Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur clarifies the dichotomy between lust and love.
As Śrīla Kṛṣṇadās Kavirāj Goswāmī describes the divine love Śrīman Mahāprabhu came to the world to relish and distribute, he defines it in gist, in this verse which is found on the Temple of Love and Affection.
krishnendriya-priti-ichchha dhare ‘prema’ nama
kama—andha-tamah, prema—nirmala bhaskara
“The desire to gratify one’s senses is called kama. The desire to gratify Kṛṣṇa’s senses is called prema. Thus there is a vast difference between kāma and prema: kāma is like blinding darkness, and prema is like the shining sun.”
On the basis of these verses Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākurcomposed two songs (18 and 19) in his Kalyāṇa-kalpa-taru.
“O mind, what more shall I say to you? You say aloud, ‘Prema prema’, but in reality you reject gold and tie an empty knot in your cloth (accept as valuable something which is false).
“You practise shedding tears, jumping about, and fainting on cue. Performing this act to cheat people, you obtain women, wealth, and bad association.
“O mind, the means to attain divine love is devotion. If you have no attachment to that, how will you attain pure divine love? When you avoid the ten offences, constantly serve the Name, and receive mercy, then you will attain true divine love.
“If you do not follow the proper practice—engaging in chanting in the association of the sādhus—and do not remember the Lord while in solitude—if you do not climb the tree and pick its fruits—then you will only get rotten fruit.
“Genuine divine love for Kṛṣṇa, like pure gold, is very rarely found in human society. By deceiving others, you simply cheat yourself. First become a fit candidate, then you will easily attain divine love for Kṛṣṇa.
“Brother, look! There is no difference between the appearances of lust and love, yet lust is never love. If you choose lust (instead of love) and falsely consider it love, how will you attain good fortune?”
“O mind, why does lust make you dance as though you have divine love? Lust, constant desire for material happiness, relates only to flesh and blood. Under its influence, You constantly run after material objects.
“The soul’s natural function, in its spiritual form, is in essence divine love, and its sole object is the Lord. Alas! Covered by lust, that love is now nearly asleep. So, awaken your love, and drive lust away!
“From faith, association with sādhus, and the practice of devotion, constancy, taste, and attachment develop. From attachment, ecstasy and divine love manifest. Divine love develops in these stages.
“One who endeavours according to this path attains true divine love. If one does not follow this path, divine love does not awaken. O mind, why do you fear these stages of practice and behave wickedly? Divine love never manifests from lust.
“Like the make-believe of an actor, your deceitful show of divine love is simply sense gratification, which is worthless. O brother, give it up forever! Give up your sins and offences.”