Answer
We have to understand a very important principle taught by Srila Prabhupada: anarthas can be removed only by replacement.
Anartha means the misuse of something—in this case, the misuse of our desiring capacity. The soul has the natural capacity to desire, but when that capacity is misused, our consciousness becomes covered. What we usually call “our personality” is often not the profile of the soul; it is the profile of our chitta, our contaminated consciousness, shaped by our past impressions and habits.
This contaminated consciousness has a default mode of functioning. Each person’s conditioned nature reacts automatically according to past samskaras, and many of these tendencies act against the soul’s real self-interest.
Therefore, the Guru and the scriptures give us dos and don’ts not for the benefit of the body or false ego, but for the benefit of our real self-interest as the eternal soul.
By associating with the holy name, we gradually realize two things:
My covered, conditioned personality.
My real spiritual identity, which is currently dormant and waiting to awaken.
The bodily concept of life operates under karmic conditioning and false ego. It naturally resists spiritual discipline. Therefore, it is essential to distinguish between what is truly me and what is not me.
Sense gratification is not in the interest of the soul. The senses belong to the body, not to the eternal self. As long as we identify with the body, spiritual discipline feels like deprivation. We think, “I am controlling myself too much.” But when we understand that we are the soul and the body is a temporary machine, we can deal with the body objectively.
This awakening comes through chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Without the support of the holy name, it is extremely difficult to follow spiritual principles consistently.
Spiritual strength comes through quality association:
quality chanting,
quality sankirtana,
and quality reading of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
When we remain attached to bodily identity, every instruction of “do this” or “don’t do this” feels difficult. Therefore, we must cultivate the understanding: “This is not me; this is my conditioned nature.”
Changing that default conditioning is called developing sadachara—proper conduct. Achara means habit. Samskara means habitual patterns of thinking and reacting.
We must develop Vaishnava samskaras through a Vaishnava lifestyle. Srila Prabhupada first transformed the lifestyle of his disciples in the West because without proper conduct, chanting does not become deeply effective.
By following the four regulative principles, chanting sincerely, and living according to Vaishnava culture, our habits gradually change, and the soul begins to awaken.
