View source for The spiritual path is to follow the footprints of predecessors, great acaryas who has realized. Then you become perfect. Not imitate, but to follow

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{{terms|"The spiritual path is to follow the footprints of predecessors, great ācāryas who has realized. Then you become perfect. Not imitate, but to follow"}}
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[[Category:Spiritual Path]]
[[Category:Following in the Footsteps of the Predecessors]]
[[Category:Great Acaryas]]
[[Category:Who Has]]
[[Category:Realized]]
[[Category:You Become]]
[[Category:Become Perfect]]
[[Category:Imitation]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The spiritual path is to follow the footprints of predecessors, great ācāryas who has realized. Then you become perfect. Not imitate, but to follow. Imitation is different thing.
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[[Vanisource:690114 - Lecture BG 04.39-42 - Los Angeles|690114 - Lecture BG 04.39-42 - Los Angeles]]
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Prabhupāda: They are not necessary for a person who is advanced. But in the preliminary stage we have such necessities. This creates atmosphere. But at the same time, these varieties are not, I mean to say, material varieties. They are spiritual varieties.

The place where we are trying to approach, Vaikuṇṭha, there the inhabitants are like this. They have got this tilaka, they have got . . . of course, we haven't got four hands, but they have got four hands. There are two hands also. And they are dressed like this. So these things are not material varieties, as much as chanting is not material vibration.

Besides that, any path you follow, you have to follow the regulative principles as they are enacted by authorities. So in our disciplic succession, previous ācāryas, they have advised that you should have your dress like this, you should have your head like this, you . . . so we have to follow that. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]).

Our principle is to follow the footprints of authorities. So these things are not unauthorized. These are being followed from time immemorial—this dress, this tilaka, this chanting. Everything. Just like you see the picture of Lord Caitanya, we are following the same principles. This was being enacted five hundred years ago. The same principle we are following. We are not introducing anything new. We are simply following the footprints of our predecessors. That's all.

Just like we are trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā just (as) Arjuna understood. Arjuna was direct hearer from Kṛṣṇa. So as he understood Bhagavad-gītā, we are trying to understand in that way. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]), that, "You give up all other engagements. You just surrender unto Me." And what we are preaching? We are also saying that, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa said: "You surrender unto Me," because He is the Supreme Person Himself. And we are canvassing, "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa."

So what is the difference? There is no difference. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]). The spiritual path is to follow the footprints of predecessors, great ācāryas who has realized. Then you become perfect. Not imitate, but to follow. Imitation is different thing.

So this is not imitation, but this is following the footprints. So one who wants to become devotee, he has to follow certain rules and regulation which are enacted by authorized persons in this line. We cannot deny it. Therefore there is necessity.

Yes?

Lady devotee (2): In the Gītā Kṛṣṇa says so many times, "You must surrender unto Me." Why do people say: "No, there's something else"?

Prabhupāda: Because they want something new. This is very old. There is a song by a great dramatist in India. He is singing, ekṭā navana kichu koro. That means "You do something, invent something new. You invent something new, and then you become very popular." You see? That is the way of modern thoughts. You invent something new. Not modern; this is going on.

Just like there is version in the Vedic literature, na cāsāv muni yasya mataṁ na bhinnam ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]).

If you want to be a muni or a sage, you must put forward some new theory. Otherwise he is not a philosopher. A philosopher is not counted a philosopher unless he defies all other philosophers and puts some new theory. And that is going on. Na cāsāv muni yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. So whose philosophy you will accept? Every day you will find a new philosophy. So whom to follow?

Therefore, out of disgust, everyone is trying to follow his own principle, whatever he likes. And there are some missionary activities, they also advocate that, "You can do whatever you like, and you will get God." So people are trying like that.

But our process is different. We are following the old principles. We do not say something new. The old saying, as Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ([[Vanisource:BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]).

So nothing new. We are simply repeating. That, our Hare Kṛṣṇa, is it also repetition: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.

What is that English word, "Putting the old wine in the new bottle," or what is that? (laughs) So it is old wine. Simply putting in new bottles. That's all. And what is new? There is nothing new in the world. The sun was rising on the eastern side. Still it is rising on the eastern side. The sun was setting on the western side. It's still setting.
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