View source for User:Elad/Accept a guru

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[[Category:Accept a Guru|1]]
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
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<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
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<div id="SB4175_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="693" link="SB 4.17.5" link_text="SB 4.17.5">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.17.5|SB 4.17.5, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">There are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas (systems) of disciplic succession. One sampradāya comes from Lord Brahmā, one from the goddess of fortune, one from the Kumāras, headed by Sanat-kumāra, and one from Lord Śiva. These four systems of disciplic succession are still going on. As King Pṛthu has illustrated, one who is serious about receiving transcendental Vedic knowledge must accept a guru, or spiritual master, in one of these four disciplic successions. It is said that unless one accepts a mantra from one of these sampradāyas, the so-called mantra will not act in Kali-yuga.</p>
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<div id="SB42843_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="1211" link="SB 4.28.43" link_text="SB 4.28.43">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.28.43|SB 4.28.43, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Figuratively, King Malayadhvaja is the spiritual master, and his wife, Vaidarbhī, is the disciple. The disciple accepts the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in Gurv-aṣṭaka, sākṣād-dharitvena: "One directly accepts the guru, the spiritual master, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." One should accept the spiritual master not in the sense that the Māyāvādī philosophers do, but in the way recommended here.</p>
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<div id="SB_Canto_8" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 8"><h3>SB Canto 8</h3>
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<div id="SB81623_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_8" book="SB" index="546" link="SB 8.16.23" link_text="SB 8.16.23">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 8.16.23|SB 8.16.23, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Sometimes less intelligent men ask whether one has to approach a guru to be instructed in devotional service for spiritual advancement. The answer is given here—indeed, not only here, but also in Bhagavad-gītā, where Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his guru (śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]])). The Vedas also instruct, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa guruṁ evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) one must accept a guru for proper direction if one is seriously inclined toward advancement in spiritual life. The Lord says that one must worship the ācārya, who is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt ([[Vanisource:SB 11.17.27|SB 11.17.27]])). One should definitely understand this. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that the guru is the manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, according to all the evidence given by the śāstra and by the practical behavior of devotees, one must accept a guru. Aditi accepted her husband as her guru, so that he would direct her how to advance in spiritual consciousness, devotional service, by worshiping the Supreme Lord.</p>
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<div id="SB82450_1" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_8" book="SB" index="860" link="SB 8.24.50" link_text="SB 8.24.50">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 8.24.50|SB 8.24.50, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The conditioned soul, being wrapped in ignorance and therefore not knowing the goal of life, accepts a guru who can juggle words and make some display of magic that is wonderful to a fool. Sometimes a foolish person accepts someone as a guru because he can manufacture a small quantity of gold by mystic yogic power. Because such a disciple has a poor fund of knowledge, he cannot judge whether the manufacture of gold is the criterion for a guru.</p>
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<div id="SB82450_2" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_8" book="SB" index="860" link="SB 8.24.50" link_text="SB 8.24.50, Purport">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 8.24.50|SB 8.24.50, Purport, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">The Lord says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: ([[Vanisource:BG 7.14 (1972)|BG 7.14]]) "One can get relief from the clutches of māyā as soon as he surrenders unto Me." Therefore it is the guru's business to instruct his disciple to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he wants relief from the material clutches. This is the symptom of the guru. This same principle was instructed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]). In other words, one is advised not to accept a guru who does not follow the path of instruction given by Lord Kṛṣṇa.</p>
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<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" class="section" sec_index="2" parent="compilation" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2>
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<div id="CC_Antya-lila" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="CC Antya-lila"><h3>CC Antya-lila</h3>
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<div id="CCAntya571_0" class="quote" parent="CC_Antya-lila" book="CC" index="965" link="CC Antya 5.71" link_text="CC Antya 5.71">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:CC Antya 5.71|CC Antya 5.71, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">One is forbidden to accept the guru, or spiritual master, as an ordinary human being (guruṣu nara-matiḥ). When Rāmānanda Rāya spoke to Pradyumna Miśra, Pradyumna Miśra could understand that Rāmānanda Rāya was not an ordinary human being. A spiritually advanced person who is authorized to act as the spiritual master speaks as the Supreme Personality of Godhead dictates from within. Thus it is not he that is personally speaking. In other words, when a pure devotee or spiritual master speaks, what he says should be accepted as having been directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the paramparā system.</p>
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG2111JohannesburgOctober171975_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="33" link="Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975|Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So anyone who represents Kṛṣṇa, he is also guru. That will be explained in the Fourth Chapter. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]). So Kṛṣṇa is showing example, where we should offer our surrender and accept guru. Here is Kṛṣṇa. So you have to accept Kṛṣṇa or His representative as guru. Then your problems will be solved.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG22LondonAugust31973_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="34" link="Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We must approach Kṛṣṇa through guru. That is paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing that you can jump over. Somebody says, "Oh, why shall I accept guru? I can approach Kṛṣṇa directly." No. Kṛṣṇa does not accept such... Mad-bhaktaḥ pūjābhyadhikaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all you become devotee of My devotee."</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG27LondonAugust71973_2" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="39" link="Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So actual guru is Kṛṣṇa. And here is... Kṛṣṇa is advising the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals and fools will not accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. They'll go to some rascal and fool and miscreants, sinful person, and accept guru. How he can be guru?</p>
<p>So guru is Kṛṣṇa.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG28LondonAugust81973_3" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="41" link="Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">To accept guru means whatever guru says, you have to accept. Otherwise, don't make guru. Don't make a fashion. You must be ready. That is called prapannam. Tad viddhi praṇipātena ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). You can understand simply by surrendering, not to test guru. "I shall test him, how, how much he knows." Then what is the use of making guru? No.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG2812LosAngelesNovember271968_4" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="42" link="Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So to save time, to save trouble one has to accept the authority, actual authority. This is the Vedic process. And therefore Veda says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tad vijñānārtham, in order to learn that transcendental science, one has to accept guru. Gurum eva, certainly, one must. Otherwise there is no possibility.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG211withSpanishtranslatorMexicoFebruary111975_5" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="49" link="Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975|Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He wants to know if the greatest offense is to disobey the guru.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the first offense. Guror avajñā, śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Śruti-śāstra-nindanaṁ guror avajñā. If you accept guru and again disobey him, then what is your position? You are not a gentleman. You promise before guru, before Kṛṣṇa, before fire, that "I shall obey your order; I shall execute this," and again you do not do this. Then you are not even a gentleman, what to speak about devotee. This is common sense.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG213HyderabadNovember191972_6" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="63" link="Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We have to accept. Guru-vākya. Guru-vākya, you cannot deny it. It may not be agreeable to you in the beginning, but you cannot deny it. That is it: system of Vedic system. Here Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master. Śiṣyas te aham. "I become Your disciple. Because we were talking till now as friends, but this will not decide the case. My case is very serious. My duty is to fight, but I do not like to fight.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG215HyderabadNovember211972_7" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="71" link="Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The first thing is to take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that I'll, as it has become a system: "I'll make a guru. Now my business is finished. I've got a guru." No. Tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Guru means, to accept guru means to inquire from him about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. These are the Vedic injunctions. One who is jijñāsu, means inquisitive. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ means beneficial. So uttamam, the prime benefit. One who is inquisitive to know about the prime benefit of life, for him there is need of accepting a guru.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG226HyderabadNovember301972_8" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="92" link="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"To enter into the spiritual life, first thing is first of all to accept a guru." That is... All big, big stalwarts... Even Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva, the wonderful literature. This reading. We are reading Bhagavad-gītā. It is Vyāsadeva's literature. He heard from Kṛṣṇa and wrote it. And not only this. The Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas, the Vedānta-sūtra, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Wonderful literatures. There is no possibility of producing such literature by any scholar of these days. It is not possible. But he accepted guru, Nārada, Nārada Muni.