CONTENTS:
- THE MOOD OF A DISCIPLE
- INQUIRIES OF THE SOUL
1. THE MOOD OF A DISCIPLE
"sarvam etac ca bhagavan
pṛcchato me ’nupūrvaśaḥ
tattvato ’rhasy udāhartuṁ
prapannāya mahā-mune"
"O great sage, representative of the Lord, kindly satisfy my inquisitiveness in all that I have inquired from you and all that I may not have inquired from you from the very beginning of my questionings. Since I am a soul surrendered unto you, please impart full knowledge in this connection." [SB 2.8.24]
Purport "The spiritual master is always prepared to impart knowledge to the disciple and specifically when the disciple is very inquisitive. Inquisitiveness on the part of a disciple is greatly necessary for the progressive disciple. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is a typical disciple because he is perfectly inquisitive. If one is not very inquisitive about self-realization, one need not approach a spiritual master simply to make a show of discipleship. Not only is Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquisitive concerning all he has inquired about, but he is also anxious to know about what he has not been able to inquire. Factually it is not possible for a man to inquire about everything from the spiritual master, but the bona fide spiritual master is able to enlighten the disciple in every way for the disciple’s benefit."
2. INQUIRIES OF THE SOUL
Question: We are acting as puppets under the modes of material nature. How are we responsible for the reactions?
HHBCS: Because you have the independence to decide how you are going to act. You are acting under the modes and you are getting the reactions accordingly, but you have the freedom to decide whether you are going to act for your own sake or you are going to act for Krishna’s sake. So, if you act for your sake, then yes, you will be responsible for your actions, because you are acting for your sake, but, if you surrender unto Krishna, then Krishna will take all your karma. Whatever the reactions are for your actions, Krishna will take those reactions and this is how you become free from the reaction of the modes.
Question: As you were explaining that in spiritual goodness it is not like sitting back and just chanting and doing our things. That (spiritual goodness) also includes passion, which means we have to actively do things for Krishna. Then on the other side we also hear that we must not over endeavour. So, Maharaj how do we differentiate, we are doing this is mode of goodness which involves passion to do things for Krishna but yet at the same time ….
HHBCS: Very good, very good question. So, endeavour means in the mode of goodness - try your best, right, but over endeavour is trying to do better than the best, right. Whatever you can do joyfully according to the instructions of your authorities, according to the instructions of your spiritual master, according to the instructions of Krishna, do it that way, try your best, but over endeavour is, when it is beyond your limitation. You see when you are doing for Krishna nothing can be over endeavour but when it is for your own self-aggrandizement, name and fame, glorification etc then it is an over endeavour. When you are doing it for Krishna, then Krishna actually, Krishna makes His devotees function on His behalf and Krishna empowers them. Devotees do things, render devotional service being empowered by Krishna. That’s how we have to recognize those actions. For example, Prabhupada left Vrindavan and came to America - is it an over endeavour? No. Because it was for Krishna, nothing is in excess. Everything is within limitations.
Question: Does the disciple look for the Guru or does the Guru find the disciple?
HHBCS: You see, when we come across a bona fide spiritual master, then it is up to us to surrender to him. So, the onus is actually on the disciple. The Guru is not going to say, “Come and take initiation from me”. He may say, “Take to this path.” He will teach; he will preach, but it is up to the disciple to surrender. When the disciple surrenders then the Guru accepts him, just like when Arjun surrendered to Krishna, then only Krishna started to give him the advice, the spiritual knowledge.
Question: I got initiated by (another spiritual master within ISKCON) and sometimes I ask myself why? If you are too long alone with your mind then the mind might come up (with things) and play with you? Sometimes I just ask, I have all my good friends here and they all have got their spiritual masters and see them very often. So, ask myself why you got diksha? That’s actually very important for me. I see it as a very important thing for my improvement in spiritual life and there are many days, in the last weeks I have been feeling very much in the presence of my spiritual master, it means a lot. I never had this experience. (Perhaps) in the last four years but it was not so intense. I know it has to do something with my own desire and actually at this point in my life I really have this, I never had the strong desire at the moment to make even more improvements - I really want to, I really want to do that. We go with devotees for book distribution (etc), but at this moment I really, I really want to hold it. So sometimes why is this, why I am missing my Gurudeva? So, it’s not really a question it’s just - then I ask myself shiksha is more important although you got diksha from guru but sometimes you are a human person instead of God so what can I do what is my situation?
HHBCS: The first thing that I would say is you should go and spend some time with your Guru Maharaj. That’s not difficult. Find out what his schedule is and then make it a point to spend time around him because it’s a personal relationship. Spiritual life is personal. Guru disciple relationship is personal. That will be my first point.
The second point is that fortunately we have this wonderful spiritual family, ISKCON. So, in this family we are never alone although you may not have the direct association of your spiritual master. Your spiritual master maybe away but in the family, we have, like as you mentioned you have your uncles, you have your brothers, you have your cousins, so that compensates for absence of the father. Although you are not getting the association of your father so much, but so many other members of the family are giving the spiritual association that is the saving grace, another advantage that we have.
The third point as you asked about shiksha. Yes, diksha guru is one but siksha gurus can be many. Wherever we get spiritual inspiration we take that and we remain grateful and that is the meaning of shiksha. There are other senior devotees here who are guiding you or inspiring you, take advantage of them and also you will find that even your brothers, your cousins, you friends are helping you, so that is also a kind of shiksha relationship and ultimately of course Prabhupāda is there. He is the most important shiksha guru of all the devotees in ISKCON.
Prabhupāda is the shiksha guru of not only his disciples but Prabhupada is the shiksha guru of all the devotees of ISKCON for all time because whose shiksha are we ultimately taking?
It is Prabhupāda’s shiksha. We are reinforcing; we are simply giving out what Prabhupāda gave. That’s why classes we conduct are based on Srila Prabhupada’s books.
All that has to be said has to be in line with Prabhupada.
So don’t worry. Spiritually, you are safe, nothing to worry. And this situation is not only your situation. That’s the situation with most of the devotees of ISKCON (the second generation) and come to think of it, sometimes your spiritual master, your diksha guru may not be present on the planet then what will you do? So, although that will be a very big loss, but at the same time the wonderful arrangement Srila Prabhupāda made through the family. When the father dies, what do the other members of the family do? They shower their affection onto his children because they know how much they need their affection. So Prabhupada has given us the perfect family, spiritual family and if we just stay in that family becoming properly situated, our spiritual perfection will be guaranteed. Thank you.
Question: Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj. How do we come out of the fault finding tendency and respect all devotees even in those whom we see faults?
HH BCS: 'Amanina manadena’ - don’t try to judge others rather judge yourself. We have a very wonderful quality - to find faults. We are very expert and the best way to utilize that quality is to try to find faults in ourselves. Why misuse that quality in applying it to others? Why not apply it to yourself and that would be the perfect utilization of that faculty.