surrender to

Simply going and asking the spiritual master or guru, and not to accept his instruction, then don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. In a challenging spirit, if you go to a spiritual master without any service, sevaya, and pranipatena... Pranipatena... Prakrsta-rūpena nipata. Nipata means fall down, and pra means prakrsta-rūpa, sufficiently; no reservation. This knowledge, the transcendental knowledge, is based on this pranipata. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]: "You just surrender unto Me." And similarly, we have to surrender to Krsna or His representative. So guru is representative, external representative. Internal guru is Krsna Himself. Īsvaraḥ sarva-bhūtanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg 18.61]. Not that Īsvara, Krsna, is in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana. He is everywhere, even within the atom. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37].    (More...)

How one can be pleased? That is the process: pranipatena sevaya. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg 2.7]. Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Krsna, still, while learning Srimad Bhagavad-gita from Him, he surrendered himself to Krsna and said that "I am no more Your friend." Of course, friend is also..., a friend of Krsna is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, sisyas te 'ham. Sisya means "You can rule over me now." Sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu. From sas-dhatu, sastra, sisya, sastra, these things have come. So sisyas te 'ham. Sisya means "Now I am under Your full control. You can use me in whatever way You like." So in this way, anviksikyam pracoditaḥ.    (More...)

So in this way, one has to learn how to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our Vaisnava system is adau gurv-asrayam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.74]. If we want to approach Krsna, then in the beginning, adau, the beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is being shown by Devahūti. Although He is son, [s]he is begging the mercy of Kapiladeva so that by His mercy she could understand what is devotional service and how to approach Krsna. Tad etan me vijanihi yathaham manda-dhiḥ. So this is very good qualification. Manda-dhiḥ: "My intelligence is not very sharp; manda." That is especially in this age. Of course, Kapiladeva and Devahūti was not in this age. Still, she is submitting because she happens to be woman, and although she is such exalted woman that she could give birth to the Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva-she was not ordinary woman-still, she thinks manda-dhiḥ: "I am less intelligence." Manda-dhir hare: "My dear Kapila, You are Supreme Personality of Godhead, but I am manda-dhiḥ. My intelligence is not very sharp. Still, I want to understand the sublime subject matter, transcendental subject matter, from You. So it is possible." Bhavad-anugrahat: "If You become merciful, then it is possible." This is the process.    (More...)

So a person like Rūpa Gosvami, why he will waste time talking with a nonsense? No. Actually, teaching is for the student, not for outsiders. All these talks should be between... The student means who has surrendered. That..., he is student. Otherwise, what is the use of wasting time? There is no use. Therefore Krsna said that tad viddhi pranipatena [Bg 4.34]. Pranipatena means fully surrendering. If you have still doubts to surrender, then don't waste time. Don't waste time. That is not the way. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. Guru has to be given service, that nicavat. [SB 7.12.1] That nicavat. Nicavat means menial servant. Whatever guru says... Guru says, "Just brush my shoes." "Yes, sir." You cannot think, "Oh, I am coming from such a respectable person, I am so much learned, and my guru is asking me to 'Brush my shoe'? No, I am not doing it." No, then you are not disciple. Nicavat. That is the training. So pranipata, if you find out somebody where you can fully surrender, then accept guru. Don't make guru a fashion, just like you keep a dog, fashion, pet dog. People, they generally do that, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me collect. Let me pick up some guru who will be dancing dog." That kind of guru will not help you. You must be convinced that "Here is a guru where I can surrender." So then you can make prasna, or question. Then the question will be answered. Otherwise it is waste of time. That is not the Vedic system, simply waste of time. And if there is really talk between one philosopher to another philosopher...    (More...)

Prabhupada: Ara na kariya mane asa. [Sri Prema-bhakti-candrika 1.1] So guru, your guru has said that "You chant Hare Krsna, observe these rules." Do that, don't speculate, and you will understand everything. [break] ...daily    (More...)