View source for Real spiritual knowledge

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[[Category:Real Knowledge|2]]
[[Category:Spiritual|2]]
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<div class="section" id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="SB_Cantos_10.14_to_12_(Translations_Only)" text="SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)"><h3>SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="SB" link="SB 11.28.18" link_text="SB 11.28.18, Translation">
<div class="heading">Real spiritual knowledge is based on the discrimination of spirit from matter, and it is cultivated by scriptural evidence, austerity, direct perception, reception of the Purāṇas' historical narrations, and logical inference.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:SB 11.28.18|SB 11.28.18, Translation]]: Real spiritual knowledge is based on the discrimination of spirit from matter, and it is cultivated by scriptural evidence, austerity, direct perception, reception of the Purāṇas' historical narrations, and logical inference. The Absolute Truth, which alone was present before the creation of the universe and which alone will remain after its destruction, is also the time factor and the ultimate cause. Even in the middle stage of this creation's existence, the Absolute Truth alone is the actual reality.'''</div>
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<div class="section" id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta"><h2>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="CC_Madhya-lila" text="CC Madhya-lila"><h3>CC Madhya-lila</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="CC" link="CC Madhya 25.118" link_text="CC Madhya 25.118, Translation and Purport">
<div class="heading">Real spiritual knowledge has to be received from revealed scriptures.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:CC Madhya 25.118|CC Madhya 25.118, Translation and Purport]]: “‘When one is transcendentally situated, he can perceive Me. This perception is the basis of one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord. Now let Me further explain this subject matter.'''

Real spiritual knowledge has to be received from revealed scriptures. After this knowledge is attained, one can begin to perceive his actual spiritual life. Any knowledge achieved by speculation is imperfect. One must receive knowledge from the paramparā system and from the guru; otherwise one will be bewildered and will ultimately become an impersonalist. One who very scrutinizingly deliberates on genuine spiritual knowledge can realize the personal feature of the Absolute Truth. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always transcendental to this material creation. Nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: “Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always transcendental.” He is not a creation of this material world. Without realizing spiritual knowledge, one cannot understand that the transcendental form of the Lord is always beyond the creative energy. The example of the sun and the sunshine is given. The sunshine is not the sun, but still the sunshine is not separate from the sun. The philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva (simultaneously one and different) cannot be understood by one who is fully under the influence of the external energy. Consequently a person under the influence of the material energy cannot understand the nature and form of the Personality of the Absolute Truth.</div>
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<div class="section" id="Lectures" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" 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">
<div class="heading">You have to inquire or make questions with service, not by challenging way. Then you will be able to understand real spiritual knowledge.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970|Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970]]:''' Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1], that "First of all I said this principle of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, or Bhagavad-gītā yoga, to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham: "I spoke." Proktavān. Vivasvān manave prahuḥ: "And the sun-god said to his son, Manu." Manur ikṣvākave bravīt. Just see. That means the principles of Bhagavad-gītā is being accepted by the process of hearing from authority. That is the process. You cannot comment in your own way. That is not authorized. You have to hear from the authority. Therefore Kathopanisad says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "If anyone wants to learn the transcendental science, he has to accept." Gacchet. This is vidhiliṅ, "must." There is no exception. You cannot say that "Without going to a spiritual master, I shall learn the transcendental science." No, that is not possible. Therefore, in our Vaiṣṇava principles, it is said, ādau gurv-āśrayam. In the very beginning of understanding spiritual knowledge, one has to take shelter of a guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchati: "The next stage is inquiring from the spiritual master about real spiritual life." These are the processes.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One who has actually become serious inquiring about supreme subject, uttamam..." Udgata tamaṁ yasmāt. In the material world, all knowledge is covered with illusion, and material world is known as tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. This is darkness. 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 [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. This is the description of a guru. Similarly, Kathopaniṣad it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta... [SB 11.3.21]. This is Bhāgavata. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāniḥ śrotriyam [MU 1.2.12]. Śrotriyam. One who has very nicely heard, one who has acquired Vedic knowledge by the hearing process, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham, and the result is that he is fully, firmly fixed up in Brahman. Bhagavad-gītā also says that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Tat. If you want to understand the spiritual knowledge, then you have to learn it by surrender, praṇipāta. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena and sevayā—these three things. You have to surrender. You have to inquire or make questions with service, not by challenging way. Upadekṣyanti tad-jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. Then you will be able to understand real spiritual knowledge.</div>
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<div class="section" id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="" link="Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974" link_text="Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974">
<div class="heading">Unless you come to that position of understanding, that "I am not this body," real spiritual knowledge does not begin.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974|Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974]]:''' 

Prabhupāda: Yes. Give me little water. (more French conversation) I was formally received by the French Cardinal.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Danielou.

Prabhupāda: Daniel. (French)

Guru-gaurāṅga: He says that the discussion you had with the Cardinal was very interesting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you come to that position of understanding, that "I am not this body," real spiritual knowledge does not begin. (French conversation)</div>
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<div class="section" id="Correspondence" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="1971_Correspondence" text="1971 Correspondence"><h3>1971 Correspondence</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Let" link="Letter to Paramananda -- Delhi 18 November, 1971" link_text="Letter to Paramananda -- Delhi 18 November, 1971">
<div class="heading">This project of opening a school for young children may be expanded to include inviting children of respectable families for some tuition fee to come there for an ideal education including the basic requirements of reading and writing, but giving them also real spiritual knowledge of how to live perfectly—what other school of learning can offer such wonderful educational opportunity?</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Letter to Paramananda -- Delhi 18 November, 1971|Letter to Paramananda -- Delhi 18 November, 1971]]:''' Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of November 2, 1971, and I am pleased that you have returned to New Vrindaban to develop it nicely. I wanted from the beginning that schoolhouse for teaching our children Krishna Consciousness. Now it seems that Krishna has fulfilled our desire and that Mr. Coffield may now sell it to us. Purchase it immediately and we shall construct there a model school for molding children in the perfect way of life. I know that you are the fit person for carrying out his plan, so I am entrusting you to see that everything is done very nicely and up to standard. This project of opening a school for young children may be expanded to include inviting children of respectable families for some tuition fee to come there for an ideal education including the basic requirements of reading and writing, but giving them also real spiritual knowledge of how to live perfectly—what other school of learning can offer such wonderful educational opportunity? There has also been suggestion of a kind of summer camp for children from crowded cities. What do you think?</div>
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