Srila Prabhupada Speaks out: Guru must be completely realized
compiled by Isana dasa
Srila Prabhupada…”Yes. A spiritual master must have seen Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing, he cannot be spiritual master. But how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Kṛṣṇa can be seen by love. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Just like if you are in love with somebody, you can see him constantly—he is always on your eyes, anyone you love—so similarly, Kṛṣṇa also can be seen by development of love. Otherwise how we can see Kṛṣṇa? He is so great, unlimited. Your eyes, your senses, are all limited. You cannot see the unlimited by your limited sense perception. But you can see… Not you can see, but svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you are developed in the sense of love of Godhead, then He reveals unto you. Therefore, you can see. “Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture : Bhagavad-gita 4.34-39 — Los Angeles, January 12, 1969…………………………..Srila Prabhupada…”One should therefore approach an authorized person to understand Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master has actually seen Kṛṣṇa; therefore, he can explain Him properly. ” SB 5.12.11 : Srila Prabhupada’s PURPORT……………………………Srila Prabhupada….”So this adhokṣajam, Kṛṣṇa, we have to worship. Adhokṣaja. So we cannot see if it is beyond our sense perception. How we can worship Him? Therefore, you have to take shelter of the spiritual master who has seen Him. “Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.25 — Los Angeles, August 28, 1972……………………………”The best process of understanding You is to submissively give up the speculative process and try to hear about You, either from Yourself as You have given statements in the Bhagavad-gītā and many similar Vedic literatures, or from a realized devotee who has taken shelter at Your lotus feet. One has to hear from a devotee without speculation. One does not even need to change his worldly position; he simply has to hear Your message. Although You are not understandable by the material senses, simply by hearing about You, one can gradually conquer the nescience of misunderstanding. By Your own grace only, You become revealed to a devotee. You are unconquerable by any other means. (Krishna Book Ch 14)………………………………………….Sept 5 1971 :LondonSo long we shall be on the mental platform there will be no fixity of conclusion. That is not possible. We have to accept something for the time being, then again reject it. Therefore, all mental speculators differ. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na… A philosopher is not philosopher until he differs from other philosophers. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na… Unless you place a different thesis he will not be accepted as a good philosopher…. Therefore, through the philosopher you cannot come to the right conclusion. Tarkeṇa aprāptaś ca. If you simply go on arguing that will also not help you. If you simply read scriptures that will also not help you. Because there are different scriptures. Bible is different from Vedas and Vedas is different from Koran. So tarka… by argument you cannot come to the conclusion, by simply reading scriptures you cannot come to the conclusion. By following the philosophers, you cannot come to the conclusion. Therefore, the truth is very confidential. Dharmasyārtha… guhyam. It is kept very confidential. Then how to have it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow the great personalities who have actually realized God. That is the conclusion.…………………………..In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises the devotee to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. The devotee should also know his own position and should not try to imitate a devotee situated on a higher platform. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaiṣṇavism. One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikārī. A neophyte Vaiṣṇava or a Vaiṣṇava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore, a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikārī as a spiritual master.[NOI 5, Purport]……………………………………….When one has attained the topmost position of mahā-bhāgavata, he is to be accepted as a guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru. [Sri Caitanya Caritamrita -1975 edition. Madhya lila 24.330]…………………….Srila Prabhupada….”Yes. A spiritual master must have seen Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing, he cannot be spiritual master. But how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Kṛṣṇa can be seen by love. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Just like if you are in love with somebody, you can see him constantly—he is always on your eyes, anyone you love—so similarly, Kṛṣṇa also can be seen by development of love. Otherwise how we can see Kṛṣṇa? He is so great, unlimited. Your eyes, your senses, are all limited. You cannot see the unlimited by your limited sense perception. But you can see… Not you can see, but svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you are developed in the sense of love of Godhead, then He reveals unto you. Therefore, you can see. “Srila prabhupada’s Lecture : Bhagavad-gita 4.34-39 — Los Angeles, January 12, 1969 Srila Prabhupada…”So this adhokṣajam, Kṛṣṇa, we have to worship. Adhokṣaja. So, we cannot see if it is beyond our sense perception. How we can worship Him? Therefore, you have to take shelter of the spiritual master who has seen Him.“Srila Prabhupada’s Lecture : Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.25 — Los Angeles, August 28, 1972 Srila Prabhupada…”When the devotee sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his meditation, or when he sees the Lord personally, face to face, he becomes aware of everything within this universe. Indeed, nothing is unknown to him. Everything within this material world is fully manifested to a devotee who has seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Demigods and Demons Declare a Truce : SB 8.6.9 : Srila Prabhupada’s PURPORT ………………… ……..hearing from devotees, the sound vibration coming from the realized person. Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth. Reading or hearing from the realized person there is no difference, but hearing the sound vibration from the realized soul is still more effective, better.[Letter to Punjabi Premanand — Bombay 16 April, 1976]