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KC 101 The Guru
Krishna the original guru You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is greater than You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?
What is the difficulty? A person in Krishna consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily.
Acquiring Knowledge • Ascending • Descending
Guruvastakam yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo yasyäprasädän na gatiù kuto 'pi dhyäyan stuvaàs tasya yaças tri-sandhyaà vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kåñëa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.
One can know God and one's relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God. A representative of God never claims that he is God, although he is paid all the respect ordinarily paid to God because he has knowledge of God.
Transparent Via Media I have started the Krishna consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Krishna Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srimad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Gosvämi Mahäräja Prabhupada. If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gétä as it is, without any adulteration.
om ajäna-timirändhasya jänäjana-saläkayä caksur unmélitam yena tasmai sré-gurave namaù I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
Four defects • Tendency to cheat • Illusioned • Make mistakes • Imperfect senses
kibä vipra, kibä nyäsé, südra kene naya yei krishna-tattva-vetti, sei 'guru' haya "It does not matter whether a person is a vipra [learned scholar in Vedic wisdom] or is born in a lower family, or is in the renounced order of life-if he is master in the science of Kåñëa, he is the perfect and bona fide spiritual master."
"In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Kåñëa consciousness, which is matured in bhäva, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life."
tad viddhi pranipätena pariprasnena sevayä upadeksyanti te jïänaà jnäninas tattva-darsinah 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 the grace of the Lord, there are still families that foster transcendentalists generation after generation. It is certainly very fortunate to take birth in such families. Fortunately, both our spiritual master, Oà Viñsupäda Sré Srimad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämi Mahäräja, and our humble self had the opportunity to take birth in such families, by the grace of the Lord, and both of us were trained in the devotional service of the Lord from the very beginning of our lives. Later on we met by the order of the transcendental system. [As-They-Surrender-Unto-Me ]
Devotees of my devotees yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau tasyaite kathitä hy arthäù prakäsante mahätmanah "Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."
Three modes A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself—he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krishna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature. Devotional service, or Krishna consciousness, can help one gain such release. Krishna, being the Lord of the illusory energy, can order this insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul.
Learned or not There are very, very learned scholars who have put forward the philosophy of devotion. But even if a devotee does not take advantage of their literatures or of his spiritual master, if he is sincere in his devotional service he is helped by Krishna Himself within his heart. So the sincere devotee engaged in Krishna consciousness cannot be without knowledge. The only qualification is that one carry out devotional service in full Krishna consciousness.
