View source for Guru Purnima

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[[Category:Guru Purnima|1]]
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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="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonCCMadhyalila20105NewYorkJuly111976_1" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="59" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976">
<div class="heading">So how this power of attorney can be achieved? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You are singing daily day, daily guru. Now, today is guru-pūrṇimā. Especially we should understand what is the power of attorney. Anyone can recite this verse, śrī-guru-caraṇa?
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So Sanātana Gosvāmī is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is authorizing him to become guru. This is paramparā system. Nobody can become guru all of a sudden. Self-made guru, that is not guru. Here Caitanya, er, Sanātana Gosvāmī is presented as the disciple, ideal disciple. He is asking, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, process how to approach guru, how to ask him question. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34 (1972)|BG 4.34]]). Paripraśna means question. That is also required. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is authorizing him. Therefore He says, kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 20.105|CC Madhya 20.105]]). Here Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is authorizing Sanātana Gosvāmī. Unless he has got the power to receive the instruction, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not going to waste His time. He has the power. He is empowered. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. So He is empowering Sanātana Gosvāmī to take this task and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. There is... You'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the verse, kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach the holy name of the Lord. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. So without getting the power of attorney... Just like even one is qualified lawyer, he must get the power of attorney from his client, and then he can speak. That is the law. Similarly, without being endowed with the power of attorney from Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to preach.</p>
<p>So our business is... Because we are preparing ourselves to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must be qualified to get the power of attorney. Sometimes we speak that "I'll preach." What you will preach? First of all get the power of attorney; then preach. Preaching is not so easy that anyone and anyone can preach without... Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. So to get that power of attorney one has to qualify himself, not that the power of attorney is hanging in the tree and you can take it. No. So how this power of attorney can be achieved? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You are singing daily day, daily guru. Now, today is guru-pūrṇimā. Especially we should understand what is the power of attorney. Anyone can recite this verse, śrī-guru-caraṇa?</p>
<p>Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala-bhakti-sadma, vando mui sāvadhāna mate.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So this is the beginning, that if you want to be devotee, then you must approach the spiritual master who has got the power. Śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala-bhakti-sadma, vando mui sāvadhāna mate. Sāvadhāna means very carefully, not whimsically. Then?</p>
<p>Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yāṅhāra prasāde bhai, ei bhava toriyā yāi. Huh? Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā hoite. So why one should go to spiritual master? Because yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi: "My dear brother, if you get the benediction from the spiritual master..." Yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. What is that benediction? The benediction is not that "Cure my disease." They do not know, generally. Therefore they are cheated. The other day in Washington, one lady came with backache. So she came for curing the leg trouble. That is going on. "So you should approach a spiritual master? There is so many doctors, hospital. You go there." "No. Here you show me your miracles." And people are also cheating like that—some miracles and he becomes God. This is going on. But the miracle of spiritual master is yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. This is miracle: no more material existence. Then ei bhava toriyā yāi. So real thing (?) is one can cross over the ocean of nescience. That is real gain. That is the real favor of spiritual master, not that cure your leg and again walk here and again become, break your leg, and again come. Not like that. Ei bhava toriyā yāi. Then?</p>
<p>Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā haite. That is spiritual master, one who can give you Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa se tomāre, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche—Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. "Kṛṣṇa... I am seeking after Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, my spiritual master. So Kṛṣṇa is your property." Kṛṣṇa is not independent. He is the property of the devotee. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche: "I am just following you, sir. Because Kṛṣṇa is your property, if you like, you can deliver: 'Take it immediately.' " So it is not flattering; it is in the śāstras. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātmā-bhaktau. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying all the Vedas. Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means it is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam ([[Vanisource:SB 10.14.29|SB 10.14.29]]). Prasāda-leśa. Prasāda-leśa. One who has got little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva. Yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ.</p>
