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4           BRAHMACARYA IN KÅÑËA CONSCIOUSNESS

              Caitanya Mahäprabhu would give respect even to Mäyävädé
          sannyäsés, as was the social etiquette, but He associated only with
          devotees. When He visited Väräëasé, Mahäprabhu avoided the
          numerous Mäyävädé sannyäsés and chose to live amongst His
          gåhastha devotees instead—Tapana Miçra, Candraçekhara (a çüdra
          by caste), and the Maharashtrian brähmaëa. The Mäyävädé
          sannyäsés were astonished at this and criticized the Lord. Only
          after He had converted them to Vaiñëavism was the Lord pleased
          to sit amongst them and take prasäda. 17
              In considering a devotee’s spiritual advancement, Caitanya
          Mahäprabhu never considered his external situation. Of His
          “three and a half” intimate associates, two (Rämänanda Räya and
          Çikhi Mähiti) were householders, “half” (Mädhavé-devé) was an
          old woman, and one (Svarüpa Dämodara) was a renunciate who
          had not even bothered to accept all the external formalities of
          sannyäsa. Many of Lord Caitanya’s leading devotees were
          householders and some were rejects from society. Indeed, Lord
          Caitanya blessed Haridäsa Öhäkura (who was born in a Muslim
          family) to be the äcärya of the holy name, just to demonstrate that
          spiritual advancement is not dependent on being respectable
          according to varëa and äçrama considerations.
              So we should not be overly concerned with externals: “I am a
          brahmacäré,” “I am a sannyäsé.” We are all servants of Kåñëa. Jévera
          ‘svarüpa’ haya—kåñëera ‘nitya-däsa’: “The constitutional position
          of the living entity is as the eternal servant of Kåñëa.” 18  The
          relative advancement of a Vaiñëava is understood only by the
          quality of his devotion to Kåñëa. Varëa and äçrama don’t matter. 19
              Still, in our present position, brahmacarya must be emphasized
          as an essential part of the means to our end of attaining love of
          Kåñëa. In our present neophyte position, unless we make a rigid
          program to control our senses, there will never be any possibility of
          advancement to higher levels.
              “A human being is meant to be trained according to certain
          principles to revive his original knowledge. Such a methodical life
          is described as  tapasya. One can gradually be elevated to the
          standard of real knowledge, or Kåñëa consciousness, by practicing
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