm traveling by car?" There is no need for such separate analysis.
Simply chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra sincerely every day and use everything in Krishna's service. Then these material facilities will not affect you. You will not "get wet." There is no need to cultivate a separate anxiety about remaining unattached. By sincere chanting and proper consciousness, everything will remain favorable for devotional service.
