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| What is a Guru? |
On hearing the word guru, we tend to envision a caricature like image: a bizarre-looking old fellow with a long,
stringy beard and flowing robes, meditating on distant, esoteric truths. Or we think of a cosmic con man cashing
in on young seekers' spiritual gullibility. But what really is a guru? What does he know that we don't? How does
he enlighten us? In a talk given in England in 1973, Srila Prabhupada provides some enlightening answers:
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my guru, my spiritual master, opened my eyes with the torch of
knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him."
The word ajnana means "ignorance" or "darkness." If all the lights in this room immediately went out, we would
not be able to tell where we or others are sitting. Everything would become confused. Similarly, we are all in
darkness in this material world, which is a world of tamas. Tamas or timira means "darkness." This material world
is dark, and therefore it needs sunlight or moonlight for illumination. However, there is another world, a spiritual
world, that is beyond this darkness. That world is described by Sri Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita [15.6]:
na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
"That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to
this material world."
The guru's business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light. At present everyone is suffering due to
ignorance, just as one contracts a disease out of ignorance. If one does not know hygienic principles, he will not
know what will contaminate him. Therefore due to ignorance there is infection and we suffer from disease. A
criminal may say, "I did not know the law," but he will not be excused if he commits a crime. Ignorance is no
excuse. Similarly, a child, not knowing that fire will burn, will tough the fire. The fire does not think, "This is a child,
and he does not know I will burn." No, there is no excuse. Just as there are state laws, there are also stringent
laws of nature, and these laws will act despite our ignorance of them. If we do something wrong out of
ignorance, we must suffer. This is the law. Whether the law is a state law or a law of nature, we risk suffering if
we break it.
The guru's business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not
suffering. That is not possible. In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering: adyatmika, adhibhautika,
and adhidaivika. These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities, and from
the forces of nature. We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities-from ants or
mosquitoes or flies - or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood.
There may be excessive heat or excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are
three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No
one can say that he is completely free from suffering.
We may then ask why the living entity is suffering. The answer is: out of ignorance. He does not think, "I am
committing mistakes and am leading a sinful life; that is why I am suffering." Therefore the guru's first business is
to rescue his disciple from this ignorance. We send our children to school to save them from suffering. If our
children do not receive an education, we fear that they will suffer in the future. The guru sees that suffering is
due to ignorance, which is compared to darkness. How can one in darkness be saved ? By light. The guru takes
the torchlight of knowledge and presents it before the living entity enveloped in darkness. That knowledge
relieves him from the sufferings of the darkness of ignorance. One may ask whether the guru is absolutely
necessary. The Vedas inform us that he is:
tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
[Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12]
The Vedas enjoin us to seek out a guru; actually, they say to seek out the guru, not just a guru. The guru is one
because he comes in disciplic succession. What Vyasadeva and Krsna taught five thousand years ago is also
being taught now. There is no difference between the two instructions. Although hundreds and thousands of
acaryas have come and gone, the message is one. The real guru cannot be two, for the real guru does not speak
differently from his predecessors. Some spiritual teachers say, "In my opinion you should do this," but this is not a
guru. Such so-called gurus are simply rascals. The genuine guru has only one opinion, and that is the opinion
expressed by Krsna, Vyasadeva, Narada, Arjuna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Gosvamis. Five thousand
years ago Lord Sri Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita, and Vyasadeva recorded it. Srila Vyasadeva did not say, "This
is my opinion." Rather, he wrote, sri-bhagavan uvaca, that is, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead says."
Whatever Vyasadeva wrote was originally spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Vyasadeva did
not give his own opinion.
Consequently, Srila Vyasadeva is a guru. He does not misinterpret the words of Krsna, but transmits them exactly
as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it,
edit it, or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the guru's business. The guru may be this person or that, but
the message is the same; therefore it is said that guru is one. In the disciplic succession we simply find repetition
of the same subject. In the Bhagavad-gita [9.34] Sri Krsna says:
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah
"Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances, and worship Me. Being
completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me."
These very instructions were reiterated by all the acaryas, such as Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. The six Gosvamis also transmitted the same message, and we are simply following in their
footsteps. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Krsna by saying , "In my opinion, the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra represents the human body." Such interpretations are set forth by rascals. In the world
there are many rascal gurus who give their own opinion, but we can challenge any rascal. A rascal guru may say,
"I am God," or, "We are all God." That is all right, but we should find out from the dictionary what the meaning of
God is. Generally, a dictionary will tell us that the word God indicates the Supreme Being. Thus we may ask such a
guru, "Are you the Supreme Being ?" If he cannot understand this, then we should give the meaning of supreme.