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG226HyderabadNovember301972_9" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="92" link="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We should receive knowledge by the bona fide, paramparā system. Otherwise it may be bogus. Because without paramparā system, we cannot understand actual fact. And we have to become in the disciplic succession. We must accept a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). If you are actually eager, anxious to understand the spiritual science, then you must approach a guru.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG226HyderabadNovember301972_10" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="92" link="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">A brāhmaṇa, he is very expert in his business, sat-karma. Sat-karma-nipuṇo mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. And he has read the Vedic literatures and tantras very nicely. Viśārada. Still, if he's not a Vaiṣṇava, then avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt. By that only qualification, that he's not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru, whereas, on the other hand, sad-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-pacaḥ guru. If a person, śva-pacaḥ... Śva-pacaḥ means coming of the family of dog-eaters, caṇḍāla, if he has become a Vaiṣṇava, sadācāra-sampanna-vaiṣṇava, sa guruḥ syāt. You can accept him as guru. There are so many instances. Śrīman Rāmānujācārya's guru was not from a brāhmaṇa family, but still, he accepted guru.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG71HongKongJanuary251975_11" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="241" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">A devotee means who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa completely. So either you... Of course, it is not possible to take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. May be possible by Kṛṣṇa's special mercy, but general process is you have to go through the mercy or process of accepting a guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru. And who is guru? Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 8.128|CC Madhya 8.128]]). There is no difficulty to find out. Sometimes they plead that "Whom I can accept as guru?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has cleared: ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. You haven't got any trouble to find out guru. Anyone who knows about Kṛṣṇa, he is guru.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG73BombayFebruary181974_12" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="262" link="Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974|Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So if you want to know that vijñāna, then you should approach: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. You must accept guru. Who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Guru's qualification is that he's śrotriyam: he has heard from his guru perfectly. That is guru.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG92CalcuttaMarch71972_13" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="300" link="Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972|Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Any devotee who has unflinching faith on guru and Kṛṣṇa, such devotee, yasya deva parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, such person, bhakti-yogi. Bhakti-yoga, you cannot... Without accepting guru there is no possibility of understanding bhakti-yoga. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim, niṣkiñcanānāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. Unless one touches the lotus feet of niṣkiñcana vaiṣṇava, there is no question of bhakti-yoga. That is not possible.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG13812BombayOctober21973_14" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="358" link="Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973|Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">It is not a fashion to accept one guru. If you are actually interested, śreya uttamam, the highest perfection of life—tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta—then you have to accept a guru. This is called ācāryopāsanam.</p>
<p>Even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He accepted Sāndīpani Muni as teacher, master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, but He accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. They do not require guru, but just to keep pace with the official program, even God personally, He accepted spiritual master. So this is essential. Ācāryopāsanam.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG13812BombayOctober51973_15" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="360" link="Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973|Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Just like here Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning, ācāryopāsanam, and in the middle he says, mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī. So before engaging yourself in devotional service to the Lord, you must first of all worship ācārya, ācāryopāsanam. One cannot become a devotee personally. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of accepting guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience.</p>
<p>But who is ācārya? Ācārya means one who has received the Vedic knowledge through the paramparā system.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB127VrndavanaOctober181972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="46" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Guru, accept guru means you must surrender there. Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tad viddhi praṇipātena ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). Bhagavad-gītā says that "You learn from guru by praṇipāta, surrendering." The whole system is surrender. So vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.7|SB 1.2.7]]). Bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ means in order to enter into bhakti-yoga one has to first of all surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayam. This is the beginning of bhakti-yoga. And what kind of guru? An... That is also explained in the śāstras: śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Guru must be śābde pare ca niṣṇātam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). Śābde means śabda-brahman, Vedic knowledge. He must be dipped into the Vedic knowledge, śābde pare ca, and in devotional service, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam, brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. And accepting the Supreme Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman, as the ultimate goal of life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB127DelhiNovember131973_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="47" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So one who is interested the śreya, or ultimate benefit of life beyond this material world, for him there is need of accepting a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). Uttamam, not for this... Generally, people go to accept a guru for some material benefit, for cheap āśīrvāda, so that he can become more opulent in this material world. But that is not śreya.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1211TirupatiApril261974_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="62" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Who is the disciple? Sanātana Gosvāmī. (break) So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, when (he) approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu... That is the system. We sometimes accept one guru. But why should we accept guru? What is the necessity of accepting guru? This is the necessity for tattva-jijñāsā, for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic injunction. Simply if we remain engaged in the four activities of this material body, namely eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense, then we are animals. Our human life should be executed with the aim of life.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1212DelhiNovember181973_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="65" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You have to receive through the channel of paramparā system, bhakti. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]). Paramparā. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Therefore we have to accept a guru who is coming in the paramparā. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is paramparā. Because the paramparā was lost, Kṛṣṇa again said Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. So as Arjuna understood, if you understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then your understanding of Kṛṣṇa is perfect.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB173839VrndavanaSeptember301976_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="188" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore to go to guru or to accept a guru, there should not be any material purpose. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One should go to a guru for spiritual advancement of life, not as a fashion. People go to a guru as a fashion. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't make a guru just like you keep a dog, as a fashion."</p>
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</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1743VrndavanaOctober31976_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="191" link="Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976|Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Because friendly talking is useless waste of time. He accepted Him as guru. When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is infallible. If we accept guru, a bogus guru, then it is no benefit. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. Not that everyone can be guru.</p>
<p>It is said in the śāstra that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. Just like here it is accepted, brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ. So generally brāhmaṇa is accepted as guru by other orders of society. So, but śāstra says that brāhmaṇa is guru, that's all right, but ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. One brāhmaṇa is very nipuṇa in his karma-kāṇḍīya knowledge, ṣaṭ-karma. Paṭhana-pāṭhana-yajana-yājana-dāna-pratigraha.</p>
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</div>
