Why do we not advance spiritually even if we sing and serve for years? Answer: Because we do not understand the three ways of material nature. Sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance) influence everything we do—including our devotional service. The problem is that the bhakti mixed with passion or ignorance cannot lead us to pure love for Krishna. How do we identify how we are? The signs are clear: - Goodness: tolerance, mercy, self-discipline - Passion: anger, pride, greed - Ignorance: lazyness, hypocrisy, illusion The common mistake is to believe that by being devoted we are already transcending the ways. Srila Prabhupada taught the opposite: we must first cultivate material goodness to attain sud-sattva,