Any dictionary will inform us that supreme means "the greatest authority." We may then ask, "Are you the
greatest authority?" Such a rascal guru, even though proclaiming himself to be God, cannot answer such a
question. God is the Supreme Being and the highest authority. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. Yet
there are many guru-gods, many rascals who claim to be the Supreme. Such rascals cannot help us escape the
darkness of material existence. They cannot illumine our darkness with the torchlight of spiritual knowledge.
The bona fide guru will simply present what the supreme guru, God, says in bona fide scripture. A guru cannot
change the message of the disciplic succession.
We must understand that we cannot carry out research to find the Absolute Truth. Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself
said, "My Guru Maharaja, My spiritual master, considered Me a great fool." He who remains a great fool before his
guru is a guru himself. However, if one says, "I am so advanced that I can speak better than my guru," he is
simply a rascal. In the Bhagavad-gita [4.2] Sri Krsna says:
evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings
understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is
appears to be lost."
Taking on a guru is not simply a fashion. One who is serious about understanding spiritual life requires a guru. A
guru is a question of necessity, for one must be very serious to understand spiritual life, God, proper action, and
one's relationship with God. When we are very serious about understanding these subjects, we need a guru. We
shouldn't go to a guru simply because a guru may be fashionable at the moment. Surrender must be there, for
without surrender we cannot learn anything. If we go to a guru simply to challenge him, we will learn nothing. We
must accept the guru just as Arjuna accepted his guru, Sri Krsna Himself:
karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam
"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am
asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please
instruct me." [Bhagavad-gita 2.7]
This is the process for accepting a guru. The guru is Krsna's representative, the former acaryas representative.
Krsna says that all acaryas are His representatives; therefore the guru should be offered the same respect one
would offer to God. As Visvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura says in his prayers to the spiritual master, yasya
prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Krsna."
Thus, if we surrender to the bona fide guru, we surrender to God. God accepts our surrender to the guru.
In the Bhagavad-gita [18.66] Krsna instructs:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not
fear."
Someone may argue, "Where is Krsna " I shall surrender to Him." But no, the process is that we first surrender to
Krsna's representative; then we surrender to Krsna. There it is said, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih: the guru
is as good as God. When we offer respects to the guru we are offering respects to God. Because we are trying to
be God conscious, it is required that we learn how to offer respects to God through God's representative. In all
the sastras the guru is described to be as good as God, but the guru never says, "I am God." The disciple's duty
is to offer respect to the guru just as he offers respect to God, but the guru never thinks, "My disciples are
offering me the same respect they offer to God; therefore I have become God." As soon as he thinks like this, he
becomes a dog instead of God. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti says, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Because
he is the most confidential servitor of God, the guru is offered the same respect that we offer God. God is always
God, guru is always guru. As a matter of etiquette, God is the worshipable God, and guru is the worshiper God
(sevaka-bhagavan). Therefore the guru is addressed as prabhupada. The word prabhu means "lord," and pada
means "position." Thus prabhupada means "he who has taken the position of the Lord." This is the same as
saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih.
Only if we are very serious about understanding the science of God is a guru required. We should not try to keep
a guru as a matter of fashion. One who has accepted a guru speaks intelligently. He never speaks nonsense.
That is the sign of having accepted a bona fide guru. We should certainly offer all respect to the spiritual master,
but we should also remember how to carry out his orders. In the Bhagavad-gita [4.34] Sri Krsna Himself tells us
the method of seeking out and approaching the guru:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service
unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."
The first process is that of surrender. We have to find an exalted person and willingly surrender before him. The
sastras enjoin that before we take a guru we study him carefully to find out whether we can surrender to him.
We should not accept a guru suddenly, out of fanaticism. That is very dangerous. The guru should also study the
person who wants to become a disciple to see if he is fit. That is the way a relationship is established between
the guru and disciple. Everything is provided, but we must take up the process seriously. Then we can be trained
to become a bona fide disciple. First we must find a bona fide guru, establish our relationship with him, and act
accordingly. Then our life will be successful, for the guru can enlighten the sincere disciple who is in darkness.
