Every Town and Village
15 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Diksha, Guru & Disciple, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Vidura das Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, disciple, disciplined rules, guru, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada vani, Vidura das
Śrīla Prabhupāda vāṇī
Submitted by Vidura das
Srila Prabhupada: Who is my disciple? First of all let him follow strictly the disciplined rules.
Disciple: As long as they are following, then he is…
Srila Prabhupada: Then he is all right.
(Morning Walk — June 13, 1976, Detroit)
12 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, Locanananda das Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, disciple, future initiations, guru, Initiation, initiation system, Iskcon, Locanananda das, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
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…What Srila Prabhupada arranged in ISKCON was a very safe and very clear path for the new adherent to advance in Krishna consciousness and in the end to reach the ultimate goal of going back to Godhead. The process of sadhana bhakti with morning and evening classes, kirtana and Deity worship coupled with training in preaching and daily Sankirtana activity was the path to purification and the awakening of our dormant love for Krishna. Simple, yet sublime!
As far as acceptance of a spiritual master, in our day it was a foregone conclusion that the initiated disciple was agreeing to worship Srila Prabhupada as good as God and that the spiritual master was promising to deliver the disciple from the cycle of birth and death.
Presently, people are still being attracted to join this movement by coming into contact with Srila Prabhupada’s books, by association with good devotees who represent him with transparency, and by developing a taste for chanting the Holy Name and honoring Krishna prasadam. They agree to abide by the principles established by Srila Prabhupada for all generations of ISKCON devotees — past, present and future. They read and distribute his books, offer obeisances to him when entering the temple, worship his murti, and focus on cultivating a personal relationship with him. In other words, someone who joins our movement today is doing so as a follower of Srila Prabhupada and is accepting His Divine Grace as their eternal spiritual master. It is he who is taking them back to the spiritual world. How could someone who is not a resident of the spiritual world do so?
This is a continuation from our previous posts, The Spiritual Master some time ago, and the further discussion in The Spiritual Master (Part 2)
And The Spiritual Master (Part 3) This is a fascinating account by Sriman Locanananda Prabhu revealing his insights into the ‘guru issue’ in our ISKCON society today, from his own personal understanding, and his realizations of the instructions given by Srila Prabhupada shortly before his untimely departure. Our obeisances to him for sharing his personal recollections and realizations. This new The Spiritual Master (Part 4) is exploring the same theme although from a different source.
08 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Guru & Disciple, Letters by Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, devotees, Krishna, Krishna consciousness philosophy, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Master Krishna, Servant Krishna, spiritual master
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Letter by Srila Prabhupada
“Lately there has been some misunderstanding amongst our devotees about our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Particularly there has been some confusion about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and Krishna.
The Vedas say that there is a Master Krishna. This Servant Krishna is the Spiritual Master and this is the conclusion. The Spiritual Master is the Mercy Representative of the Supreme Lord and as such He is given honor as good as Krishna, but He is never identical with Krishna.
Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists.
If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.
In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.” (From Letter to Isana and Vibhavati, 21 September, 1970, Calcutta)
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02 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, Hansadutta das Tags: conditioned, disciplic succession, discipline, guru, Hansadutta dasa, liberated, living guru, rittvik, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
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…Srila Prabhupada said he wanted all his students to become qualified gurus and often said it was simple: all one had to do was repeat what he had heard from his guru. When Srila Prabhupada was preparing to leave this world, he said, “Act as rittvik representative of the Acharya.” But no one follows this; therefore, how are they guru?! They do not repeat or follow this last important directive, but attempt to discredit Srila Prabhupada’s own order, saying, “There is no precedent. It was never done before.” They quote Srila Prabhupada to contradict Srila Prabhupada. They quote His Holiness Narayana Maharaja to contradict Srila Prabhupada. Why? A disciple’s duty is to find evidence to support his guru’s order—not to be over intelligent, quoting authorities to contradict his spiritual master’s orders.
Disciple’s Role to Support the Order of the Acharya
by Hansadutta Dasa
Srila Prabhupada said, “I don’t say I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following the instructions of Bhaktisiddhanta, I am liberated. This is the distinction between conditioned and liberated: when one is under the direction of a liberated person.”