<div id="LectureonSB181819BombayApril91971_6" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="201" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971|Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">That is sannyāsa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, how Kṛṣṇa's representative will be satisfied. Because we have to work under Kṛṣṇa's representative. Anything we work, if we want to be expert, then we have to work under some expert. Therefore we accept guru. We do not serve Kṛṣṇa directly. We accept guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The principle is guru is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if we work under guru and if we can satisfy, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is very easy to understand.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11527NewYorkMarch61975_7" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="294" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975|Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"Sir, I surrender unto you." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). Arjuna also did so. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are talking like friends. This will not solve the problem. Therefore I am submitting unto You as Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. "I surrender unto You. Now You can teach me." Because as soon as you accept guru, you have to hear him, surrender, full surrender. You cannot unnecessarily argue. Of course, if there is any doubt, you can question submissively. But not that, "I shall test my guru, how he is learned." That will not help. One must surrender. So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). Arjuna did that.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11625HawaiiJanuary211974_8" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="344" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"One has to go to the guru, or the spiritual master." Gurum eva abhigacchet. One must go. There is no alternative. Nobody can say that "Without going to the guru we can become happy." That is not possible, according to Vedic principle. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He accepted guru. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, He accepted guru. So that is our Vedic principle. The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā it is said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]). Imaṁ rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means great saintly kings. They also accepted a predecessor guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11625HawaiiJanuary211974_9" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="344" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">First of all surrender yourself. You cannot go to any person for learning anything where there is no sense of surrender. I accept a guru, but in my mind I remain independent, "Oh, why shall I abide by the orders of guru?" That means there is no surrender. There is no surrender. It is false. It is just to satisfy some motive, but that will not help. If you have got any duplicity in your mind, then you'll never be successful in any field of activities. So the process is... Tad viddhi praṇipātena ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). Must be surrendered. Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. And therefore, unless you find somebody where you can fully surrender, don't accept guru. That is cheating. Unless you are fully confident that "I am surrendering to this person. He is... Actually he is superior to me. He can give proper knowledge..."</p>
<p>So therefore the process is before accepting a guru, one must hear him at least for one year. And when he's convinced that "Here is actually a guru who can teach me," then you accept him, guru. Don't accept whimsically.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11625HawaiiJanuary211974_10" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="344" link="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā. To accept guru, there is also service. And to give service to an inferior person who is suffering, that is also service. The one service is called dayā, and the other service is called sevā. So if you want to realize God, then the other service, sevā, not dayā. You cannot show your mercy to God. God is full. There is no need of your showing mercy. That sevā. Two kinds of service. One is called dayā, and another is called sevā. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you want to know what is God, then the other service, sevā. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. And that service begins from the tongue. Now, generally, when we think of service, we think of our hand and legs, that "By..., I can render service with my hands, with my legs." No. The science of understanding God—the service begins with the tongue. Just see. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). You cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, His name, His activities, nāmādi... Nāmādi means name, form, qualities, activities, pastimes, entourage, so many things, ādi.</p>
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</div>
<div id="LectureonSB3254BombayNovember41974_11" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="426" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So one must approach a proper guru. The guru's qualification is, in every śāstra, that... Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tad viddhi..., er, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). One does not require to accept a guru unless he is inquisitive to understand the ultimate goal or benefit of life. Ordinary man who is interested with the bodily comforts of life, he doesn't require a guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32528BombayNovember281974_12" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="450" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The one who goes to gurukula, he immediately becomes the menial servant of guru. This is the system. That means guru can order him to act any, I mean to say, low class service, still he is prepared to do it. This is the business of brahmacārī, and he takes all trouble, and childhood, he doesn't mind. Even Kṛṣṇa, he went to gurukula. To teach us. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is the use of His going to gurukula? No, He is teaching, āpani ācari' prabhu jīveri śikhāya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted guru, teacher, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 7.71|CC Adi 7.71]]).</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32528BombayNovember281974_13" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="450" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Whatever guru will say he will accept, that is called śiṣya. Śiṣya means ruling, who accept disciple, means disciplinary measure. Whatever guru says, one who accepts he becomes disciple. He, I don't care for my guru's order and still I am disciple, that is not accepting guru. Of course it has become a fashion like that, to have a guru but don't care for guru. That is not, that will not help. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]), and immediately Kṛṣṇa as we, as soon as He accepted to become guru of Arjuna, He immediately chastised him,</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB3253940BombayDecember81974_14" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="460" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? He is the original guru. Here it is stated, guruḥ. In the previous verse, yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ. Guruḥ. So you don't accept anyone guru, but accept guru, Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā as guru. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). Arjuna says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am accepting as my guru. I am Your śiṣya." So everyone should become like that, accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. Or Kṛṣṇa's representative. You can say, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I don't find."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB555VrndavanaOctober271976_15" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="540" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976|Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">People should be enthused to inquire: ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma pṛcchāt. Sad-dharma pṛcchāt. That inquisitive must Guru means To accept guru means the disciple should be very very eager to know. Sad-dharma pṛcchāt. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Why you accept a guru? "It is a fashion." Fashion. Nowadays they accept a guru fashion. "Everyone has guru. Everyone has a dog. Well, let me keep a dog." Like that. A pet dog. So similarly, to keep a pet guru, that is not One should be very inquisitive: sad-dharma pṛcchāt. And everywhere the same thing. Paripraśna. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). But don't make inquiries cheap: "Here is my guru, and he's meant for answering all my questions. Let me go on questioning, questioning, questioning." No. Sevayā. You must serve. You must be ready to serve him. Then you have got right to make question. Otherwise not.</p>
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</div>
<div id="LectureonSB558VrndavanaOctober301976_16" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="543" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976|Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">If there is a brāhmaṇa, if there is a sannyāsī, one should accept, give preference to him, to accept guru. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "That is not the criterion. One must be well expert, experienced, well aware of the science of Kṛṣṇa. He shall be guru." Not that particularly because one is born in a brāhmaṇa family or one has taken sannyāsa, he is immediately by the dress, or by birth, one can become guru. No. That is going on. Now it is diminishing. Formerly, in India it was the practice. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter." Kibā vipra, kibā śūdra. Vipra means brāhmaṇa, and śūdra means the fourth class, less than the vaiśyas. So kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya. Nyāsī means sannyāsī.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB559VrndavanaOctober311976_17" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="544" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976|Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">To accept guru means to be inquisitive. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, "I was minister. I was implicated in material activities. You have relieved me from this implication. Now please tell me what I have to do." Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī was given instruction for two months continually, what to do now. So that is called sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that a fashion, I have made guru, I have accepted guru, my business is finished. No, sad-dharma-pṛcchā, the disciple must be ready to ask. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was a minister, he resigned the post. That does not mean he was silent, stopped all work. He was asking, "What I have to do?" This is sad-dharma-pṛcchā and Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered him to come to Vṛndāvana and renovate the vṛndāvana-līlā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB5534VrndavanaNovember211976_18" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="565" link="Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976|Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">To accept guru means to give up all material desires and be ready to ask from guru, "What shall I do?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he asked this question, that "By Your grace I am now released from my responsible activities." He was a minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, so he had many responsible activities, but he resigned from the post.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6116DenverJune291975_19" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="617" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">ou have to take shelter of a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you have to serve. That means you have to accept a devotee, a true devotee, a pure devotee, as your guide. That is our process. The Rūpa Gosvāmī says in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The first process is, first step is ādau gurvāśrayam to accept guru." Accept guru Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. One who is not Kṛṣṇa's representative, he cannot become guru. Guru does not mean any nonsense can become guru. No. Only tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means a person who has accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as everything. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. That means Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee. So it is not very difficult. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa there are pure devotees, so one has to take shelter of him. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Then sad-dharma-pṛcchāt: after accepting a bona fide spiritual master, one should be inquisitive to learn what is the science of Kṛṣṇa. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu-mārga-anugamanam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6116DenverJune291975_20" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="617" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So we have to accept a spiritual master who are strictly in these four line of disciplic succession. Then we shall be gainer. If we accept a so-called guru, then it will not be possible. We have to accept guru in the disciplic succession. Therefore it is recommended here, tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā: we have to serve him faithfully and always honestly. Then our purpose will be served.