Answer
One does not become a pure devotee overnight. The journey generally begins from the stage of a sakama-bhakta.
All conditioned souls in the material world have a long history of sense gratification. Unless one has just descended from the spiritual world, one's entire material existence has been centered around fulfilling material desires.
There are two ways a person can deal with this tendency:
Continue cultivating material desires and fruitive activities, thereby increasing sense gratification.
Regulate and gradually purify those desires through spiritual practice.
A karmi is one who enjoys sense gratification according to personal desires. A sakama-bhakta is one who enjoys sense gratification under the guidance and sanction of guru, sadhu, and shastra.
Among such devotees there are different levels. When a person accepts Vishnu as the Supreme Lord and associates with devotees, spiritual transformation begins. Gradually the goal shifts from enjoying sense gratification to eventually becoming free from it.
The essential difference lies in one's goal.
A devotee may still struggle with material desires, but his intention is not to increase them; his intention is to eventually transcend them.
When we come in contact with pure devotees such as Srila Prabhupada, we find that he does not demand immediate perfection. He does not tell everyone on the first day to become completely free from all material desires.
Instead, he emphasizes:
Chant Hare Krishna.
Understand that you are not the body.
Acquire transcendental knowledge.
Make returning to Krishna your ultimate goal.
Through association with pure devotees and the process of devotional service, purification gradually takes place.
Therefore, although a devotee may still be dealing with material desires, his attitude toward those desires is fundamentally different. He engages in devotional service with the hope and determination that these desires will eventually disappear.
Continuing Explanation
The scriptures often describe Krishna conscious devotees who still possess certain material attachments. This does not mean that the Lord expects everyone to become completely pure immediately.
Not everyone in the universe is destined to become a pure devotee in the same lifetime. There will always be:
Karmis
Vikarmis
Sakama-bhaktas
Devotees at different stages of advancement
The question is whether one is moving toward purification.
Who among us is completely free from bodily and mental demands?
Most of us are not.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada provided a practical lifestyle that accommodates our present condition while gradually purifying us.
For example, if someone is placed in severe cold without proper clothing, it may become difficult even to concentrate on chanting. Basic bodily requirements must be addressed so that one can peacefully engage in devotional service.
At the same time, advanced devotees such as the Goswamis reached a stage where bodily discomfort no longer distracted them. That is pure devotion.
We should not imitate such exalted devotees. We must honestly acknowledge our present position.
The Role of Srila Prabhupada's System
Srila Prabhupada's system takes care of our anarthas in a regulated manner.
He provides:
Regulated living
Deity worship
Association of devotees
Chanting of Hare Krishna
Spiritual education
By following this process, the senses gradually weaken in their demands, material desires lose their strength, and attraction to hearing and chanting increases.
That is why Srila Prabhupada discouraged imitation of highly advanced renunciates.
One should not prematurely go to a holy place and attempt to imitate elevated devotees by performing extreme austerities. Our stage is different.
At our level, regulated satisfaction of bodily necessities supports devotional service rather than obstructing it.
If the body and mind become excessively disturbed, concentration on Krishna becomes difficult. Therefore, a certain degree of stability is necessary for spiritual practice.
