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First, the desiring candidate must find a bona fide spiritual master, and then he must very eagerly receive instructions from him and execute them.
I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words.    (More...)
Srila Rūpa Gosvami has given directions, in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, on how to accept a bona fide spiritual master and how to deal with him. First, the desiring candidate must find a bona fide spiritual master, and then he must very eagerly receive instructions from him and execute them. This is reciprocal service. A bona fide spiritual master or saintly person always desires to elevate a common man who comes to him. Because everyone is under the delusion of maya and is forgetful of his prime duty, Krsna consciousness, a saintly person always desires that everyone become a saintly person. It is the function of a saintly person to invoke Krsna consciousness in every forgetful common man.    (More...)
This is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress.
So this initiation means to submit, fully accepting the spiritual master, and to follow his instruction. And spiritual master's instruction means Krsna's instruction. But you should come through the spiritual master. The electric powerhouse is Krsna, but the current comes through some channel. So spiritual master personally hasn't got to give you any instruction. His business is to carry the instruction of Krsna and deliver it to the disciple. This is spiritual master. He does not invent anything. He does not say, "In my opinion," "I think," "Perhaps," "It may be," just like the modern scientist, philosopher says. No. This is not our process. We say everything definitely. How I can say definitely? Because I have heard it from Krsna. The example I have given: The child, he asks his father, "Father, what is this?" Father says, "My dear child, it is called microphone." So he understands this instrument is called microphone. So next time, when he says, "This is microphone," that is correct. Although he is child-he has no knowledge-but when he says that "This is microphone," it is correct. This is the process. He is a child. He does not know what it is. But the father has said; he has taken it. And then he is correct.    (More...)
In the instruction of Lord Chaitanya to Sanatan Goswami we can understand the Science of God in the matter of His transcendental Form, His opulences, and His devotional service-for everything is being described to Sanatan Goswami by the Lord Himself. At the time Sanatan fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his real identity. He spoke as follows: "I am born of a lower family, my associations are all abominable, and I am fallen and the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me although in the ordinary way I am what is known as a great learned man; in fact, I am so much of a fool that I even accept that I am a learned man. You have accepted me as your servant and you have delivered me from the entanglement of material life; now you can tell me what my duty is in this liberated state of life." In other words, we see by this plea that liberation is not the final word of perfection; there must be activities in liberation. Sanatan clearly asks, "You have saved me from the entanglement of material existence; now after liberation, what is my duty? Kindly explain it to me." Sanatan further inquired "Who am I? Why are the three-fold miseries always giving me trouble? Finally, tell me how I will be relieved from this material entanglement? I do not know how to question about spiritual advancement of life, but I beg that you kindly, mercifully let me know everything that I should know."    (More...)
Sometimes one such illusioned living being foolishly approaches some so-called great personality, who has become expert in the fields of karma, jnana, or yoga, to get some kind of relief. However, because such men have no knowledge of the eternal spiritual identity beyond this temporary body, and are bereft of a relationship with God, their instructions do not give him ultimate satisfaction. We have practical experience of this in the modern world. At present, the major portion of the human energy has been expended on vicious works with the aim of achieving a higher grade of sense gratification. This we have done. We have also invented innumerable philosophies and so-called "paths" by which we are trying to enhance our human experience. Yet, people are wondering why there is so much unhappiness and disunity and they have created many different "isms" in an attempt to deal with the situation. Unfortunately all such "isms" have helped only to intensify and not to diminish the problems of life. The leaders of the world, being blind to the knowledge of the self, can only give symptomatic treatment and cannot understand the root cause of the dissatisfaction which plagues all of us. That was described by Ramananda Raya to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya asked Ramananda Raya: "Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?" Ramananda Raya replied, "Apart from separation from the devotees of Krsna I know of no other unbearable unhappiness." In the light of this statement, we can understand that the present dissatisfaction experienced on all levels of our present social structure is not due to the government, crime, politics, economics, men, women, etc. Neither will it be mitigated by artificial methods for the so-called improvement of our living conditions. The real fact is that as long as any civilization or society is bereft of the association of the most confidential servitor of the Supreme Lord, Sri Gurudeva, there can never be even a moment of true happiness for anyone. We therefore long for the day when the bona fide acarya, Srila Prabhupada, will be recognized and sought after by the present world leaders for the absolute guidance required in order to progress. According to science's law of thermodynamics, a complex system, if left to itself, tends towards chaos and disintegration. Similarly any world organization which neglects the absolute direction of Lord Sri Krsna, the Vedas and the bona fide spiritual master will ultimately destroy itself. Modern day philosophers, politicians, social workers and all other theoreticians must give up their limited empiric endeavors which will never turn back the rising tide of degradation, either individually or collectively, and surrender, at once, to the lotus feet of the Guru. The spiritual master brings with him the won ingredient which, when added, will make the human endeavor meaningful and ultimately successful. That ingredient is devotional service to the Supreme Lord Krsna. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this is explained: "The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self." In another place it is declared, "Anyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Lord must be considered dead although he is breathing." We therefore offer millions of obeisances unto the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, whose glorious appearance in this dead world is giving all living beings new hope for life. All glories, all glories to Srila Prabhupada, the Supreme Personality of servitor Godhead, who is as worshipable as Lord Krsna Himself! In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 1.45) it is declared, "According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Krsna. Lord Krsna in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees." Millions of obeisances again and again to Srila Prabhupada, who is an ocean of compassion upon the fallen souls of the Western world. He is always situated in spiritual happiness, yet he also experiences unhappiness. He is unhappy to see the sufferings of others. Therefore, he is benedicting the entire world with his causeless mercy and delivering all living beings.    (More...)

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