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6122HonoluluMay221976_21" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="633" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976|Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">That is the training. So praṇipāta, 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 praśna, or question.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB613439SuratDecember191970_22" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="658" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970|Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The Vedic injunction says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣnātam. One is advised... First of all, who will accept a guru? Guru is not a plaything, that "I must have a guru, and I will never care to obey his orders, but because it is a fashion to keep a guru, I shall keep a guru." That kind of guru is useless, and that kind of disciple is also useless. One must seek after a guru—when? When he is inquisitive to understand the transcendental knowledge. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. It is not a fashion. It should be very serious. One who is very much eager to understand transcendental knowledge, śreya uttamam... Jijñāsuḥ śreya. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB613940SuratDecember211970_23" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="664" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970|Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So real knowledge means which has surpassed this province of darkness, uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: "Anyone who has become very much inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, he has to accept a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). Guru means you have to find out some personality who is well versed in the Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the symptoms of guru: that he is well versed, well cognizant in the conclusion of the Vedas. Not only that he is well-versed, but he has actually in his life taken to that path, upaśamāśrayam, without being deviated by any other ways. Upaśama, upaśama. He has finished all material hankerings. He has taken simply to the spiritual life and simply surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And at the same time, he knows all the Vedic conclusions.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6140SanFranciscoJuly211975_24" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="666" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">That is God. All of us, we require knowledge by somebody, guru. But Kṛṣṇa does not require any guru, although when He comes, He accepts guru just to teach us. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had guru, Kṛṣṇa has also guru, because when They incarnate, They play just like ordinary man. But the knowledge is self-sufficient. The example is given like this: Just like the cloud. Cloud takes water from the sea, and he pours it down, and again the water goes down to the sea. So all knowledge comes from Kṛṣṇa, but when Kṛṣṇa appears, He takes the same knowledge from through the guru. Just try to understand. The knowledge is just like the sea, full knowledge, but it distributes the water on the land. Again the water goes down. Similarly, anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa's guru or Caitanya Mahāprabhu's guru, they take knowledge from him, but superficially Kṛṣṇa accepts guru. He has no guru. Svayambhū. Therefore it is called svayambhū. Svayambhū. Svayambhūr iti śuśruma. Kṛṣṇa has no cause.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB614142SuratDecember231970_25" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="669" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970|Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: But if you don't accept the instruction, what is the meaning of surrender? Simply by offering obeisances, falling flat for the time being, that is not surrender.</p>
<p>Devotee (2): Daṇḍavat.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Daṇḍavat class(?). Surrender means you must abide strictly the orders, sad-dharma-pṛcchā, ādau gurvāśrayam. To accept a guru means... Śiṣya means one must agree to be governed by the spiritual master. That is called śiṣya. Śiṣya... Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu all these terms—śāstra, śiṣya, śāsana. These are words derived from the root śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means śāsana, governing. The governing is done by military, governing is done by lawbooks, governing is done by personal instruction, so many things. So śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts to be guided or being governed by the representative of God. That is śiṣya. Yes.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7530LondonSeptember91971_26" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="730" link="Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971|Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore in this verse Prahlāda Mahārāja says, matir na kṛṣṇe. Kṛṣṇe matiḥ means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matiḥ means consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Parataḥ means taking instruction from others or taking instruction from guru. Nobody goes to take instruction from anyone unless one accepts a guru, or spiritual master. So even one has got nice guru, he cannot also get Kṛṣṇa consciousness if he has determined himself to remain in this material world.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB762TorontoJune181976_27" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="747" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The śāstra says who is guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to surrender to guru. That is, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One must approach guru. This is vidhiliṅ. Not that it is optional, may accept the guru or not accept guru. No. Must. Gacchet. Gacchet means he must. It is vidhiliṅ. This verb is used where the purport is "one must." Otherwise, it is not possible. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. And who will go to guru?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB762023WashingtonDCJuly31976_28" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="773" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No. The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam. The Absolute or the auspicity beyond this material world. Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.</p>
<p>So here, our position in this material world: darkness. We are simply speculating in so many ways what is the ultimate cause.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB773031MombassaSeptember121971_29" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="778" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971|Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore, what is that guru? Bhagavad-gītā also says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). Paripraśnena. Paripraśnena means inquiry. Ādau gurv-āśrayam, sad-dharma-pṛcchā. To accept a guru means to inquire from him about spiritual life, about transcendental situation. Not that fashion, "Oh, I have met a guru and he lives 300 miles away, I have no connection, no call for him(?)." No. Why the... The student should be very much inquisitive to learn, because accepting a guru is necessary for a person who is very much inquisitive to learn about the spiritual world. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Those who are not inquisitive to learn about the spiritual world, to learn about God, they need not keep a guru as a fashion, there is no need.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB794MayapurFebruary111976_30" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="788" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">He had no training. Still, he is addressed here by Narada Muni—Narada Muni was his guru—and still, he is describing Prahlāda Mahārāja as mahā-bhāgavata. That means even one is mahā-bhāgavata, he has to accept a guru. Narada Muni, his guru, he knows that "Prahlāda is my disciple, but he is mahā-bhāgavata." Not only that, before his birth, when he was within the womb of his mother...</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB797MayapurFebruary271977_31" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="794" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977|Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, God, but He is accepting guru. Who is His guru? He is guru of everyone, but He has also accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He accepted His guru, Sāndīpani Muni, teaching us that without guru you cannot make any advance. Ādau gurvāśrayam. The first business is to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Don't think that "I am so advanced. I may not require any guru. I can do without guru." That is nonsense. That, not possible. "Must." Tad vijñānārtham. Tad-vijñānārtham is spiritual science. "Must approach."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7912MayapurFebruary191976_32" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="816" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So mind should be settled up that "I shall sincerely serve Kṛṣṇa, and because I am not expert, therefore to understand how to serve..." Ādau gurvāśrayam. One has to accept guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). The śāstra says, "In order to take direction, one must surrender to guru." Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). That is the whole Vedic injunction.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7914MayapurFebruary211976_33" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="821" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">By familywise, they become guru. One family is attached to another guru family by hereditary rules, the sons after sons accepting guru, the other party, and there is regular business. So such kind of guru is not wanted.</p>
<p>Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has recommended that laukika-guru... This is laukika-guru. Parityāgena adhyātmika paramārthika, guru accepted. Guru has to be accepted who is actually paramārthika, advanced in spiritual knowledge, not the formality. That is recommended by Jīva Gosvāmī. Parityāgena. Parityāga vidhīyate. Śāstra says, "If the guru does not know the right thing, he can be given up." So what is the right thing? Right thing is to become devotee. First of all the sastric injunction is that anyone who is not a devotee, he cannot become guru. He cannot become guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7928MayapurMarch61976_34" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="835" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">First beginning of Vaiṣṇava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, ādau gurvāśrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you? So we have to approach a pure Vaiṣṇava as spiritual master, follow his instruction. And what is his instruction? His instruction is as he was instructed by his spiritual master. He does not invent instruction. This is instruction. The pure Vaiṣṇava, he does not invent anything new. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You all, every one of you become guru, everyone." Āmāra ājñāya guru haña tāra ei deśa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]). Wherever you are living, it doesn't require that you have to travel all over the world. If you have no such capacity, it doesn't matter. You remain wherever you are, but you become a guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7928MayapurMarch61976_35" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="835" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">This is everywhere. If you want liberation from this material entanglement, then you must take to mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.2|SB 5.5.2]]). You must. There is no alternative. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). "If you are actually interested to inquire about the transcendental subject matter, you must accept a guru."</p>
:Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta.
