Blind Faith Rejected

The way of receiving knowledge of Krsna is also indicated by Sanatana Gosvami. He fell at the feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and said, "My dear Lord, I have simply wasted my time by trying to gratify my senses. That is my only qualification. I belong to the lowest class of men, and my associates are also of the lowest type. I have fallen, and I am the lowest of all. These are my qualifications." In actuality Sanatana Gosvami belonged to a high-caste brahmana family, but because he accepted service in the Moslem government, he did not consider himself a brahmana. Traditionally, brahmanas would never accept service of any type-they would starve first. Because Rūpa and Sanatana Gosvami accepted service, they were considered to be outside the brahmana community. Although the social conditions at that time were very strict, Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted Sanatana Gosvami and Rūpa Gosvami.

We should not think, however, that Sanatana Gosvami's position was unique. Nor should we consider ourselves as belonging to this community or that community, for in any case we have all fallen from our eternal position. When approaching a spiritual master, one should not be puffed up by his so-called qualifications. One should forget whatever nonsense he has learned and approach the spiritual master as a blind slave. This is the qualification. One must set aside his conceptions of "I believe," and "I think," and "I cannot." Thus Sanatana Gosvami is indicating that because he is simply absorbed with the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, because he has fallen from his eternal position, because he is ostracized and his association is low, and because he has wasted his time, he does not know what is actually beneficial to him. This is his statement, although he was very aristocratic and was a learned Sanskrit scholar.

This is not a case of false humility, for Sanatana Gosvami was a devotee, and unless he actually felt something to be so, he would not say it. Although Sanatana Gosvami was called a panḍita, a learned man, he did not feel that he deserved this title, because he did not know the goal of life. Our nature is that although we may be fool number one, if someone addresses us as a learned person, we accept it. This is our illusion: we never accept ourselves as a fool, but think, "Who can be greater than me? I can think for myself. What is the need of a spiritual master? I can become a religious leader, I can become such and such." This is our mentality, but this mentality should be sacrificed before approaching a spiritual master. First one must select a spiritual master, and this requires some knowledge, and then when one is sure that the spiritual master is bona fide, he should offer himself submissively. When Sanatana Gosvami first met Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he did not surrender himself, but after hearing Him he realized the greatness of His message and then submitted himself. This then is the process. There is no question of blind faith.

Throughout Bhagavad-gita Krsna emphasizes the importance of understanding Him in truth, and it is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu who bestows this knowledge of Krsna through the process of love and devotion. Simply understanding that there is God is not sufficient; we must understand God in fact. Nor is it sufficient to consider God our order supplier. Krsna must be known in truth (tattvena), and it is Lord Caitanya who explains Him in truth. As mentioned before, it is not possible to understand God to the fullest extent, but to the extent of our human capabilities. Krsna has explained about Himself in Bhagavad-gita, and that is sufficient, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu offers even more information. Of all of the activities of the living entity, Krsna is both the enjoyer and the master, but those who are not aware of this fall down from their true relationship with Him:

"I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down." (Bg.9.24)

Throughout Bhagavad-gita we find that Krsna says, "Just surrender to Me, and I will give you all protection." Lord Caitanya, as Krsna Himself in the role of a devotee, goes further in His explanation. He advises surrender, but in addition He explains the activities following surrender. Following surrender, there is worship, and the proper process for worship is described by Lord Caitanya and His immediate followers, especially Rūpa Gosvami.

The impersonalists, or Mayavadis, contend that God has no form, that He is impersonal, and that therefore it is necessary to imagine a form of the Godhead in order to render worship or to meditate upon Him. However, this is refuted by Krsna. We should not think of God as void or impersonal, nor should we simply imagine a form of Him, nor should we worship demigods or spirits. All of this is discouraged in Bhagavad-gita:

"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me." (Bg. 9.25)