Everyone is born a rascal and a fool. If we are born learned, why do we need to go to school ? If we do not
cultivate knowledge, we are not better than animals. An animal may say that there is no need of books and that
he has become a guru, but how can anyone obtain knowledge without the study of authoritative books on
science and philosophy ? Rascal gurus try to avoid these things. We must understand that we are all born rascals
and fools and that we have to be enlightened. We have to receive knowledge to make our lives perfect. If we do
not perfect our lives, we are defeated. What is this defeat ? The struggle for existence. We are trying to obtain a
better life, to attain a superior position, and for this we are struggling very hard. But we do not know what a
superior position actually is.
Whatever position we have in this material world must be given up. We may have a good position or a bad
position; in any case, we cannot remain here. We may earn millions of dollars and think, "Now I am in a good
position, " but a little dysentery or cholera will finish our position. If the bank fails, our position is gone. So
actually there is no good position in this material world. It is a farce. those who try to attain a better position in
the material world are ultimately defeated, because there is no better position. The Bhagavad-gita [14.26] says
what the better position is:
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
"One who engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed devotional service at once transcends the modes of
material nature and is elevated to the spiritual platform."
Is there any science that gives us the knowledge by which we may become immortal? Yes, we may become
immortal, but not in the material sense. We cannot receive this knowledge in so-called universities. However,
there is knowledge contained in the Vedic scriptures by which we may become immortal. That immortality is our
better position. No more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease. Thus the guru takes on a very
great responsibility. He must guide his disciple and enable him to become an eligible candidate for the perfect
position - immortality. The guru must be competent to lead his disciple back home, back to Godhead."
The humble disciple never thinks himself the doer of whatever wonderful things he has accomplished in the
service of the Lord. He always gives all credit to his spiritual master for his spiritual success. In transcendental
circles credit is something that never stays in one place. The disciple gives all credit to his spiritual master. But
his spiritual master also does not want the credit. He gives the credit to his spiritual master, who then gives it to
his spiritual master, who then in turn gives it to his spiritual master, etc, etc. In this way the credit finally ends up
being offered to Krishna. But Krishna also does not like to keep the credit. He gives the credit back to His
devotees. In this way the credit never stays in one place. It always keeps dancing from one to another to
another.
TOP
stringy beard and flowing robes, meditating on distant, esoteric truths. Or we think of a cosmic con man cashing
in on young seekers' spiritual gullibility. But what really is a guru? What does he know that we don't? How does
he enlighten us? In a talk given in England in 1973, Srila Prabhupada provides some enlightening answers:
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my guru, my spiritual master, opened my eyes with the torch of
knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him."
The word ajnana means "ignorance" or "darkness." If all the lights in this room immediately went out, we would
not be able to tell where we or others are sitting. Everything would become confused. Similarly, we are all in
darkness in this material world, which is a world of tamas. Tamas or timira means "darkness." This material world
is dark, and therefore it needs sunlight or moonlight for illumination. However, there is another world, a spiritual
world, that is beyond this darkness. That world is described by Sri Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita [15.6]:
na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
"That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to
this material world."
The guru's business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light. At present everyone is suffering due to
ignorance, just as one contracts a disease out of ignorance. If one does not know hygienic principles, he will not
know what will contaminate him. Therefore due to ignorance there is infection and we suffer from disease. A
criminal may say, "I did not know the law," but he will not be excused if he commits a crime. Ignorance is no
excuse. Similarly, a child, not knowing that fire will burn, will tough the fire. The fire does not think, "This is a child,
and he does not know I will burn." No, there is no excuse. Just as there are state laws, there are also stringent
laws of nature, and these laws will act despite our ignorance of them. If we do something wrong out of
ignorance, we must suffer. This is the law. Whether the law is a state law or a law of nature, we risk suffering if
we break it.
The guru's business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not
suffering. That is not possible. In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering: adyatmika, adhibhautika,
and adhidaivika. These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities, and from
the forces of nature. We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities-from ants or
mosquitoes or flies - or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood.
There may be excessive heat or excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are
three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No
one can say that he is completely free from suffering.