:tad viddhi praṇipātena
:paripraśnena sevayā
:upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
:jñāninas tattva-darśinam
:([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]])
<p>So these are the ways. You cannot understand by your erudite scholarship what is Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Then Kṛṣṇa would have instructed Bhagavad-gītā to..., finding out a very great Vedantist.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7935MayapurMarch131976_36" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="842" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Real desire must be there. Therefore we are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. Āra... "No more. That's all." Āra nā koriyā mane āśa. We are singing daily. You must understand what is the meaning. Because we are bewildered, we are misdirected, So, so guru's word, that should be taken seriously. Āra nā koriyā... "No more, anything." That is... Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.</p>
<p>"So how I can find out the real guru by whose words I'll be nicely directed and achieve?" That is not very difficult. You read Bhagavad-gītā. You'll understand.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB7122BombayApril131976_37" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="862" link="Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The first guru. Guru, agni, arka—means sun—and then God. Therefore you see in our Deity room there is picture of guru first of all. First of all your guru, then his guru, then his guru—at least four, five generation, because the spiritual knowledge is received through the paramparā. I have received from my guru; you are receiving from your guru; and my guru received from his guru; he received his guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]). Ādau gurvāśrayam. You cannot learn to become a perfect human being without accepting guru. Then you remain a rascal. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is the Vedic injunction. If you want to learn that transcendental science, you must approach a guru. Guru principle is the same, not that your guru and my guru will be different. If he is actually guru, then there is no difference between my guru and your guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionBombayDecember281972_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="9" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">If we want to know something which is not, or which is unknown to me, then we have to accept a guru, a superior man. Guru means superior man. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Guru means "heavy," or "superior." That is the law. So our process of Vedic knowledge is that we get knowledge from the superior just like Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. He's the first, original creature, within this universe. And he got knowledge from God, Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaNovember51972_1" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="33" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">One has to accept a guru, a spiritual master, who has received knowledge from another perfect spiritual master. Just like Kṛṣṇa is the origin, perfect spiritual master, guru. So Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa said, was realized by Arjuna, directly. Therefore if we receive knowledge from Arjuna or his disciplic succession, then our knowledge is perfect. Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Brahman: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān ([[Vanisource:BG 10.12-13 (1972)|BG 10.12]]). So if we accept the version of Arjuna, that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, He's the Supreme Person, He's the origin of everything, then our knowledge is perfect. I may be imperfect, but because I receive knowledge from a perfect person, my knowledge is perfect. This is called paramparā system.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionVrndavanaNovember101972_2" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="38" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.151|CC Madhya 19.151]]). Therefore the process is, as recommended by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, ādau gurvāśrayam. You must select, you must accept the guru who's coming in paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]). Sampradāya. That is recommended. We have got Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, four sampradāya: Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya, Nimbārka-sampradāya. So intelligent persons should select guru from these sampradāyas and follow his instruction. Then the path of devotional service will be very easily opened. This is the way.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCAdilila73MayapurMarch31974_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="22" link="Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974" link_text="Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974|Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says pūrve, in the beginning. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of ācārya. Ācāryavān. This vān word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata (?). So when one possesses the shelter of ācārya, then his knowledge is perfect.</p>
<p>So the beginning of spiritual life... (aside:) Oh? He doesn't require hearing? The beginning of life is gurvāśrayam, ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the beginning—every śāstra, every Vedic scripture.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila8128BhuvanesvaraJanuary241977_1" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="46" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Because as friend and friend the reply and argument will go on, to stop this argument Kṛṣṇa is accepted as guru, not as friend. Similarly, when you accept a guru, you must accept guru according to the Vedic principle. So here guru, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is giving the injunction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Exceptional case is different, the paramahaṁsa stage. But a guru, although he is paramahaṁsa, because he is teaching, he come down as madhyama-adhikārī. There are three kinds of Vaiṣṇava: kaniṣṭha adhikārī, madhyama adhikārī and uttama adhikārī. Uttama adhikārī may be without kunti, without śikhā, without Vaiṣṇava symptoms.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila2098102April271976AucklandNewZealand_2" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="50" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">When Arjuna was talking in bodily relationship, so, and he accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). "There is perplexity. I cannot understand, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa was his friend, but he accepted Him guru. Accepting guru means if you accept somebody guru, then whatever he will say, you have to accept. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means one who is ruled. So if you voluntarily accept somebody, that "I shall be ruled by you," that is guru. Not that "I shall rule over you by giving some money." Then it is not accepting guru. Guru means in all circumstances. Guror hitam. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam ([[Vanisource:SB 7.12.1|SB 7.12.1]]). Therefore the first training is to live in gurukula, to learn how to respect guru, how to abide by the orders of guru. So Kṛṣṇa is guru. So Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. Śiṣyas te 'ham ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). "I am Your now disciple. Now give, teach me."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20100WashingtonDCJuly51976_3" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="51" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu; He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa, He also accepted His guru as Sāndīpani Muni. Lord Rāmacandra, He accepted His guru as Vasiṣṭha. So it is (not) necessary, Kṛṣṇa or Rāma. They are Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are the supreme instructor, full of knowledge, everything. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. There is nothing short, but still, to show us example, They accepted guru. That is essential. So here Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is also born in a very well-to-do brāhmaṇa family.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20101104BombayNovember31975_4" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="55" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So we cannot avoid śāstra. So our, this Caitanya cult is strictly under the injunction of the śāstra. So he has come to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he is submitting himself.</p>
:kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra
:āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra
<p>A disciple, when he accepts guru... This is the example, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Tasmād prapadyeta... Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). This is the injunction of the śāstra. Who requires a guru? It is not a fashion, that one has to accept anyone as guru. No. A person requires a guru when he is inquisitive, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ, when he is very much eager to understand the spiritual śreya uttamam. Uttamam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Sri_Brahma-samhita_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures"><h3>Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBrahmasamhitaLectureBombayJanuary31973_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Brahma-samhita_Lectures" book="Lec" index="11" link="Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973" link_text="Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973|Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">n this way, we have to accept a guru from the disciplic succession which is called paramparā, guru-paramparā. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise not. Now so many people are explaining Bhagavad-gītā. If you ask him, "Who is your guru?" he has no guru. He's himself guru. So you, what he can understand Bhagavad-gītā? It is not possible. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide person and follow the principles, rules and regulation, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Your life will be successful.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Festival_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Lectures" text="Festival Lectures"><h3>Festival Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="SrilaKrsnadasaKavirajaGosvamisAppearanceDayVrndavanaOctober191972_0" class="quote" parent="Festival_Lectures" book="Lec" index="31" link="Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972" link_text="Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972|Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">This is possible if you approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu with right humbleness, that "I am lowest of the mankind, most abominable associated." Therefore the Bhāgavata says, "Who requires a guru?" Guru is not a fashion, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me possess a guru, and let me do all nonsense." Not like that. One must be very serious to accept a guru. Unless one is very serious... What is that seriousness? The seriousness is to know God, "What is God? What is my relationship with Him?" This is seriousness. Those who are not serious to know God and act godly, they do not require to seek after a guru. There is no necessity.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Arrival_Addresses_and_Talks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Lectures" text="Arrival Addresses and Talks"><h3>Arrival Addresses and Talks</h3>
</div>