So Srila Prabhupada’s direction was: “Act as representative of the Acharya, act as rittvik.” We should follow that order and be liberated and thus continue the disciplic succession. The rittvik is also a living guru.
28 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Disciplic succession, Gaudiya Math, Guru & Disciple, Rupanuga das, Spiritual Master Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhaktivinode Thakur, disciples, Gaudiya Math, generals who could not be defeated, guru, Lord Caitianya Mahaprabhu, Rupanuga das, sankirtan, spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Prabhupada, viraha astaka
…whatever Krsna Consciousness exists outside of India is due to the humble efforts of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who openly challenged the scientific voidism and sectarian impersonalism dominating the world. Like Bhaktivinode Thakur and Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur, his predecessors in bringing Lord Caitanya’s causeless mercy of Harinama out of India, His Divine Grace remains undefeated, and is prepared to commission any and all of his followers to carry on the tradition of victory.
…The Generals who could not be defeated have already provided the strategy, weapons, and knowledge, the spiritual strength, to guarantee ultimate victory. The Parampara Acaryas have chosen Srila Prabhupada-vani to lead the mission into this 21st Century…
Therefore, the wise shall accept the infallible guidance and protection of Srila Prabhupada and to best capacity help deliver, by His Divine Grace, the inconceivable benediction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Generals Who Could Not Be Defeated
by Sriman Rupanuga das
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once remarked to his disciples, “You must become a general like me. I cannot be defeated.” Srila Prabhupada was commissioned by another undefeated general, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur, who against all opposition established the legitimacy and influence of the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta in India. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta met resistance from every quarter: professional gurus, prakrta-sahajiyas, caste goswamis, ecumenists, eclecticists, et al., but anyone who dared to sally forth and meet his challenge was ultimately trounced.
23 Oct 2012 2 Comments
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, Locanananda das, Spiritual Master Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, diksa, disciples, GBC, guru, initiations, Iskcon, July 9th Letter, Locanananda dasa, May 28th conversation, officiating acaryas, ritvik acarya, SB 1.13.15, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement, Vidura
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This is a continuation from our previous post, The Spiritual Master a few days ago. This is a fascinating account by Sriman Locanananda Prabhu revealing his insights into the ‘guru issue’ in our ISKCON society today, from his own personal understanding, and his realizations of the instructions given by Srila Prabhupada shortly before his untimely departure. Our obeisances to him for sharing his personal recollections and realizations. [Note: some of the other comments were edited out so as not to distract from Locanananda Prabhu’s train of thought. You can follow the entire stream of comments by going to Prabhupada News
…Because the focus of every devotee’s efforts is to please Srila Prabhupada knowing him to be Krishna’s pure representative, we can understand that the officiating acarya’s function is to formalize the disciple’s connection with Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession by the giving of diksa.
… According to this correct understanding, the officiating acarya is not particularly empowered to take those he initiates back to Godhead. But if he is capable of acting as the transparent via medium to the founder acarya, he is certainly to be honored and shown great respect. However, so that Srila Prabhupada remains the central figure and worshipable spiritual master within the Hare Krishna movement, no other spiritual personality should become his competitor by exacting worship from disciples. It is the responsibility of the GBC to preserve this unique role as exclusively the position of Srila Prabhupada.
18 Oct 2012 2 Comments
in Diksha, Disciplic succession, Locanananda das, Siksa, Spiritual Master Tags: devotional service, diksa, disciple, Founder Acarya, grand disciples, guru, Krishna's empowered emissary, Krishna's pure devotee, ritvik acarya, ritvik system of initiation, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
This is excerpted comment by Locanananda Prabhu at Prabhupada News on an article posted there by one of Srila Prabhupada’s personal servants, Gauridasa Pandita dasa, about the Ritvik order. Very nice comment.
The Spiritual Master
by Locanananda dasa
Srila Prabhupada is the eternal spiritual master of his followers and of all generations of followers still to come. His Divine Grace likened initiation to the admissions procedure at school. He said it was more or less a formality. He surely never wanted this initiation issue to divide his followers into different camps.
