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[[Category:Selecting a Spiritual Master|1]]
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<div class="section" id="Lectures" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2></div>

<div class="sub_section" id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968">
<div class="heading">Acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968]]:''' Here is a technique. The same Kṛṣṇa and same Arjuna, they are talking as friends. Then what was the necessity of Arjuna accepting Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master? The same Arjuna and same Kṛṣṇa, they'll talk, but what is the necessity of accepting as spiritual master? That means after accepting spiritual master he'll not argue. He'll simply accept whatever He says. That is the technique. Friendly talks, equal level, He, Kṛṣṇa was talking something and he was replying. So that argument has no end. But when he accepts Him as spiritual master, there is no more argument. One has to accept whatever He says. Therefore he's accepting as spiritual master. After this, Arjuna will never say, "This is wrong, this is, no," or "I don't agree." No. He'll accept. So acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender. That is the technique. Veda-vākya.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966">
<div class="heading">One cannot deny the order of a spiritual master. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you'll not commit a mistake.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966|Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966]]:''' Arjuna knows that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the perfect person. So therefore he is accepting Him as śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "I am just surrendering unto You, You self, Yourself, and You accept me as Your disciple because friendly talks cannot make a solution of the perplexity." Friendly talks may be going on for years together, but there is no solution. Here, accepting Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master means whatever Kṛṣṇa will decide, he has to accept. One cannot deny the order of a spiritual master. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you'll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" 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">
<div class="heading">Unless a spiritual master is actually authorized, actually so great that he can teach me as a fool. One should select a spiritual master in that way and as soon as the spiritual master is selected, one should remain always a fool, although he may not be a fool, but the better position is like that. So Arjuna, instead of remaining on the same level as friend and friend, voluntarily accepting to remain a fool before Kṛṣṇa.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968]]:''' A son is never dissatisfied when father chastises. That is the etiquette everywhere. Even the father is sometimes violent, the child or the son tolerates. A typical example is Prahlāda Mahārāja. Innocent child, Kṛṣṇa consciousness child, but father torturing. He never says anything. "All right." Similarly Kṛṣṇa, just after taking the position of the spiritual master, is designating Arjuna as a grand fool. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool [Cc. Adi 7.71]." Was Caitanya Mahāprabhu a fool? And can it be possible that any one can become the spiritual master of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Both things are impossible. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even not accepting Him as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, if simply you accept Him as ordinary scholar or man, there was no comparison of His scholarship. But He said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool." What is that meaning? That "A person, even in My position, always remains a fool before his spiritual master. That is good for him." Nobody should impose that "What do you know? I know better than you." This position is not, denied. And other point is, from the disciple's point of view, why he should remain always a fool before a person? Unless he's actually authorized, actually so great that he can teach me as a fool. One should select a spiritual master in that way and as soon as the spiritual master is selected, one should remain always a fool, although he may not be a fool, but the better position is like that. So Arjuna, instead of remaining on the same level as friend and friend, voluntarily accepting to remain a fool before Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is accepting that "You are a fool. You're talking just like a learned man, but you are a fool because you are lamenting on a matter which no learned man laments." That means "A fool laments," that "You are a fool. Therefore you are a fool." It is in a round about way... Just like, what is called in logic? Parenthesis? Or something like that, called. Yes. That if I say that "You look like that person who stole my watch," that means "You look like a thief." Similarly, (chuckles) Kṛṣṇa, in a round about way, says that "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like learned man, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which no learned man laments."</div>
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<span class="q_heading">'''You have to select a spiritual master... My Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, used to say that you have to select a spiritual master not by seeing but by your ear, but by hearing. And you don't select a spiritual master who has got a very good hair or beard or some very beautiful feature, "Oh, he is a very good, nice looking." No. You must hear. Tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. Śruti.'''</span>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966">
<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966|Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966]]:''' Praṇipāta means full surrender. Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa, fully, and nipāta means completely becoming a blank slate. Blank slate. Nobody should approach a bona fide spiritual master just to argue with him and just to, with a desire that "I shall see what kind of spiritual master." No. This is useless. You have to select a spiritual master...

My Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, used to say that you have to select a spiritual master not by seeing but by your ear, but by hearing. And you don't select a spiritual master who has got a very good hair or beard or some very beautiful feature, "Oh, he is a very good, nice looking." No. You must hear. Tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. Śruti. The whole process is śruti. The Vedas are called śruti. The ear has to aural reception.

So here also the same thing recommended by Lord Kṛṣṇa, that praṇipāta. First of all, you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master, and then you should surrender unto him. This is the first process. Praṇipātena paripraśnena. Paripraśnena means by sincere inquiries. Not only surrender, you must be intelligent enough to inquire. Not that when something is heard, and there is no question. No. There must be some question. Paripraśnena and sevayā. So surrender, inquiry, and sevā, service.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969">
<div class="heading">The spiritual master... You must select a spiritual master where you can bow down your head, "Yes," submissive.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969|Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969]]:''' Therefore just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. One who is fortunate to have a bona fide spiritual master, he is supposed to... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has taken shelter of a real ācārya, spiritual master, from the disciplic succession, he knows." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Veda means "He is in the knowledge." One who has accepted a bona fide spiritual master, he is in the knowledge. Others are fools. This is the Vedic version everywhere. Here also, Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that "You try to learn the truth by approaching spiritual master."

