Hare Krsna,
The question is whether pure consciousness exists in material nature. It has to. Otherwise, how would conditioned souls attain liberation from the material world! Just as impure consciousness binds us to this material world, similarly pure consciousness will free us from the material world.
As Srila Prabhupada explained in the purport to SB 3.26.22, the pure status of consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, existed in the beginning. Just after creation, the consciousness was pure and not polluted. Gradually due to association with matter, consciousness becomes contaminated. It is like a mirror. When we first buy the mirror from the store, it is crystal clear and clean. Gradually dust starts to accumulate over it and the mirror no longer reflects our image. The same situation manifests in our heart. Our heart is pure in the beginning, but gradually it gets polluted due to impure association and desires. Therefore, the bhakti process is all about cleansing the heart of contamination. Ceto Darpana marjanam.
We have studied in SB 3.7.11 that as the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self-associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter. Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport that actually, like the original moon in the sky, the moon reflected on the water should also not quiver, but because of being associated with water, the reflection appears to be quivering, although in actual fact the moon is fixed. The water moves, but the moon does not move. Similarly, the living entities appear to be tainted by material qualities like illusion, lamentation, and miseries, although in the pure soul such qualities are completely absent.
Therefore, it is possible for us to make our consciousness pure again. Pure consciousness means Krsna consciousness. The root cause of the contamination of our consciousness is forgetfulness of our relationship with the Supreme Lord, and forgetfulness of the transcendental service of the Lord. But when one is engaged in transcendental service through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one becomes at once liberated from this illusion that we are products of matter. One can acquire such pure knowledge only from the bona fide spiritual master. Perfect knowledge is that the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme shelter for all living entities, and giving up such shelter, the living entities are deluded by the material energy, imagining themselves to have a separate identity. Thus, under different standards of material identity, they become forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. When, however, such deluded living entities become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is to be understood that they are on the path of liberation, as confirmed in SB 2.10.6: muktir hitvānyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Liberation means to be situated in one’s constitutional position as an eternal servitor of Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa consciousness). Jivera svarupa haya Krsne’r nitya dasa.
Only someone whose consciousness is pure and is liberated FROM this material world even though living IN this material world can help us attain our pure Krsna consciousness. It is, therefore, important that we hear from such great souls and serve them. Just as a person infected with Covid can transmit Covid to another person through the power of association, so too a pure devotee with pure consciousness can transmit pure consciousness to others. This is why Lord Krsna advised in BG 4.34, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.”
By hearing transcendental topics from pure devotees and by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord attentively and lovingly, our consciousness will become purified in due course of time, thereby helping us become free from the chains of this material nature.
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
Dormant devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Simply by associating with devotees, hearing their good instructions, and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is awakened. In this way one acquires the seed of devotional service. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. (CC Madhya 19.151 Purport)
In this way, we will become like those great pure devotees who lives in material nature without becoming entangled.
“A pure devotee of the Lord does not live on any planet of the material sky, nor does he feel any contact with material elements. His so-called material body does not exist, being surcharged with the spiritual current of the Lord’s identical interest, and thus he is permanently freed from all contaminations of the sum total of the mahat-tattva. He is always in the spiritual sky, which he attains by being transcendental to the sevenfold material coverings by the effect of his devotional service. The conditioned souls are within the coverings, whereas the liberated soul is far beyond the cover.” (SB 1.13.55)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 