·
You
don't become envious to your spiritual master
·
Then
you will become free from envy
Devotee (4): How do we become
free of envy?
Srila Prabhupāda: Hm?
Devotee (5): How to become free of envy. How do we become
free of envy?
Srila Prabhupāda: Envy?
Devotee (5): Mm.
Srila Prabhupāda: You
don't become envious to your spiritual master.
Then you will become free from envy. As soon as you become envious to your spiritual master, then you will..., then begins
envious. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.: Srimad-Bhagavatam lectures. Sb. 1.8. Last portion
of Questions & Answers. Chicago, Illinois, USA. July 4, 1974
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 13: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974 : 740419BG.HYD :
Just like my disciples, because they have accepted me as guru, whatever I say, they accept it. Otherwise I have not bribed them. These European, Americans... I have no money. I went to New York with seven dollars. What money I have got? But they have accepted. So this is the process. You must find out somebody whom you can accept as guru. That guru must be bona fide. Otherwise what is the use of accepting a bogus guru? So what is that bona fide guru? That bona fide guru means one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. He is bona fide guru. That is bona fide guru.
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 6: "Prescribed Duties for Mankind" : SB 6.15: The Saints Narada and Angira Instruct King Citraketu : SB 6.15.16 : PURPORT :
This is the way to receive knowledge. One must submit oneself at the lotus feet of great personalities who can actually deliver transcendental knowledge. It is therefore said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] “One who is inquisitive to understand the highest goal and benefit of life must approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him.” Only one who is actually eager to receive knowledge to eradicate the darkness of ignorance is eligible to approach a guru, or spiritual master. The guru should not be approached for material benefits. One should not approach a guru just to cure some disease or receive some miraculous benefit. This is not the way to approach the guru. Tad-vijñānārtham: one should approach the guru to understand the transcendental science of spiritual life. Unfortunately, in this age of Kali there are many bogus gurus who display magic to their disciples, and many foolish disciples want to see such magic for material benefits. These disciples are not interested in pursuing spiritual life to save themselves from the darkness of ignorance.
Books : Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti : TLK 13: Perfect Knowledge Through Surrender : TLK Vs 28 : PURPORT :
To understand these subjects, we should be careful to approach Kṛṣṇa’s representative. We should not approach a bogus guru, who is like a blind man trying to lead other blind men. We must go to one who has open eyes, to one who has seen the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is there, just as the sun is there for everyone to see. The sun does not hide, but a person can try to hide from the sun by closing his door. One must open the door in order to see the sun. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there, God is there, and we have to come to Kṛṣṇa and take the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā to learn who and what God is. Rascals will not do this, but will simply manufacture some philosophy or other. There is actually no difficulty because Kṛṣṇa’s instructions are there, and Kṛṣṇa Himself is there. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He says, “All right, if you cannot understand Me in this way, just see Me in water. Come on, if you do not understand Me in that way, just see Me in the sunshine.” Is this very difficult? There is nothing difficult about it, but we are very obstinate. Māyā is also very strong, and as soon as we try to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, māyā will whisper in our ear, “No, no. There are many gods. Why are you accepting Kṛṣṇa?” However, the śāstras say, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” We should take our lessons from the ācāryas and the śāstras. At least in India there are many great ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇusvāmī, and even Śaṅkarācārya and Guru Nanak. All of these have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why, then, should we reject Him? Why should we accept a competitor? We should not simply engage in mental speculation but should accept Kṛṣṇa in full consciousness and be happy. This is made possible by the help of the guru; therefore Devahūti is further questioning her son, Kapiladeva.
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 2: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973 : 730807BG.LON :
So actually āryan samāja means Kṛṣṇa conscious society, International Society for Kṛṣṇa... That is Ārya. Not bogus. So here, Arjuna is explaining, putting himself: "Yes, kārpaṇya-doṣo. Because I am forgetting my duty, therefore upahata-svabhāvaḥ, I am bewildered in my natural propensities." A kṣatriya should be always active. Whenever there is a war, there is fight, they must be very much enthusiastic. A kṣatriya, if another kṣatriya says: "I want to fight with you," he, oh, he cannot refuse. "Yes, come one. Fight. Take sword." Immediately: "Come one" That is kṣatriya. Now he's refusing to fight. He's forgetting his duty, kṣatriya duty. Therefore, he's admitting: Yes, kārpaṇya-doṣa. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ [Bg. 2.7]. "My natural duty I am forgetting. Therefore I have become miser. Therefore my..." Now when you become miser, that is a diseased condition. Then what is your duty? Then go to a person who can... Just like when you become diseased, you go to a physician and ask him "What to do, sir? I am now suffering with this disease." This is your duty. Similarly, when we are perplexed in our duties, or we forget our duties, it is very nice to go to the superior person and ask him what to do. So who can be superior person than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore Arjuna says: pṛcchāmi tvām. "I am asking you. Because it is my duty. I'm now falling in my duty, faulty. So this is not good. So I must ask somebody who is superior to me." That is the duty. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This is the Vedic duty. Everyone is perplexed. Everyone is suffering in this material world, being perplexed. But he'll not search out a bona fide guru. No. That is kārpaṇya-doṣa. That is kārpaṇya-doṣa. Here, Arjuna is coming out of the kārpaṇya-doṣa. How? Now he's asking Kṛṣṇa. Pṛcchāmi tvām. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the most superior person. That I know. You are Kṛṣṇa. So I am perplexed. Actually, I am forgetting my duty. Therefore, I am asking You."