And how to learn from the spiritual master? "Inquire from him submissively." You don't approach a spiritual master whom you can challenge. Then your selection of spiritual master is wrong. If you keep one spiritual master as showbottle, then your selection is not right. It is wrong. The spiritual master... You must select a spiritual master where you can bow down your head, "Yes," submissive. Therefore you have to see.

Suppose you are going here. You are coming here to learn something. When you are convinced that "Swamiji knows the thing," when you are convinced, then you accept. Then you ask for initiation. Otherwise don't do it hesitatingly or knowing half. Therefore in the system it is enjoined that the spiritual master also observe the disciple at least for one year, and the disciple also studies the spiritual master at least for one year. So when both of them are convinced that "He can be my spiritual master" or "He can be my disciple," then the relationship is established. We initiate our students. The preliminary initiation is offering chanting. Then we observe at least for one year, how he is chanting, how he is doing. Then the second initiation confirms. That is the system.

So inquire from him submissively. Where you cannot submit, if you think that "Oh, what is this spiritual master? I can challenge him," then there is no question of accepting as your spiritual master. You have to submit yourself, fully surrender yourself. You have to bow your head: "Yes. Here is my spiritual..." Just like Kṛṣṇa, er, Arjuna said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Arjuna in the beginning was speaking with Kṛṣṇa on friendly level, but at last, he submitted that "I am Your disciple. Please teach me." This is the process, submissively. "Inquire from him submissively."

And what is that submission? "Render service unto him." Try to please him by satisfying him, by service. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, you singing. If he is pleased, then you know Kṛṣṇa is pleased. And if he is displeased, then there is no other way. This is the process, submissive. "The self-realized soul can impart knowledge." And because you have to select spiritual master, a self-realized soul... Just like if you want to study particular subject matter, you have to approach a realized person, a perfect person. Then you get. "The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." One who has not seen the truth, he cannot.</div>
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<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 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970">
<div class="heading">Mahārāja Parīkṣit has accepted Śukadeva Gosvāmī as his spiritual master. Therefore he says, mahā-bhāga, "the most fortunate man." You have to select a spiritual master, the most fortunate man. And who is most fortunate man? One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, he is most fortunate man.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970|Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970]]:''' So here Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was very godly person. He was so great devotee that there is no comparison. He is... So he is asking, after hearing the hellish punishment of the criminals, he is asking,

:adhuneha mahā-bhāga
:yathaiva narakān naraḥ
:nānogra-yātanān neyāt
:tan me vyākhyātum arhasi

He is addressing Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He has accepted Śukadeva Gosvāmī as his spiritual master. Therefore he says, mahā-bhāga, "the most fortunate man." You have to select a spiritual master, the most fortunate man. And who is most fortunate man? One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, he is most fortunate man. Not that one who has got dozens of motorcars, he is most fortunate man. You do not know where he is going after this body. You see? He may be enjoying very nicely in this life, but he is not preparing for the next life. This life is preparation for the next life. The modern civilization does not know that every living entity is eternal; he is changing simply different phases of life. So if one is ignorant how he is changing his different phases of life, what is his next life, what he was in the past life... How one can know? One can know, śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. One can know from the scriptures, from the authorized books, as you know so many things. How you know that the moon planet or sun planet or this planet or that planet have got so many things, this or that? It is from the books. You have never gone to the moon planet, but you learn it from the books, authorized books. Simply you have to consult authorized books, you get learned yourself.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)">
<div class="heading">The practice is, the first thing is, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrū... means that you have to first of all select a spiritual master.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)|Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)]]:''' This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to change your position only. That's all. This is Bhāgavatam. This is, if you practice acting only for Kṛṣṇa, then that seed of your material existence will be wiped out completely. So that is bīja-nirharaṇam, wiping out the seed altogether.

:guru-śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā
:sarva-labdhārpaṇena ca
:saṅgena sādhu-bhaktānām
:īśvarārādhanena ca

