Remaining always in Krishna consciousness at every minute is a great challenge because we are presently situated in the midst of a non-Krishna conscious world. Our consciousness is developed according to the company that we keep. What sort of company is that? For most of us during a typical week this association is for the most part with non-devotees. When we are in the association of devotees it is relatively easy to stay fixed in Krishna consciousness, but when we are in the midst of non-devotees, those who have no interest at all in Krishna consciousness, it is a great challenge to always keep our minds fixed on Krishna. It is not at all easy. But staying always fixed in Krishna consciousness is essential if we want to achieve spiritual perfection, if we want to go back home, back to Godhead. So how, in spite of the handicap of non-Krishna conscious association, can we successfully remain beyond the influence of the material energy? Definitively answering this question is most essential if we want to make proper use of this rare human birth.

The technique for remaining always in Krishna consciousness is to never act for the purpose of sense gratification. We must always act for the satisfaction of Krishna. If we are working a job, that money must be spent for Krishna, in other words every penny must be spent in a Krishna conscious way. If besides our ongoing spiritual education we are getting a material education, that education must be for the purpose of enhancing our ability to serve Krishna in the future. It will not be possible for us to Krishna conscious, if we are acting for sense gratification. And it will be relatively easy for us to always be Krishna conscious when everything we do is for His pleasure.

So how do we make sure that everything we are doing is for Krishna's satisfaction? This is not easy because the material nature is always pulling us towards sense gratification and is trying to convince us to rationalize that what we are doing for sense gratification is actually for Krishna. This is a most dangerous trap indeed! This is why it is important for us to have the association of those who are solidly fixed in Krishna consciousness.

If we put ourselves under the scrutiny of the bona fide spiritual master, we can easily understand if we are acting purely for Krishna, or if we are still acting for our own personal sense gratification.  Why is this?  Because the spiritual master can easily see what is our motivation.  The spiritual master is pleased when we act for Krishna, and he is not pleased when we act for personal sense gratification.  Therefore to become solidly situated in Krishna consciousness we simply have to live in such a way that the spiritual master is always pleased with us.  To please him all we have to do is inquire from him submissively how to render pleasing service unto him.   By living our life in this way we will quickly and easily make progress along the spiritual pathway towards the ultimate perfectional stage of pure love of Godhead.

This should be the goal of all human beings.