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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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="MorningWalkJuly111976NewYork_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="206" link="Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York" link_text="Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York">
<div class="heading">Guru-pūjā, that you are doing daily.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York|Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Today is the disappearance day of Sanātana Gosvāmī.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh.</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is also guru-pūrṇimā.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Today?</p>
<p>Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Is there some special celebration or significance?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Guru-pūjā, that you are doing daily.</p>
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<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
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<div id="1969_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Correspondence" text="1969 Correspondence"><h3>1969 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoGaurasundaraLosAngeles2August1969_0" class="quote" parent="1969_Correspondence" book="Let" index="491" link="Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 2 August, 1969" link_text="Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 2 August, 1969">
<div class="heading">This Guru Purnima is generally performed by the Mayavadi sects. The idea of Guru Purnima is to offer gratitude to the Spiritual Master by the disciple once in a year. So far as we are concerned, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, we offer all our gratefulness to the Spiritual Master on His Appearance Day Ceremony, called Vyasa Puja.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 2 August, 1969|Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 2 August, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">I am glad to learn that you have performed the Guru Purnima Ceremony by Kirtana that is all right. But this Guru Purnima is generally performed by the Mayavadi sects. The idea of Guru Purnima is to offer gratitude to the Spiritual Master by the disciple once in a year. That is called Guru Purnima. So far as we are concerned, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, we offer all our gratefulness to the Spiritual Master on His Appearance Day Ceremony, called Vyasa Puja. So kirtana is our daily function; whatever you have done is all right, but actual worship of the Spiritual Master will be done by all of my disciples on the fifth day of September, just one day after Janmastami.</p>
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<div id="LettertoGovindaLosAngeles17August1969_1" class="quote" parent="1969_Correspondence" book="Let" index="521" link="Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 17 August, 1969" link_text="Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 17 August, 1969">
<div class="heading">Regarding Holy Days, I am very glad that you performed Guru Purnima, and you offered puffed up kacoris.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 17 August, 1969|Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 17 August, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Regarding Holy Days, I am very glad that you performed Guru Purnima, and you offered puffed up kacoris. You must have enjoyed Prasadam very nicely, but you forgot the statement bracketed on that list, "special honoring of the Spiritual Master," and that you had to send some contribution to the book fund. Never mind, you can do it again on the 5th September and rectify the mistake. I hope it will not be a very difficult job. Regarding celebrations of other holidays, they will be described as to how they should be celebrated in future memos to all of the temples.</p>
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<div id="1970_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="5" parent="Correspondence" text="1970 Correspondence"><h3>1970 Correspondence</h3>
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<div id="LettertoBalimardanaTokyo25August1970_0" class="quote" parent="1970_Correspondence" book="Let" index="502" link="Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo 25 August, 1970" link_text="Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo 25 August, 1970">
<div class="heading">In the Mayavadi Sampradaya they observe the Guru Purnima day to offer respect to the Spiritual Master. This system of offering respect to the Spiritual Master is current in all sections of Vedic followers, but so far we are the Gaudiya Sampradaya is concerned, we offer on the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master our humble homage annually and this particular auspicious moment is called Vyasa Puja.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo 25 August, 1970|Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo 25 August, 1970]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Nobody can estimate the scholarly importance of Srila Vyasadeva. He composed many millions of Sanskrit verses and we are just trying to receive a fragmental knowledge out of them by our tiny efforts only. Srila Vyasadeva therefore summarized the whole Vedic knowledge in the shape of Srimad-Bhagavatam which is known as the ripened fruit of the desire tree known as Vedic knowledge. The ripened fruit is received hand to hand through disciplic succession and anyone who does this work in disciplic succession from Srila Vyasadeva is considered as representative of Vyasadeva and as such the bona fide Spiritual Master's Appearance Day is worshiped as Vyasa Puja. Not only that, the exalted seat on which the Spiritual Master sits is also called Vyasasana.</p>
<p>In the Mayavadi Sampradaya they observe the Guru Purnima day to offer respect to the Spiritual Master. This system of offering respect to the Spiritual Master is current in all sections of Vedic followers, but so far we are the Gaudiya Sampradaya is concerned, we offer on the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master our humble homage annually and this particular auspicious moment is called Vyasa Puja.</p>
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