The essence of the process of devotional service is to surrender to the spiritual master. A disciple accepts the discipline taught by Krishna’s pure representative. He does not manufacture his own way. In that sense, followers are disciples, and Srila Prabhupada will deliver them to Krishna.
02 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, association, association with guru, Godbrothers, guru, guru maharaj, service to the spiritual master, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, vani, vaphu
Follow the Instruction, not the Body.
Quotes by Srila Prabhupada from books, letters and lectures
“So far as personal association with Guru is concerned, I was only with Guru Maharaj 4 or 5 times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instruction, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my Godbrothers here in India, who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed up by his position but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through serving.”
(SP Letter to Satyadhana, 20/2/72)
12 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, association with the Pure Devotee, devotees, devotees of Lord Caitanya, physical presence, sound vibration, spiritual master, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, transcendental literatures, two ways of association, vani, vapu
From the Concluding Words to the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
…There are two ways of association-by vāṇī and by vapu. Vāṇī means words, and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence. Bhagavad-gītā, for example, is the vāṇī of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, Bhagavad-gītā continues.
I still consider His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words.
It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future. On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
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11 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Vyas-puja Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Dear Srila Prabhupada, jagad-guru, Kamadhuk devi dasi, krsna consciousness, preaching potency, spiritual master, Sri Vyasa Puja, Srila Prabhupada
…It is obvious that as jagad-guru of the universe there is nobody who can compare to your greatness, to your humility, to your mercifulness and to your preaching potency, because you were chosen by Krsna to be His representative.
…It was a challenge for you to introduce Krsna consciousness to the West and it is a challenge for your disciples to protect your movement from any attempt made to minimize your greatness.
This offering was from 1982, by Kamadhuk-devi-dasi, and is still as pertinent today.
Dear Srila Prabhupada
Allow me to offer you my most humble oveisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
When you arrived in America in the mid-1960’s you allowed this Western world to be released from the total darkness which surrounds it. Since that time, many millions of livings entities have been released from the bondage of birth, death, disease and old age, by hearing about this Krsna consciousness process.
05 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Diksha, Guru & Disciple, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Siksa, Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, diksha, disciple, GBC, initiator guru, instructor guru, siksa, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Sudarshan das
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Submitted by Sudarshan Das
“GBC must see that no one is taken away by maya. They should be instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title – you must actually come to this platform. This I want.
Aug.4 1975
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05 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahma-nistham, disciple, guru, guru disciple, lectures by His Divine Grace, lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam, parampara system, prabhupada, proper guru, spiritual master, submissively hear
… Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge…”who has heard from the paramparā system.” and “He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualifications. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority.
Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.4
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, November 4, 1974
Nitāi: “Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura’s inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows.”
Prabhupada:
dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ
maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā
prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta
ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ
[SB 3.25.4]
So this is the process of getting knowledge, to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Don’t try to receive spiritual knowledge or transcendental knowledge very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine—we have got experience—just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person, who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pān-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to…, how to make pān, biḍi; but doesn’t matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.
26 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Spiritual Master Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bona fide guru, disciple, disciplic succession, God, guru, guru disciple relationship, material world, prabhupada, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
The bona fide guru will simply present what the supreme guru, God, says in bona fide scripture. A guru cannot change the message of the disciplic succession.
The guru’s business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light.
The guru’s business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible. In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering; adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities and from the forces of nature. We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities-from ants or mosquitoes or flies-or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood. There may be excessive heat or excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No one can say that he is completely free from suffering.
Guru-Disciple Relationship
The Guru – Guide to the Spiritual World
from the Bhakta Handbook
On hearing the word guru, we tend to envision a caricature like image: a bizarre-looking old fellow with a long, stringy beard and flowing robes, meditating on distant, esoteric truths. Or we think of a cosmic con man cashing in on young seekers’ spiritual gullibility. But what really is a guru? What does he know that we don’t? How does he enlighten us?
In a talk given in England in 1973, Srila Prabhupada provides some enlightening answers.
22 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Siksa Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, disciple, guru, quotes by Srila Prabhupada, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, vani, vaniseva, what we have heard from the Spiritual Master that is living
…”What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living.”