<div id="ArrivalLectureSanFranciscoJuly151975_0" class="quote" parent="Arrival_Addresses_and_Talks" book="Lec" index="30" link="Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975" link_text="Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975|Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">But the fact is that they are to be taught like that, how to offer respect to the spiritual master. This is our Vedic process. Any sect or Vedic sect, the principle is ādau gurv-āśrayam: "The first principle is to accept guru." Unless there is guru, how it can be executed-yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23)? This is Vedic injunction. Other Vedic injunctions are like, the same. Kaṭha Upaniṣad says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you want to learn that transcendental science, then your first business is to go to a guru." Guru... As God is one, guru is also one. There cannot be different gurus.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="General_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Lectures" text="General Lectures"><h3>General Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureWhatisaGuruLondonAugust221973_0" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973" link_text="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973|Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Don't try to keep a guru as a matter of fashion, that it has become a fashion to accept somebody, some rascal as guru, and say that "I have got my guru." What kind of guru you have got? You are talking nonsense. Ācāryavān puruṣa veda. One who has accepted guru, he'll talk sense, where there is meaning. He'll never talk any nonsense. That is the sign that he has got guru. He has got the sacred thread. Yes, he's accepted by bona fide guru. That is the sign, sacred thread. So you are offering good respect to your spiritual master. That is very nice.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonGurvastakamatUpsalaUniversityStockholmSeptember91973_1" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="141" link="Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973" link_text="Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973|Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Don't make a cheap guru or a fashion guru, just like you keep sometimes a dog as a fashion. Similarly, if you want to keep a dog, or if you want to keep a guru as a fashion—"I have got a guru"—that will not help. You must accept a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of anxiety within your heart. That is the first test of a guru.</p>
<p>And the second test is, mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-vaditra-mādyan manaso rasena. The guru... Second system, symptom, is that guru is always engaged in chanting Mahāprabhu, glorifying Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is his business. Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta. He's dancing and chanting in the... By chanting the holy name of the Lord... Because this is the remedy for all calamities within this material world at the present moment.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="AddresstoRotaryClubChandigarhOctober171976_2" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="176" link="Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976" link_text="Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976|Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So Kṛṣṇa is accepted guru or the spiritual master, and Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). Prapannam means that "I am surrendered to You. I don't think myself on the equal level with You." The spiritual master and the disciple, they cannot be on the equal level. Therefore a spiritual master is called guru. Guru means heavy. Just like in the scale we put something this side, something that side. The thing which is weighty, that goes down. Similarly, guru is supposed to be weighty than the śiṣya. So Kṛṣṇa begins to speak when He is accepted as guru; otherwise He does not speak.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="AddresstoRotaryClubChandigarhOctober171976_3" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="176" link="Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976" link_text="Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976|Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The first thing is Kṛṣṇa instructs in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. If you want to know the substance, then the first thing is that you must be submissive, praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. You fall down. Therefore the system is: the disciple falls flat before the spiritual master. That is the etiquette, praṇipātena. And if you think that you know better than Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, the guru, there is no necessity of accepting guru. Do not keep a guru as a pet dog. No. You must be submissive. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). This is wanted. That Kṛṣṇa... That is the example given by Arjuna. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). This prapannam is required.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="EveningLectureBhuvanesvaraJanuary231977_4" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="180" link="Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977" link_text="Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977|Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The guru word is there. Guru Kṛṣṇa. If you are actually hankering after Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa is within yourself—He will give you a guru. He will give you a guru. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya. But we must be fortunate to get real guru. If I am unfortunate, I'll not get a guru. Otherwise why Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.151|CC Madhya 19.151]])? Mālī hañā se bīja kariya āropaṇa. In this way you'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He accepted guru, Īśvara Purī. He is Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself. As Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said that,</p>
:vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
:śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
:śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya śarīra dhārī...
:([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 6.254|CC Madhya 6.254]])
<p>He's the puruṣa Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa, but now He has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So he also accepted guru, what to speak of our... Kṛṣṇa also accepted guru. So how you will get the ultimate goal of life without accepting guru? Why do you manufacture this idea? There is no need of manufacturing this. You have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]). If you manufacture, then you'll be cheated. Don't do this.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="EveningLectureBhuvanesvaraJanuary231977_5" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="180" link="Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977" link_text="Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977|Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">He's the puruṣa Purāṇa, Kṛṣṇa, but now He has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So he also accepted guru, what to speak of our... Kṛṣṇa also accepted guru. So how you will get the ultimate goal of life without accepting guru? Why do you manufacture this idea? There is no need of manufacturing this. You have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.186|CC Madhya 17.186]]). If you manufacture, then you'll be cheated. Don't do this. That has become a fashion, that you manufacture your own way of service. That is not possible. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī stresses, ādau-gurvāśrayam: "The first business is that you must find out a bona fide guru." Then other things.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Philosophy_Discussions" class="sub_section" sec_index="13" parent="Lectures" text="Philosophy Discussions"><h3>Philosophy Discussions</h3>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononImmanuelKant_0" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="3" link="Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant|Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Therefore Vedic injunction is tad vijñānārtham: that which is beyond your senses, you must approach a spiritual master. He will give you information. That is our system, accepting guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). One who is inquisitive to understand the transcendental subject, he must approach a guru. What is guru? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam: guru, who is expert or well versed in the Vedic literatures, śruti. And what is the result? How can I understand that he is well versed in Vedic literature? Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayaḥ.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononSorenAabyeKierkegaard_1" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="11" link="Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard|Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Generally, any human being can be educated in the spiritual life or God consciousness, but if anyone awakens his inquiry, as it is stated, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]), if one is actually anxious to inquire about God or the supreme knowledge, then he has to approach a guru. That's a fact. Without approaching a bona fide guru there is no possibility of understanding the nature of God and our relationship with Him. So one has to approach a guru. To accept a guru is not a fashion, it is necessity. If one is actually inquisitive, it is a necessity. So the qualification of guru is also given there, that what sort of guru you should search out. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). A guru is he who has taken full training in the ocean of spiritual knowledge or Vedic knowledge, śābde pare. Śābde means the Vedic words, or vibration of sound, but that is not ordinary sound, material sound, but spiritual sound.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononArthurSchopenhauer_2" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="12" link="Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer|Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: There is end, provided... We can end everything, all these miscalculations, provided he goes to the right person. But that he will not go. He will become self-made philosopher. He will not accept guru.</p>
<p>Śyāmasundara: So because of that, there is no measure for his suffering.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononJacquesMaritain_3" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="15" link="Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain|Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: And one who is actually inquisitive, he, he requires to have the guidance of spiritual master. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). Guru is required for him who is inquisitive of the higher essence, not for... To accept a guru is not a fashion. Those, without being inquisitive of the highest essence, accept from guru, they think it is a fashion to keep a guru. Just like one keeps one dog by fashion: "My friend is keeping a dog, I shall keep a dog. My friend is keeping a car, I shall keep a car." Such kind of acceptance of guru is useless. It has no meaning. Actually, guru means... One..., the disciple must be very much inquisitive, interest into this is to understand the original essence. And he should approach a suitable bona fide person who can answer about the original essence.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononCarlGustavJung_4" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="18" link="Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung|Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hayagrīva: But here, after going to Calcutta, perhaps it was the, the so-called gurus that he met that discouraged...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: The so-called gurus are there, many. That is no doubt. So he might have seen some bogus guru, he did not like. But the principle of accepting guru cannot be avoided. That is not possible.</p>
