CONTENTS:
- WHAT IS THE NEED OF ACCEPTING A SPIRITUAL MASTER?
- SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
- SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
1. WHAT IS THE NEED OF ACCEPTING A SPIRITUAL MASTER?
One must be submissive, spiritual life is actually a process of submission and the submission begins from accepting a spiritual master that is the indication of submission that here I am offering myself. Like Arjuna in the beginning of Bhagavad Gita was very exemplary like Krishna was Arjuna’s cousin but Arjuna accepted Krishna as the spiritual master and he accepted Krishna as his spiritual master he simply told Him, “Krishna I am simply accepting You as my spiritual master so please tell me what I should do.
BG 2.7
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Translation
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You
to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.
I am actually a miser although I have wealth, I have not utilized that as yet. Miser is a person who does not use his money. If somebody has some wealth then he must properly utilize it. We have the human body it is the greatest opulence that one can ever have in the material platform and in spite of having this human body I have not endeavored for spiritual life, so that was the mood of Arjuna. I do not have any understanding of dharma, religiosity what is the right action that is why I am asking You Krishna please tell me what I should do. I am becoming Your disciple and I am surrendered to You so You please tell me.
The mood of a disciple
That should be the mood of a disciple when at initiation. Initiation actually means surrender that I am surrendering myself to you now you do whatever you want to do and at that time Krishna actually accepts the living entity.
CC Antya 4.192
dīkṣā-kāle bhakta kare ātma-samarpaṇa
sei-kāle kṛṣṇa tāre kare ātma-sama
Translation
“At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krishna accepts him to be as good as Himself.
At the time of the initiation the disciple surrenders himself to the spiritual master at that time Krishna makes him His own, Krishna accepts him. That is why this process of initiation is very important and when one surrenders oneself at the time of initiation he actually surrenders to the spiritual master, he knows only the spiritual master he doesn’t know anyone else. Conditioned living entities do not have any knowledge of Krishna but at that time although the disciple surrenders himself unto the spiritual master. Now the spiritual master does not hold the disciple as his own property, spiritual master never thinks that now I have got a slave, the person has offered himself to me so now he is my personal property and I will ask him to do whatever I want and he must do it.
The mood of a bona fide spiritual master
That is not the mood of a bona fide spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master feels that, “oh, this person is surrendering himself to my spiritual master and he is actually surrendering to Krishna” The bona fide spiritual master never thinks that the disciples are my property he simply thinks that the disciple is actually Krishna’s property. Another mood of a bona fide spiritual master is that he feels that I am the servant of Krishna, Krishna is my Lord and Master and he sees the other living entities as the children of Krishna and his mood towards his disciples or the other devotees those who are aspiring for spiritual life he assumes that of a caretaker the way the servant feels about his master’s children. Like sometimes the servant takes up the role of a leader or teacher to the children of his master like sometimes the children are naughty and he chastises the children and he takes up that role because that responsibility has been assigned to him by his master. Although he may chastise his master’s children sometimes when they do something wrong but he never thinks that he is their Lord and master. He thinks that they are my master’s children and, in that respect, they are also my master. So that is the mood of a bona fide spiritual master.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
Prabhupada pointed out that diksa guru is one. One must have only one diksa guru but he can have many siksa gurus. Prabhupada pointed out that it is very very important that one accepts a bona fide spiritual master.
The best way to reciprocate is always remember what Prabhupada has done and remain grateful to Srila Prabhupada. The best way to reciprocate is by helping Prabhupada’s mission. Prabhupada himself said that your love for me will be shown by how you co-operate with each other to continue this mission. Try to work together with other devotees to spread Krishna Consciousness or those who are spreading Krishna Consciousness movement try to assist them and help them.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
At the time of the initiation the disciple surrenders himself to the spiritual master at that time Krishna makes him His own, Krishna accepts him. That is why this process of initiation is very important and when one surrenders oneself at the time of initiation he actually surrenders to the spiritual master, he knows only the spiritual master he doesn’t know anyone else.
(The content of this E-magazine was based on a lecture given by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami in Mumbai in August 1986)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)