Now he's describing what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to practice it. The practice is, the first thing is, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrū... means that you have to first of all select a spiritual master. Without a teacher, without guidance, nobody can make any process. Even if you have passed M.A., and if you want to put some theses and if you want to get yourself doctorate degree, then it is the system that the theses should be guided by three expert Ph.D.'s. This is the system. So similarly, if you want to be purely Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then you must select a person who can give you instruction, who can guide you in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Bhagavad-gītā also teaches us the same thing: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to understand that transcendental science, then you have to understand from an expert, upadekṣyanti tad jñānam. The expert who is in, expert in that knowledge, he will instruct you, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually realized, he will teach you. Therefore you have to go to such a person. And in the Kathopanisad, Vedas, it is also stated, the same thing: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to learn that science, the transcendental science, then you have to approach a bona fide spiritual master. Who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also mentioned. Samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. That spiritual master, there are two signs. What is that? Śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means he's coming in disciplic succession by hearing process. This is very important. One has to hear from the superior, not to manufacture. One must hear. Because the subject matter is transcendental, beyond our senses.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)">
<div class="heading">If you think, "Oh, this, this swamijī or the spiritual master is less intelligent than me or less educated than me or less in so many ways," then you cannot select a spiritual master. You have to select another person where you will find that "Here is a mind, here is man where I can surrender. Yes, he is greater than me in so many respects. Therefore I can surrender." This is called praṇipāt.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)|Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture)]]:''' If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you have to adopt three processes in the beginning. You have to select one, a bona fide spiritual master. Then you have to surrender. The same surrender process. You have to select such a spiritual master that you can surrender there. If you think, "Oh, this, this swamijī or the spiritual master is less intelligent than me or less educated than me or less in so many ways," then you cannot select a spiritual master. You have to select another person where you will find that "Here is a mind, here is man where I can surrender. Yes, he is greater than me in so many respects. Therefore I can surrender." This is called praṇipāt. So selection of spiritual master means first of all you must agree that "Here is a personality where I can bow down my head, yes." Everyone is proud. Why shall he bow down before a person unless he understands that "Here is a personality who is greater than me"? So this is the first condition, praṇipāt. Praṇipāt means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāt. You have to become blank slate: "Now, sir, whatever I have learned, oh, I forget. It is now blank slate. Now you write whatever you like." This is the first condition. Praṇipātena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. So because the service is wanting, so one has to serve the spiritual master. It is indicated that even if you are the greatest personality, you have to approach and serve the spiritual master just like ordinary menial servant. Menial servant. If the spiritual master says, "My dear boy, you just cleanse my shoes," or any, I mean to say, abominable, oh, he'll be ready. This is called sevayā. And praṇipātena, sevayā. Praṇipātena..., paripraśnena and sevayā. Paripraśna means when you cannot understand, you must place, "Sir, I cannot understand this portion." This is the process.</div>
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<div class="sub_section" id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972">
<div class="heading">First of all, you have to select a spiritual master where you can completely surrender.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972|The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972]]:''' You cannot argue with the spiritual master. First of all, you have to select a spiritual master where you can completely surrender. And as soon... Just like Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. When he saw that "The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person," therefore he selected. He told Him that "I can understand, without Your Lordship, nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi mām [Bg. 2.7]. Therefore original spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Kṛṣṇa first instructed Brahma, Ādi-kavi. From Brahma, we have got these Vedas, Vedic knowledge. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Aham evāsam agre. Before creation, Kṛṣṇa was there. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all the devas. Devas means Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then all other demigods. So, in this way, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Just like He's the spiritual master of Arjuna. So study of Bhagavad-gītā means if you follow the footprints of Arjuna, then you are also as good as Arjuna. Not as good; I mean to say, that your knowledge is perfect. Perfect in this sense: that Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as Paraṁ Brahma; you accept Kṛṣṇa as Paraṁ Brahma; then your study of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect.</div>
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<div class="sub_section" id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3></div>

<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966">
<div class="heading">We have to first of all select spiritual master. The selection is required. Because as soon as you accept one spiritual master, you cannot say that "I don't agree with you." No. That you cannot say.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966]]:''' So Sanātana prabhu is, by his personal behavior, he's presenting himself that "People say that I am very learned, but actually I am not learned." This should be the position. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttama. Now, "Because I am not learned, and very kindly You have delivered me from the māyā of illusion, kindly now let me know what is my duty." This is the position. One should present himself to the spiritual master, not that... We have to first of all select spiritual master. The selection is required. Because as soon as you accept one spiritual master, you cannot say that "I don't agree with you." No. That you cannot say. Then it is useless, simply waste of time. First of all you have to select a person who is actually representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī is representative of, I mean to say, Lord Caitanya. Just like Arjuna is representative of Kṛṣṇa, because he's directly receiving instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he's assimilating it; therefore, he is representative. So this is the paramparā system. So we have to select a person who is actually representative of the Supreme. Then we have to surrender, and then we can... Of course, before (indistinct) and do not understand, we must put our questions, then the procedure is nice.</div>
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<div class="quote" book="Lec" link="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966" link_text="Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966">
<div class="heading">It is the duty of the spiritual master to select a disciple, and at the same time it is the duty of the disciple to select a spiritual master.</div>

<div class="text">'''[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966|Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966]]:''' It is the duty of the spiritual master to select a disciple, and at the same time it is the duty of the disciple to select a spiritual master. Now the selection is very nice. Sanātana Gosvāmī is the right person to understand the science of devotional service, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the right person to give lesson to the disciple about this science. So He says, yogya-pātra: "You are just the proper person to understand this science of devotion." Now, krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte: "Now I shall gradually explain to you about this devotional service, and you'll understand."
Now the first question was, of Sanātana Gosvāmī, that is, that should be the first question of everyone: "What I am?" Because if I do not know what I am, there is no question of my duties and my destination, everything. Everything will depend first to know what I am. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna did not know what he was; therefore Kṛṣṇa first of all taught him that "You are not this body. You are not this body." That was the first instruction.</div>
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