<p>Hayagrīva: That contradicts the previous statement.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononBFSkinner_5" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="21" link="Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner|Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: No. That we cannot take, I mean, to accept guru as unscrupulous. Therefore we take paramparā. He is coming directly from God. He is perfect. Therefore this paramparā system is bona fide. We cannot accept any rascal to become guru. Guru must be in the paramparā system. He is receiving the knowledge directly from God, Kṛṣṇa.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononJohannGottliebFichte_6" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="25" link="Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte|Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Śyāmasundara: He says the institutions such as laws can participate in this unfolding of the reason of the universe, duty of the universe for instance by controlling conflicts between personalities and so on. Law, the laws of the state, the laws of (indistinct) can participate in the unfolding of the universe, the purpose of the universe.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. We accept that personality may be (indistinct), not that we pick up any man from the street and we accept guru. That will not (indistinct). Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), one who has heard properly from his spiritual master and as a result of such hearing he is perfectly in God consciousness (indistinct).</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononGeorgeWilhelmFriedrichHegel_7" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="43" link="Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Then whatever I write, that is perfect. Therefore Viśvanātha  Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair **, that therefore all scriptures accept the guru, spiritual master, as directly the Supreme Lord. Why? He does not speak anything nonsense. That is; therefore he is called servitor God. He is serving God, giving the same knowledge as God has given to him; therefore he is perfect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva **. So knowledge, if we, if we take God, what is God, if we understand from God, then our knowledge of God is perfect. Simply by speculating you cannot become perfect. That is not possible.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1971 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1971 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationJanuary171971Allahabad_0" class="quote" parent="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="2" link="Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad" link_text="Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad|Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So in our, this Vedic way of life, to accept guru is essential. Even big, big ācārya... Even Kṛṣṇa, He accepted guru, Sandipani Muni. Lord Caitanya accepted guru, Īśvara Purī. They are perfect, but still, the ways They are showing because They are ācārya. Kṛṣṇa is teaching, taking the part of the ācārya, so he is also accepting, although the fact is as soon as went to, within a few days He learned everything. That is stated in our Kṛṣṇa Book. Within a few days He became expert warrior, expert magician, expert yogi, every..., so many things, all arts. But He learned from a guru. He is perfect Himself, Kṛṣṇa. He is called Yogesvara. He knows all the yoga process, but still, in order to teach us, because He is playing the part of a teacher, He shows us that you must learn from guru. "I am learning from guru." So any science, you cannot learn it automatically by yourself. No, that is not. Then we shall create so many mental speculators, so many things. That will be not a science. Even all scientists, they accept a formula from an authority: "law of gravitation." They accept it. Then their physical, so many things they discover. But accept one formula. Just like this formula is given by Sir Isaac Newton. So they accept guru. So from all practical point of view, the things which are unknown to us, we have to accept a guru, for things unknown to us.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationJanuary171971Allahabad_1" class="quote" parent="1971_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="2" link="Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad" link_text="Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad|Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Now, what kind of school he has to select, that is another thing, but he must. That's a fact. Similarly, you have to accept a guru. Now, whom you will accept a guru, that is another thing. But you have to do it. That is the injunction of all śāstras. Vedic process is like that. This upanayana, the sacred thread, upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. Anayanam, coming or going, like that, nayanam. So "to go near the spiritual master," upanayana.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1972 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1972 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithJohnGriesserlaterinitiatedasYadubaraDasaMarch101972Vrndavana_0" class="quote" parent="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="6" link="Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana" link_text="Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana|Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]), one should surrender to such spiritual master. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, when he is actually serious about inquiring the transcendental subject matter. Otherwise there is no need of accepting guru or ācārya. He has no business. If one is not interested in the transcendental subject matter... Just like so many people come, they have no interest. Unnecessarily they talk and waste time.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationApril181972HongKong_1" class="quote" parent="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="13" link="Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong" link_text="Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong|Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Even Kṛṣṇa, God Himself, He has nothing to learn. He is abhijñā. In the Vedas He is described as abhijñā: He knows everything. But just to teach us, He also became a brahmacārī in the Gurukula. Lord Rāmacandra, He also accepted a guru, Vasiṣṭha. So that is our Vedic system. Anybody may be anything, but the process is tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to learn the value of life, spiritual value of life, one must go to a guru. Tad vijñānārtham. In order to understand the spiritual value of life one must go to a guru. Gurum evābhigacchet. What is that guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: "He is well learned in Vedic literature," and brahma-niṣṭham, "and firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead." These are the two qualifications of guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="ConversationwithBajajandBhusanSeptember111972ArlingtonTexasAtTheirHome_2" class="quote" parent="1972_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="39" link="Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home" link_text="Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home|Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: No, it is not possible. Kṛṣṇa accepted Himself a guru. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted a guru. They are God Himself. So how you can accept: "I can approach Kṛṣṇa without guru"? Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Kṛṣṇa... When actually you want Kṛṣṇa seriously—you do not know who is guru—then Kṛṣṇa will give you a guru. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He was advised by his mother that "If you go to the forest you can see God." So he went there. But when he was very serious, then Kṛṣṇa sent him Nārada Muni.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithIndianGuestsandDevoteesJuly111973London_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="41" link="Room Conversation with Indian Guests and Devotees -- July 11, 1973, London" link_text="Room Conversation with Indian Guests and Devotees -- July 11, 1973, London">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Indian Guests and Devotees -- July 11, 1973, London|Room Conversation with Indian Guests and Devotees -- July 11, 1973, London]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So therefore there should be education. Why the śāstras are there? Why guru is there? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). You must accept guru and learn. Why should you remain ignorant?</p>
<p>Guest (1): How one should start when he's completely ignorant of all these things?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationNovember31973NewDelhi_1" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="84" link="Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi" link_text="Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi|Room Conversation -- November 3, 1973, New Delhi]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: That is Bhāgavata's instruction, "Don't accept guru, don't accept father, don't accept, or don't be father, don't be mother, don't be, if you cannot stop death." Either you don't accept, or don't become. Just like they want guru. So don't accept a guru who cannot stop your death. And from guru's side, it is advised, "Don't become guru if you cannot stop the death of your disciple." This is Bhāgavatam's statement. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to stop death, live eternally with Kṛṣṇa, go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our movement. So our guru gives us this opportunity, no more death. Tyaktvā... After leaving this body, you don't accept any more material body. And if you don't accept material body, then there is no death. As soon as your spiritual, you remain in spiritual body, there is no death.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkDecember101973LosAngeles_2" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="96" link="Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles" link_text="Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles|Morning Walk -- December 10, 1973, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: This is the position. Shortage, alpāyus, they are not going to live for many years, and most of them are unfortunate rascals, and if they are eager to accept a guru, they accept a false guru, and they are materially disturbed. This is the position of the people of this age. So against so many disturbances and counter-facts, we have to preach.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkDecember151973LosAngeles_3" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="101" link="Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles" link_text="Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles|Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: No, it is very intelligent. Yes. Just like guru does not accept, although he is worshiped like Kṛṣṇa, he never accepts that "I am Kṛṣṇa." That is our paramparā system. Śiṣya has to accept guru as Kṛṣṇa, but guru will never accept that he is Kṛṣṇa. This is our relationship. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Samasta-śāstraiḥ, all revealed scripture.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch231974Bombay_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="43" link="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay|Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: According to our Vaiṣṇava principles, ādau gurvāśrayam, the first business is to accept a spiritual master. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Then one has to inquire about sad-dharma. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. One should follow the footprints of the previous ācāryas. This is the process, one after another. So first thing is ādau gurvāśrayam, one has to accept a guru. So you may, you should, I mean to say, check whether he's guru or not. That is allowed. It is said for one year the śiṣya and the guru should meet together...</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch231974Bombay_1" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="43" link="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay|Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very simple thing. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). So this is the qualification of celā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to accept a guru. Who? Jijñāsu. What kind of jijñāsu. (Hindi) Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. "What is the best ultimate goal of life?" Such person will require a guru. Those who are interested with these material affairs, they do not require a guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch231974Bombay_2" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="43" link="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay|Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Dr. Patel: So you told me the same thing. Very good. I must be proud that I am going to be lion(?). That is what you mean to say.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no. This is the guru's... Guru's business is, when he talks much, he says, "All right, it is all right," but when he accepts guru slaps.</p>
