1. What is the sign of devotee?

    Now here, these boys, these girls, they are worshiping Krsna, and they are becoming devotee. What is the sign of devotee? The sign of devotee is that the devotees are no more interested with material enjoyment. That is devotee. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42].

    So these young boys and girls, they do not go to cinema. They do not smoke. They do not go any restaurant or club. Why? Virakti! Don’t want this! What to speak of here, poor country, but in the European, American countries, everything is available very cheap. But they are not interested. They are interested to sit down on the floor without any chair and follow me, whatever I say. They have no sufficient eating even. I cannot give them to their standard. Still… Why? Because they don’t want this material happiness. That is the test. That is the test. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat. When one will become detestful to material enjoyment, you will know, or he’ll know. Personally one can understand how much he is advanced in spiritual life. Spiritual life does not mean that a sannyasi is smoking and drinking tea, one gallon of tea. That is not spiritual life. He must be detestful. So this dharma, or spiritual life, means to have no more interest in material activities but only in the understanding of God, the Supreme, and His service. That is spiritual life.

    Srila Prabhupada/ Talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.1 – November 1, 1974,
    Bombay