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita Lectures : Bg 2: Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972 : 721119BG.HYD :
Similarly, acceptance of spiritual master means representative of God. Of course, he, he must be representative of God. If unfortunately I accept a bogus man as representative of..., that is my misfortune. But actually, acceptance of spiritual master means he's a bona fide representative of God. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. That paramparā system, disciplic succession, ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Just like we accept our philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, or any Indian philosophy, they accept this paramparā, guru-paramparā. They accept it. Sampradāya. Just like we have got sampradā..., Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya. So we have to accept the sampradāya, disciplic succession, to receive real knowledge. So that sampradāya begins from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master of Lord Brahmā, of Lord Śiva, Nārada, so many other authorities. There are twelve authorities, svayambhur nāradaḥ śambhuḥ [SB 6.3.20]. Svayambhu means Lord Brahmā; Nārada; and Śambhu, Lord Śiva; Kumāra; Kapila; Manu. They are all authorities. So that is the indication of the śāstra, that if you want to understand the transcendental science, the science of God, then tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that if you really interested to learn the transcendental science, you must approach. Abhigacchet. This is vidhilin. Vidhilin. This form of verb is used in Sanskrit grammar when it meant "You must." You cannot say "I may accept or may not accept." That will not do. You must accept. Tad, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. These are the injunctions of the Vedas.
Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures : Canto 7: Lectures : SB 7.12: Lectures : Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976 : 760413SB.BOM :
We have Daily we understand what is guru. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, citette kariyā aikya, āra nā kariya mane āśā **. This is that. This is wanted. If you have got real guru and if you follow him, then your life is successful. There is no doubt. But if you have a so-called bogus guru, and without any knowledge of the śāstra, then your life will be spoiled. Especially the Māyāvādī guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned, māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]. Māyāvādī guru means one who thinks that everyone is God. That is Māyāvādī guru. If you approach such guru, then your life is spoiled. Māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Finished. Your spiritual progress finished. So in this way, guru, arka, these are the training. Where is that training? Where is that school? So why they will not learn from eight years, ten years of age, smoking bidi and cigarette? When I was in America first, I saw some little boys, not more than ten to twelve years, smoking cigarette. I was astonished that "What kind of education is there?" But they don't mind. Even in their classroom, the elderly young boys and girls, they smoke before the teacher. I have seen it in New York University. So this is not training. Training is he must be very controlled. And if you teach from the beginning, then he will be trained up. There is a Bengali proverb, gancai noale vas, mas korbe tans tas(?): "When the bamboo is green, you can bend it, but when it is yellow, dried, it will crack." So education begins from the very childhood. That is education. Therefore gurukula is required. It doesn't require how much he has learned ABCD and grammar. No. First of all character. That is gurukula living. Let him become dānta, guru-gṛhe. Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dāntaḥ. How to become sense controller, that is first education.
Lectures : Nectar of Devotion Lectures : The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973 : 730102ND.BOM :
And how we can understand the representative of Kṛṣṇa? That is not very difficult. Because what Kṛṣṇa says, if the representative says the same thing, then he's representative. It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If His representative says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa," he's representative. That's all. He does not become, himself, Kṛṣṇa. Then he's bogus. A faithful servant will never say that "I am the master." "I am servant"—although he's as good as the master. Similarly, a guru is sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya **. He, he is the most confidential, dear servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. That's all. He does not know anything but Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu presenting Himself: gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. A guru is always the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. He does not represent himself direct servant. How he can be direct servant? But if you are in the disciplic succession of the servitude, servant of the servant of the servant, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2], then you become representative. And there is no difference between the original guru, Kṛṣṇa, and the latest guru, Kṛṣṇa. Because the aim is the same. Kṛṣṇa personally says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And who is representative of Kṛṣṇa, he'll say the same thing: "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. The guru will say, "Yes, you become always Kṛṣṇa conscious." Man-manā. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā. A guru says, "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." The same thing. There is no difference. You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You always think of Kṛṣṇa. You always chant of Kṛṣṇa. You always speak of Kṛṣṇa. You do not know anything but Kṛṣṇa. Simply this life is required.