Paramananda:
We’re always feeling your presence very strongly, Srila Prabhupada, simply by your teachings and your instructions. We’re always meditating on your instructions.
Srila Prabhupada:
Thank you. That is the real presence. Physical presence is not important.
“But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection.”
Does the Guru have to be physically present?
Quotes by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
“Physical presence is immaterial. Presence of the transcendental sound received from the Spiritual Master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful. If you feel very strongly about my absence you may place my pictures on my sitting places and this will be source of inspiration for you.”
(SP Letter to Brahmananda and other students, 19/1/67)
“But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection.”
(SP Letter to Gaurasundara, 13/11/69)
“So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.”
(SP Lectures SB, 18/08/68)
21 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Disciplic succession, Guru & Disciple, Nectar of Devotion Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Acaryas, accepting the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, bhakti yoga, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, guru disciple, Initiation, Krishna consciousness, Nectar of Devotion, NOD 7, spiritual master, Srila Rupa Goswami, suffering humanity
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The Nectar of Devotion is a summary study of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which was written in Sanskrit by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. He was the chief of the six Gosvāmīs, who were the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and has since been translated into English by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity. (From introduction to Nectar of Devotion)
Nectar of Devotion
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 7 “Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles”
Accepting the Shelter of a Bona Fide Spiritual Master
In the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Chapter, verse 21, Prabuddha tells Mahārāja Nimi, “My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions. Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters. Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss.”
The purport is that one should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is fool number one, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service, or who has not conquered the influence of the six sense-gratifying agents. The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words. Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life. One who is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to traverse the path of spiritual salvation without any doubt.
18 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Lectures Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bona fide guru, bona fide spiritual master, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, guru, guru-krsna-krpaya, Gurudas photo, India, lecture on Nectar of Devotion, spiritual master, The Nectar of Devotion, Vrindavan
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…So to find out a bona fide guru is not difficult, provided one is bona fide to search out a guru. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa… Because by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one gets a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of bona fide guru, one gets Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. When I am actually serious to have connection with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone’s heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So Kṛṣṇa can understand. We cannot hide anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.
Bona Fide Spiritual Master
Lecture from The Nectar of Devotion
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Vṛndāvana, October 31, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading) Page xxi. “In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Kṛṣṇa the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master.”
Prabhupāda: Yes. Here it is stated, “It is…, it is a fortunate person.” Not the unfortunate. “It is the fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master.” This question, we were just discussing before coming to the class, how to select a bona fide spiritual master. So that is not very difficult. Just like in our ordinary business life, we accept somebody as representative of the firm who is actually come, canvassing for the benefit of the firm. He’s representative. Suppose he’s representing some book seller, publisher, so he should canvass for selling the books published by his firm, not for anything else. Suppose he has taken the advantage of becoming representative of a business firm, but he’s doing his own business. He’s not bona fide. He’s not bona fide. So real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa… Aham eva āsam agre. Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Then He made His representative, Brahma. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed the original guru, Brahma. Because there was no other living creature, except Brahma, in the beginning of creation, and He instructed Brahma. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. There are other versions in the Vedas, that He instructed Brahma. So therefore, the original guru is Kṛṣṇa. The same guru, Kṛṣṇa, is instructing Arjuna also. Kṛṣṇa became guru of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Him guru: śiṣyas te ’ham. Arjuna said, “Now I am not talking with You as friend, but I accept You as my guru.” Therefore, by sastric conclusion, Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Who can deny it? Kṛṣṇa is jagat-guru. He’s guru of everyone, because everyone (is) accepting this authority of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone is accepting the authority of Bhagavad-gītā, he’s accepting, imperceptibly, Kṛṣṇa as guru. Therefore, bona fide spiritual master means who is representing Kṛṣṇa. Who can deny it?
So to find out a bona fide spiritual master is not a very difficult job, because if one is representing guru, Kṛṣṇa, then he must speak of Kṛṣṇa, canvass for Kṛṣṇa. What do you think, Visanji?
Indian man: Jaya, Mahārāja.