We may then ask why the living entity is suffering. The answer is: out of ignorance. He does not think, "I am
committing mistakes and am leading a sinful life; that is why I am suffering." Therefore the guru's first business is
to rescue his disciple from this ignorance. We send our children to school to save them from suffering. If our
children do not receive an education, we fear that they will suffer in the future. The guru sees that suffering is
due to ignorance, which is compared to darkness. How can one in darkness be saved ? By light. The guru takes
the torchlight of knowledge and presents it before the living entity enveloped in darkness. That knowledge
relieves him from the sufferings of the darkness of ignorance. One may ask whether the guru is absolutely
necessary. The Vedas inform us that he is:
tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
[Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12]
The Vedas enjoin us to seek out a guru; actually, they say to seek out the guru, not just a guru. The guru is one
because he comes in disciplic succession. What Vyasadeva and Krsna taught five thousand years ago is also
being taught now. There is no difference between the two instructions. Although hundreds and thousands of
acaryas have come and gone, the message is one. The real guru cannot be two, for the real guru does not speak
differently from his predecessors. Some spiritual teachers say, "In my opinion you should do this," but this is not a
guru. Such so-called gurus are simply rascals. The genuine guru has only one opinion, and that is the opinion
expressed by Krsna, Vyasadeva, Narada, Arjuna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Gosvamis. Five thousand
years ago Lord Sri Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita, and Vyasadeva recorded it. Srila Vyasadeva did not say, "This
is my opinion." Rather, he wrote, sri-bhagavan uvaca, that is, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead says."
Whatever Vyasadeva wrote was originally spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Vyasadeva did
not give his own opinion.
Consequently, Srila Vyasadeva is a guru. He does not misinterpret the words of Krsna, but transmits them exactly
as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it,
edit it, or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the guru's business. The guru may be this person or that, but
the message is the same; therefore it is said that guru is one. In the disciplic succession we simply find repetition
of the same subject. In the Bhagavad-gita [9.34] Sri Krsna says:
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah
"Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances, and worship Me. Being
completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me."
These very instructions were reiterated by all the acaryas, such as Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. The six Gosvamis also transmitted the same message, and we are simply following in their
footsteps. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Krsna by saying , "In my opinion, the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra represents the human body." Such interpretations are set forth by rascals. In the world
there are many rascal gurus who give their own opinion, but we can challenge any rascal. A rascal guru may say,
"I am God," or, "We are all God." That is all right, but we should find out from the dictionary what the meaning of
God is. Generally, a dictionary will tell us that the word God indicates the Supreme Being. Thus we may ask such a
guru, "Are you the Supreme Being ?" If he cannot understand this, then we should give the meaning of supreme.
Any dictionary will inform us that supreme means "the greatest authority." We may then ask, "Are you the
greatest authority?" Such a rascal guru, even though proclaiming himself to be God, cannot answer such a
question. God is the Supreme Being and the highest authority. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. Yet
there are many guru-gods, many rascals who claim to be the Supreme. Such rascals cannot help us escape the
darkness of material existence. They cannot illumine our darkness with the torchlight of spiritual knowledge.
The bona fide guru will simply present what the supreme guru, God, says in bona fide scripture. A guru cannot
change the message of the disciplic succession.
We must understand that we cannot carry out research to find the Absolute Truth. Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself
said, "My Guru Maharaja, My spiritual master, considered Me a great fool." He who remains a great fool before his
guru is a guru himself. However, if one says, "I am so advanced that I can speak better than my guru," he is
simply a rascal. In the Bhagavad-gita [4.2] Sri Krsna says:
evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata
yogo nastah parantapa
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings
understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is
appears to be lost."
Taking on a guru is not simply a fashion. One who is serious about understanding spiritual life requires a guru. A
guru is a question of necessity, for one must be very serious to understand spiritual life, God, proper action, and
one's relationship with God. When we are very serious about understanding these subjects, we need a guru. We
shouldn't go to a guru simply because a guru may be fashionable at the moment. Surrender must be there, for
without surrender we cannot learn anything. If we go to a guru simply to challenge him, we will learn nothing. We
must accept the guru just as Arjuna accepted his guru, Sri Krsna Himself:
karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam
"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am
asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please
instruct me." [Bhagavad-gita 2.7]
This is the process for accepting a guru. The guru is Krsna's representative, the former acaryas representative.
Krsna says that all acaryas are His representatives; therefore the guru should be offered the same respect one
would offer to God. As Visvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura says in his prayers to the spiritual master, yasya
prasadad bhagavat-prasadah: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Krsna."
Thus, if we surrender to the bona fide guru, we surrender to God. God accepts our surrender to the guru.
