The challenge of pride

As the Kathopanisad declares, "Like a sharpened razor, the path of spiritual life is difficult to traverse, for it is said to be strewn with thorns." And of all difficulties on the path, pratisthasa (pride associated with spiritual life) is one of the most formidable. For instance, one who considers himself spiritually advanced may think that a simple devotee's unquestioning dependence upon Krishna for everything is impractical. But Srila Prabhupada said, "Practical means it will be done by Krishna. Your only business is to surrender to Krishna. You cannot do anything. And as soon as you think that 'I shall be able to do it,' then you are a rascal. Immediately you are a rascal."
Observing the defects of the sahajiyas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has sung:
ami ta vaisnava e-buddhi ha-ile
amani na haba ami pratisthasa asi,
hrdaya dusibe, hai-ba niraya-gamia
"If I think 'I am a vaishnava,' I shall look forward to receiving respect from others. And if the desire for fame and reputation pollute my heart, certainly I shall go to hell."
What amounts to a purport by Srila Prabhupada to these lines is found in a letter of 31 December 1972. "You have got some desire to become a famous preacher and famous vaishnava singer and also jagad-guru. This is a spiritual desire, so it is not like any material desire and it is all right for Krishna in this way, but great vaishnava or famous vaishnava means that you have no sex desire. Whether you can be like that? First of all you be like that, without any sex desire, then you think famous vaishnava. Vaishnava means he has no material desire, what to speak of sex desire. All material desires become zero, even he has no desire for jnana, karma, like that."
And from where does one get the strength to rise above material desire? "That is not your business, that is Krishna's business. You follow Krishna. If you cheat Krishna, then you'll be cheated. That's all. Krishna does not cheat you, but you create a situation to cheat yourself, and maya will make an arrangment so that you are cheated. This is maya's business." (SP conversation, June 3, 1976)