Hare Krsna,
In my personal bhakti journey, I have gone through all the three categories of devotional service.
Phase 1: Devotional service in the mode of goodness
Before I came into the association of devotees in ISKCON, I had the good fortune of receiving Bhagavad Gita As It Is from a sankirtana devotee here in USA. Of course, I read many versions of Bhagavad Gita in India but none of them left a lasting impression. But Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is changed everything – not immediately but gradually over the course of many years. When I read BG As It Is for the first time, I did not understand everything. The only two things I took away from that book are – (a) Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, (b) I must serve Him. Since I had no proper guidance from anyone on how to serve Krsna, I used to offer everything to Krsna based on the instructions in BG 9.27:
O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.
I hadn’t started hearing and chanting yet. I guess I would call this the phase of devotional service in the mood of goodness. I didn’t know fully what I was doing but at least I was trying to please Krsna even though I had material desires then.
BG 3.29.10 Purport: But if this offering process is in the mode of goodness rather than in pure devotion, then the interest is different. The four āśramas and the four varṇas act for some benefit in accordance with their personal interests. Therefore such activities are in the mode of goodness; they cannot be counted in the category of pure devotion.
Phase 2: Devotional service in the mode of ignorance
This would come as a shocker to many. As soon as I came into close association of devotees in one of the temples in USA, I had to undergo tremendous pressures. They would try to make me a pure devotee in one day. I was forced to buy lots of books (even though I neither had time nor proper philosophical grounding to understand these books). I was forced to start chanting as many rounds as possible immediately. If I started with one round, I was asked to jump to 4 rounds, then 8 rounds, and so on. As a show of their accomplishment, they would issue me a certificate that certifies that I am chanting number of fixed rounds every day. The devotee who encouraged (aka pressurized me) to chant would get the credits from his superiors. Of course, there was also pressure to donate monthly to the temple. All these happened within first couple of months of joining ISKCON. I was also cheated of my money by a particular devotee. On top of this, my family was not supportive of me joining ISKCON because they heard stories of bad experiences from other people. I was very angry and vengeful. I would call this devotional service in the mode of ignorance. It is unbelievable that I fell from devotional service from the mode of goodness (pre-ISKCON days) to devotional service in the mode of ignorance (ISKCON days). I do not appreciate nor understand these kinds of preaching strategies. Therefore, whenever new devotees come in my association, I never pressurize them to do anything. They are like flower buds. We need to give them time and space to bloom fully. Let them do whatever they like to do for Krsna joyfully.
SB 3.29.8 Purport: One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tāmasaḥ.
Phase 3: Devotional service on the mode of passion
I would say I fall into this category from time to time. I do not have any desire for material enjoyment, fame and opulence. But I do execute devotional service to Krsna from time to time to get relief from immediate material distress -such as sickness in the family, financial/job crisis, etc. I am not sure whether praying to Krsna for such relief can be considered pure devotional service because there is an element of self-interest in my service. I am basically treating the kind Lord as my order supplier. There is an element of separatist mentality.
SB 3.29.9 Purport: Mixed devotees, or devotees in the modes of passion and ignorance, think that the interest of the Supreme Lord is supplying the orders of the devotee; the interest of such devotees is to draw from the Lord as much as possible for their sense gratification. This is the separatist mentality. Actually, pure devotion is explained in the previous chapter: the mind of the Supreme Lord and the mind of the devotee should be dovetailed. A devotee should not wish anything but to execute the desire of the Supreme. However I do not have the Mayavadi mentality where I think myself one with the Supreme Lord. I am an eternal servant of Krsna, and I must serve Him favorably always.
Phase 4: Pure Devotional Service
My desire and ultimate goal are to reach the stage of pure devotional service. I want to serve Krsna without any material desire, fruitive goals, and mental speculation. I want to please Krsna without any tinge of selfishness and sense-gratification, and under the guidance of my spiritual master and the scriptures.
BRS 1.1.11: ‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires.’
SB 3.29.10 Purport: Pure devotional service as described by Rūpa Gosvāmī is free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā–śūnyam. There can be no excuse for personal or material interest. Devotional activities should be transcendental to fruitive activities and empiric philosophical speculation. Pure devotional service is transcendental to all material qualities.
SB 3.29.8 Purport: In pure devotional service, the only motive should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not actually a motive; that is the pure condition of the living entity. In the conditioned stage, when one engages in devotional service he should follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master in full surrender. The spiritual master is the manifested representation of the Supreme Lord because he receives and presents the instructions of the Lord, as they are, by disciplic succession…To act under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master with a motive to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pure devotional service.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 