<p>Dr. Patel: Choke him up. (laughs)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. How mildly He says: Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś... ([[Vanisource:BG 2.11 (1972)|BG 2.11]]). "You do not know what is what..."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkApril121974Bombay_3" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="61" link="Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay" link_text="Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay|Morning Walk -- April 12, 1974, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Just like we perform in the morning, in the evening, at noon, arcā-vigraha. Viṣṇu, arcayam, Viṣṇu. It is not idol worship. Arcayaṁ viṣṇu-śilā-dhiḥ. If one thinks the arcā-mūrti, the worshipable Deity in the temple, as stone or as wood, arcayaṁ viṣṇu-śilā-dhiḥ guruṣu nara-matiḥ... To accept guru, in the paramparā system... All the gurus in the paramparā system... Evaṁ paramparā prāptam ([[Vanisource:BG 4.2 (1972)|BG 4.2]]).</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkApril201974Hyderabad_4" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="69" link="Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad" link_text="Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad|Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.151|CC Madhya 19.151]]). Therefore in our temple, along with Deities, guru is also worshiped. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ, if one accepts guru—"Guru is guru, guru is guru"—as ordinary human being, then that is offense, nārakī buddhi.</p>
<p>Mahāṁsa: That kind of worship is eternal.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Janme janme pita sei. Cakhu-dan kilo jei, janme janme pita sei.</p>
<p>Pañcadraviḍa: Where is that śloka you were quoting last night from that ending gokala.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationwithIndianGuestsMarch131975Tehran_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="28" link="Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran" link_text="Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran|Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is accepted the guru by everyone. By our ācāryas, recent ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya... I am not speaking of the loafer class, but those who are recognized ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya... They accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guru and follow His instruction and try to convince others. "Others" means even your family members. That is success of life. Saṁsiddhiḥ hari-toṣaṇam. Why should you lead your life blindly? This human life is meant for enlightenment, supreme enlightenment, and this is supreme enlightenment, to understand the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and preach it as far as you can. If not, you can preach amongst your family members.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkOctober171975Johannesburg_1" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="218" link="Morning Walk -- October 17, 1975, Johannesburg" link_text="Morning Walk -- October 17, 1975, Johannesburg">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- October 17, 1975, Johannesburg|Morning Walk -- October 17, 1975, Johannesburg]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. He must agree, "Yes." Therefore guru is required. Guru means, accept guru means, "Whatever you say, I will accept." That is guru. Otherwise friendly talk. Friendly talk will not do. To accept guru means "Now I accept you, guru, my instructor, without any argument," and that is acceptance. "Whatever you say, I shall do." That is agreement. Then he can be reformed. Śiṣyas te 'ha śādhi mā prapannam: "I surrender unto you. I become your disciple. Now you train me." Then he can be reformed. Otherwise not possible. (break)</p>
<p>Devotee: When we were at school we accept a teacher and he teaches us mathematics or something like this, but when it comes to spiritual life and we accept a guru, people criticize by saying, "Oh, you're not thinking for yourself anymore."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, you have surrendered. You say, "Yes, we have surrendered. That is the way." Tad viddhi praṇipātena ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). The first term is "surrender," praṇipāta. Otherwise it is not possible. If one does not surrender, there is no question of reformation. He must voluntarily surrender: "Yes. Whatever you say, I shall do." Then things can be advanced. Otherwise not possible.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkDecember101975Vrndavana_2" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="257" link="Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana" link_text="Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana|Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Indian man: No, she want... She paid us eleven hundred rupees in Kanpur and, I don't know... The devotees, they promised her she can come and she can stay in our temple but they never told her the four regulative principles and to accept the guru.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no.</p>
<p>Akṣayānanda: No, that is not true.</p>
<p>Indian man: So she wants the money back.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So give. Give her back.</p>
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<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="AnswerstoaQuestionnairefromBhavansJournalJune281976Vrndavana_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="169" link="Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana" link_text="Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana|Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Arjuna is rectifying this because people may say, "Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, he is accepting Him as guru." No, Arjuna says, "Not only I, but other authorities, they also accept." So it is..., everything is clear, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He should be accepted as guru or His representative should be accepted guru. Then it will be... So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guru. You take instruction from Him and be benefited. But one who is carrying this message, he is also authorized.</p>
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<div id="InterviewwithMikeDarbyJune301976WheelingWVirginia_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="174" link="Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia" link_text="Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia|Interview with Mike Darby -- June 30, 1976, Wheeling, W. Virginia]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So it is the duty of the Christians. But they are also... What can I say? They are passing resolution according to the time, changing the instruction of Bible. How they can be fixed-up? Our standard is Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We accept guru as representative of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he speaks what Kṛṣṇa has spoken, then he is guru. Similar in Christianity, if they actually take care that whether one is speaking according to the Ten Commandments, if he is living according to the rules and regulations of the Ten Commandments, then he is guru.</p>
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<div id="EveningDarsanaJuly61976WashingtonDC_2" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="187" link="Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C." link_text="Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.|Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Where is the difficulty? You accept Arjuna as your guru, and whatever he says, you accept it. The difficulty is that we do not accept guru. That is the difficulty. Otherwise where is difficulty? Five thousand years, Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna, but what Arjuna understood, that is there. So you accept it. What we are doing? We are accepting. That's all. Kṛṣṇa said mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat ([[Vanisource:BG 7.7 (1972)|BG 7.7]]), "There is no more superior truth beyond Me."</p>
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<div id="GardenConversationSeptember71976Vrndavana_3" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="300" link="Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana" link_text="Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana|Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: What is that? Acakṣuḥ? Andhasya. Abudho guru. So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). They are gurus. They are blind, and they are guru for blind men. Abudho guru. These have been described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we are to accept guru, so the original guru is Kṛṣṇa because He instructed Lord Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye ([[Vanisource:SB 1.1.1|SB 1.1.1]]). He instructed the ādi-kavi. He is the guru, Kṛṣṇa. And in the Bhagavad-gītā He also says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam ([[Vanisource:BG 4.1 (1972)|BG 4.1]]). So He is ādi-guru.</p>
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<div id="RoomConversationDecember201976Bombay_4" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="348" link="Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay" link_text="Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay|Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Arjuna accepted, when he was puzzled whether to fight or not to fight, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. Śiṣyas te 'ham. "Now I don't want to talk or argue with You," because as soon as you become a śiṣya you have to accept the statement of the guru. That is the relationship between guru and śiṣya. You cannot talk with guru from the same level. Whatever guru says you have to accept. Otherwise don't accept guru. Don't make a fashion of taking guru just like you keep a dog. Guru, first of all you have to select. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). You have to select such a person where you can fully surrender. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by Arjuna like that. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam ([[Vanisource:BG 2.7 (1972)|BG 2.7]]). First of all. "I have surrendered to you." This is the first instance (instruction?). That means whatever He says, and at last He says, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi ([[Vanisource:BG 10.14 (1972)|BG 10.14]]).</p>
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<div id="1977_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="10" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1977 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1977 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationWithArtistsandAboutBTGFebruary251977Mayapura_0" class="quote" parent="1977_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="105" link="Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura" link_text="Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura|Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Offenseless, he must be properly initiated. It does not mean that he should not be initiated and chant. That is not the idea. You can... Must be initiated, either you are a gṛhastha or sannyāsī or brahmacārī. Not that without being initiated you'll whimsically chant and the effect will be the same. No. You must be initiated. Ādau gurvāśrayam. You must accept a guru.</p>
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