nāścaryam
etad yad asatsu sarvadā
mahad-vinindā kuṇapātma-vādiṣu
serṣyam mahāpūruṣa-pāda-pāmsubhir
nirasta-tejahsu tad eva śobhanam
SYNONYMS
na—not;
āścaryam—wonderful;
etat—this;
yat—which;
asatsu—evil;
sarvadā—always;
mahat-vinindā—the
deriding of great souls; kuṇapa-ātma-vādiṣu—among
those who have accepted the dead body as the self; sa-īrṣyam—envy; mahā-pūruṣa—of great personalities; pāda-pāṁsubhiḥ—by the dust of the feet; nirasta-tejaḥsu—whose glory is diminished; tat—that; eva—certainly; śobhanam—very good.
TRANSLATION
It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient
material body as the self to engage always in deriding great souls. Such envy on
the part of materialistic persons is very good because that is the way they
fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities.
PURPORT
Everything
depends on the strength of the recipient. For example, due to the scorching
sunshine many vegetables and flowers dry up, and many grow luxuriantly. Thus,
it is the recipient that causes growth and dwindling. Similarly, mahīyasām pāda-rajo-’bhisekam: the dust of the lotus feet of great
personalities offers all good to the recipient, but the same dust can also do
harm. Those who are offenders at the lotus feet of a great personality dry up;
their godly qualities diminish. A great soul may forgive offenses, but Krsna does not excuse offenses to the dust of that
great soul’s feet, just as one can tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s
head but cannot tolerate the scorching sunshine on one’s feet. An offender glides down more and
more; therefore, he naturally continues to commit offenses at the feet of the
great soul. Offenses are generally committed by persons who falsely identify
with the impermanent body. King Daksa was deeply engrossed in a misconception
because he identified the body with the soul. He offended the lotus feet of
Lord Śiva because he thought that his body, being the father of the body of Satī, was superior to Lord Śiva’s. Generally,
less intelligent men misidentify in that way, and they act in the bodily concept
of life. Thus, they are subject to commit more and more offenses at the lotus
feet of great souls. One who has such a concept of life is considered to be in
the class of animals like cows and asses. Srimad-Bhagavatam "The Creation
of the Fourth Order" Sati Quits Her Body. Sb. 4.4.13
·
Such
pseudo spiritual masters advertise themselves by inducing their followers to
sing about them
·
In
modern times the number of such pretenders has increased considerably, and it
has become a problem for the pure devotees of the Lord
The simple way to worship the Supreme Lord in
this age of disturbance is to hear and chant about His great activities. The
mental speculators, however, think that the activities of the Lord are
imaginary; therefore, they refrain from hearing of them and invent some word
jugglery without any substance to divert the attention of the innocent masses
of people. Instead of hearing of the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such pseudo
spiritual masters advertise themselves by inducing their followers to sing about
them. In modern times the number of such pretenders has increased
considerably, and it has become a problem for the pure devotees of the Lord to
save the masses of people from the unholy propaganda of these pretenders and
pseudo incarnations. Isopanishad Mantra 14
- Beware of self interested people
after personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the actual path
A bona fide spiritual master is
in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all
from the instructions of the Supreme Lord as they were imparted millions of
years ago to the sun-god, from whom the instructions of Bhagavad-gita have come
down to the earthly kingdom. One should, therefore, follow the path of
Bhagavad-gita as it is expressed in the Gita itself and beware of self
interested people after personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the
actual path. The Lord is definitely the supreme person, and His activities are
transcendental. One who understands this is a liberated person from the very
beginning of his study of the Gita. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (1972) Original
unrevised edition. Bg. 4.42
“…I am very glad that you are
trying with all the other GBC members to maintain all the various functions of
our very large organization up to the standard as I have set for you. This is
most important. So please always work cooperatively for this end. I know that
there has been a great disturbance amongst the devotees caused recently, but
now things are being rectified. You are right to say that the example and
kindly guidance of our elder members in the Society is the most profound force
for motivating our students both new and old towards advanced Krsna
Consciousness. Neglect of following the regulative activities and so-called
advancement on the basis of self-motivation are
both offensive. One should sincerely try to bring himself to the stage of
devotional service motivated by pure love of Krsna, and our personal example must set a guide for them…” Srila
Prabhupada Letter. November 25, 1970