In the Bhagavad-gita [18.66] Krsna instructs:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not
fear."
Someone may argue, "Where is Krsna " I shall surrender to Him." But no, the process is that we first surrender to
Krsna's representative; then we surrender to Krsna. There it is said, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih: the guru
is as good as God. When we offer respects to the guru we are offering respects to God. Because we are trying to
be God conscious, it is required that we learn how to offer respects to God through God's representative. In all
the sastras the guru is described to be as good as God, but the guru never says, "I am God." The disciple's duty
is to offer respect to the guru just as he offers respect to God, but the guru never thinks, "My disciples are
offering me the same respect they offer to God; therefore I have become God." As soon as he thinks like this, he
becomes a dog instead of God. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti says, kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Because
he is the most confidential servitor of God, the guru is offered the same respect that we offer God. God is always
God, guru is always guru. As a matter of etiquette, God is the worshipable God, and guru is the worshiper God
(sevaka-bhagavan). Therefore the guru is addressed as prabhupada. The word prabhu means "lord," and pada
means "position." Thus prabhupada means "he who has taken the position of the Lord." This is the same as
saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih.
Only if we are very serious about understanding the science of God is a guru required. We should not try to keep
a guru as a matter of fashion. One who has accepted a guru speaks intelligently. He never speaks nonsense.
That is the sign of having accepted a bona fide guru. We should certainly offer all respect to the spiritual master,
but we should also remember how to carry out his orders. In the Bhagavad-gita [4.34] Sri Krsna Himself tells us
the method of seeking out and approaching the guru:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service
unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."
The first process is that of surrender. We have to find an exalted person and willingly surrender before him. The
sastras enjoin that before we take a guru we study him carefully to find out whether we can surrender to him.
We should not accept a guru suddenly, out of fanaticism. That is very dangerous. The guru should also study the
person who wants to become a disciple to see if he is fit. That is the way a relationship is established between
the guru and disciple. Everything is provided, but we must take up the process seriously. Then we can be trained
to become a bona fide disciple. First we must find a bona fide guru, establish our relationship with him, and act
accordingly. Then our life will be successful, for the guru can enlighten the sincere disciple who is in darkness.
Everyone is born a rascal and a fool. If we are born learned, why do we need to go to school ? If we do not
cultivate knowledge, we are not better than animals. An animal may say that there is no need of books and that
he has become a guru, but how can anyone obtain knowledge without the study of authoritative books on
science and philosophy ? Rascal gurus try to avoid these things. We must understand that we are all born rascals
and fools and that we have to be enlightened. We have to receive knowledge to make our lives perfect. If we do
not perfect our lives, we are defeated. What is this defeat ? The struggle for existence. We are trying to obtain a
better life, to attain a superior position, and for this we are struggling very hard. But we do not know what a
superior position actually is.
Whatever position we have in this material world must be given up. We may have a good position or a bad
position; in any case, we cannot remain here. We may earn millions of dollars and think, "Now I am in a good
position, " but a little dysentery or cholera will finish our position. If the bank fails, our position is gone. So
actually there is no good position in this material world. It is a farce. those who try to attain a better position in
the material world are ultimately defeated, because there is no better position. The Bhagavad-gita [14.26] says
what the better position is:
mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
"One who engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed devotional service at once transcends the modes of
material nature and is elevated to the spiritual platform."
Is there any science that gives us the knowledge by which we may become immortal? Yes, we may become
immortal, but not in the material sense. We cannot receive this knowledge in so-called universities. However,
there is knowledge contained in the Vedic scriptures by which we may become immortal. That immortality is our
better position. No more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease. Thus the guru takes on a very
great responsibility. He must guide his disciple and enable him to become an eligible candidate for the perfect
position - immortality. The guru must be competent to lead his disciple back home, back to Godhead."
The humble disciple never thinks himself the doer of whatever wonderful things he has accomplished in the
service of the Lord. He always gives all credit to his spiritual master for his spiritual success. In transcendental
circles credit is something that never stays in one place. The disciple gives all credit to his spiritual master. But
his spiritual master also does not want the credit. He gives the credit to his spiritual master, who then gives it to
his spiritual master, who then in turn gives it to his spiritual master, etc, etc. In this way the credit finally ends up
being offered to Krishna. But Krishna also does not like to keep the credit. He gives the credit back to His
devotees. In this way the credit never stays in one place. It always keeps dancing from one to another to
another.
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