16 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Back to Godhead, Hayagriva das, Spiritual Master Tags: Back to Godhead Magazine, bona fide spiritual master, by the grace of Krsna, emissary of the Supreme Person, guru, Hayagriva dasa, Krishna, Madhya 19.151, spiritual master
This is a well researched, nicely written article by Sriman Hayagriva Prabhu, with many quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books. Worth the read!
The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person
By Hayagriva Dasa Adhikari
Published in Back to Godhead Magazine 1970, Vol.1, No.38
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā 19.151)
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Srila Prabhupada, once said that religion without philosophy is fanaticism and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. For a sincere student engaged in God realization, major philosophical points should be understood in the light of the guru, scripture and practical devotional service. One of the first points to understand is the position of the spiritual master. How is he related to Krsna? Is he Krsna? Is he an ordinary man? How should the disciple approach him? How can one know that the spiritual master is bona fide? What is the duty of the spiritual master? What are his symptoms? These and other questions concerning the spiritual master and Krsna are discussed herein by way of authoritative evidence compiled from the writings of Srila Prabhupada, the spiritual master himself.
In addition to rendering devotional service to Krsna through the spiritual master, the student should come to a philosophical understanding based on scripture of his own identity and the identity of the Supreme Person, Sri Krsna, and His emissary, the bona fide spiritual master. This understanding should correlate with the basic teachings of the spiritual master and other great saints and sages.
11 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Chanting Hare Krishna, Diksha, Guru & Disciple, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, guru disciple, initiation ceromony, Krsna, krsna consciousness, lecture on initiation, Madhudvisa, Revatinandana, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati dasi, ten offences to be advoided while chanting the maha-mantra, ten offenses, Vilasa-vigraha, yoga process
…Madhudviṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should I read the ten offenses?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Madhudviṣa: We have them here.
Prabhupāda: Just see. Go on reading. Yes, you read.
Madhudviṣa: “The ten offenses to avoid while chanting the mahā-mantra. Number one: Blaspheming the Lord’s devotee.”
Prabhupāda: Now just try to understand. Any devotee of Lord should not be blasphemed. It doesn’t matter in any country. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he is a great devotee. And even Muhammad, he’s also a devotee. It is not that because we are devotee and they are not devotee. Don’t think like that. Anyone who is preaching the glories of God, he is a devotee. He should not be blasphemed. You should be careful. Then?
Madhudviṣa: “Number two: Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level or assuming there are many Gods.”…
Lecture on Initiation and the Ten Offences to be Advoided While Chanting the Maha-mantra
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Seattle, October 20, 1968
09 Jun 2012 1 Comment
in Guru & Disciple, Letters by Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, devotional sentiments, disciple, guru, Guru Maharaja, I am always with you, Krsna's Mercy, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, mercy of Krsna, our ever well-wisher, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada
“The Spiritual Master is present wherever his sincere disciple is trying to serve his instructions. This is possible by the Mercy of Krsna. In your attempts to serve me and in all your sincere devotional sentiments I am with you as my Guru Maharaja is with me. Remember this always.”
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(Srila Prabhupada letter, 12/01/73)
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10 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Guru & Disciple, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement Tags: conditioned soul, devotees, disciple, Iskcon, Krishna, Prabhupada's ISKCON, Prahlada-Nrsibha das, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Supreme Personality of Godhead
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Prabhupada’s ISKCON is Beautiful and Perfect!
By Prahlada-Nrsimha das
Apr 09, 2012 — USA (SUN)
I often write to simply sort out my own thoughts and get them off my chest, so to speak. Recently I came across the following letter I wrote a long time ago. Although it is just my own thoughts, maybe others will be inspired by it, so I am presenting it here:
“As it is said by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih: a spiritual master, or the parampara-acarya, should be respected exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB 4.22.4)
Here we see the difference between a conditioned soul (or even an advanced devotee) and Srila Prabhupada. We must respect all devotees even though they are conditioned souls, to one degree or another, but it says here that “the spiritual master, or the parampara-acarya should be respected exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead”. It is not proper to put a conditioned soul in this position and thus artificially give him (or her) the respect or worship equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This will simply cause a disturbance.
Artificial or blind following can and will create havoc in the world.
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The Hare Krishna Movement 