Answer
For a sadhaka to remain situated in the mode of goodness, one has to sincerely practice sadhana. There is no substitute for that. Along with sadhana, one must practice sadachara — proper conduct — understanding clearly what should be done and what should be avoided according to shastra.
One must also practice proper sensory discipline. Just as we eat only prasadam through the mouth, similarly we should be careful about what we allow into the mind through the senses. We should not fill the mind with unnecessary speculation, gossip, negativity, useless analysis, or degrading content. The mind should be protected from all such influences.
Therefore:
practice sadachara (proper conduct),
avoid durachara (bad habits and improper behavior),
avoid dushkriya (sinful or degrading activities),
and engage steadily in devotional service.
All these dos and don’ts are given in shastra, and as we sincerely follow them, sattva-guna gradually increases.
Sattva-guna is largely about lifestyle — what you do, think, consume, and associate with from morning till night. It is not enough to chant in the morning and then spend the rest of the day engaging in activities influenced by passion and ignorance. That is compared to the example of the elephant that bathes nicely and then immediately throws mud over itself again.
Chanting certainly elevates consciousness because the holy name is pure transcendence — shuddha-sattva. When we chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
…the soul comes in contact with transcendental purity, and consciousness is gradually lifted beyond the modes.
However, chanting should be supported by a brahminical lifestyle. Then one can steadily remain in goodness.
Therefore, all major non-brahminical habits should gradually be removed. Srila Prabhupada explained that the holy name gives the strength to give up bad habits — provided one sincerely desires to become purified. One must genuinely feel, “This habit is spoiling my life. I want to become free from it.”
The strength comes from chanting, but the desire for purification must also be there.
Some people may understand intellectually that a certain habit is harmful, but without chanting they lack the strength to overcome it. Therefore, determination for self-control is nourished by chanting Hare Krishna.
At the same time, chanting alone should not become an excuse for careless living. A sattvic lifestyle must accompany chanting. The primary principles include avoiding the four major forms of durachara:
intoxication,
meat-eating,
illicit sex,
and gambling.
These are major obstacles to sattva-guna and spiritual advancement.
In addition to external habits, one must also avoid “mental durachara” — unhealthy thinking patterns, negative mental absorption, uncontrolled imagination, envy, lust, anger, and useless mental wandering.
For all this, self-control is essential. Self-control is the foundation of brahminical culture.
If one does not value self-control, spiritual life becomes difficult. We already understand this principle materially. For example, if someone misuses a blade to harm himself, he knows it is destructive and therefore avoids it. Similarly, every action in life has consequences. Every activity is either:
favorable for devotional service, or
unfavorable for devotional service.
A sadhaka must constantly practice accepting what is favorable and rejecting what is unfavorable. That conscious discrimination throughout the day is part of surrender and part of cultivating sattva-guna.
Thus, by:
chanting sincerely,
living a regulated life,
practicing self-control,
following sadachara,
avoiding degrading habits,
and protecting the mind and senses,
…the mode of goodness gradually becomes stronger, and spiritual life becomes steady and joyful.
