What does it mean to be a servant of the spiritual master?

The disciple should think of himself as a menial servant of his spiritual master. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, a great spiritual master of the late nineteenth century, prayed to his guru: "O pure devotee, O spiritual master, please accept me as your dog."**8 A dog always depends on his master's mercy and stays ready to carry out his master's order. In the same way, a bona fide disciple places himself in the position of a dog before his spiritual master and tries to satisfy him by carrying out his orders. In fact, the bona fide disciple respects his spiritual master as much as God Himself.

Question: "But why do I have to treat the spiritual master like God? Didn't you say he's a humble servant of God?" Exactly. The spiritual master is a humble servant of God, and he tries to bring everyone back to the humble service of God. But there is no way to become Krsna's servant directly. You have to become a servant of the servant of Krsna. The guru serves Krsna by acting as His representative in this material world. Therefore, as we have said, the guru is as good as God.

The spiritual master doesn't accept our service on his own behalf, any more than the President's representative (such as the Secretary of State) accepts service on his own behalf. Rather, the spiritual master thinks, "Because I have accepted the responsibility of acting as Krsna's representative, it is my duty to accept service from my disciples and to offer that service to Krsna." In this way, through the genuine Vedic system of spiritual discipline, the spiritual master revives our natural spiritual consciousness by training us to act as eternal servants of the Supreme Lord.

Question: "Still, it all sounds so dry and austere." Spiritual life requires a little austerity. But it's not dry austerity. The spiritual master's orders are called "the regulative principles of freedom." In other words, although we may feel (especially at first) that the spiritual master's instructions are just giving us trouble, by following these instructions we wash away material contaminations and enjoy transcendental bliss from within-and not just in some afterlife, but here and now.

In this age especially, the sacrifices that the disciple must undergo are very simple. In previous ages, the disciple had to perform rigorous physical exercises and adhere to strict vows of renunciation. But in this age the most important "austerity" is simply to chant and hear the Hare Krsna mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The Puranas confirm, "Chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, there is no other way, no other way, no other way to achieve self-realization" (Brhan-naradiya Purana)** This chanting of Hare Krsna is easy and enjoyable, and it can make your life sublime.

The science of devotional service is full of transcendental potency, and we can realize this potency if we hear from a bona fide spiritual master and render service to him in a humble, submissive mood. Then we are sure to receive spiritual understanding and to advance on the path that leads out of material perplexity and back to home, back to Godhead.