Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest 101, Questions and Answers

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Digest 101, August 10th, 2004

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

***You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

iskcon_dc with the word "Question" in the subject.

 

Q)

 

"While going through Srimad Bhagavatam, in Canto 11 Chapter 7.19-21 it

is revealed that one can become his own guru and experience Krishna's

full potencies. This is contradicting to what Krishna says in BG 4.2,

which states that one must learn this knowledge from bonafide spiritual

master coming in the line of disciplic succession."

 

"My question is Does Krishna approve both or only the process mentioned

in BG 4.2? If He approves the former, where is the question of bogus

gurus since every one can become his own guru, as per scriptural

injunctions?"

 

A)

 

To address your question, let us first refer to two short statements

made in the purports to these verses.

 

In the purport to #20, we find-

 

"Srila Jiva Gosvami states in this connection, gurv-anusarane pravartaka ity

arthah: the knowledge acquired by one's own perception and intelligence

leads one to appreciate the value of the representative of Lord Krsna. The

word sreyas in this verse indicates that one can advance in life through

one's own intelligence. By good association one should gradually come to

understand one's eternal position as servant of Krsna, and then one becomes

very eager to live in the company of other enlightened persons."

 

In the purport to #21, we find-

 

"A spiritual master becomes bona fide by his full surrender to his spiritual

master; but as explained in this chapter, one may also act as his own guru.

This means that an intelligent and perceptive person can understand the

nature of this world and his own limitations. Such a person then becomes

very much inclined to associate with the pure devotees of the Lord and to

receive the mercy of those who are advanced in Krsna consciousness."

 

The emphasis here is that one stage or one level of intelligence, or

guru-like direction, can come from one's own efforts in the matter of

perception and discrimination (which is a function of intelligence).

What is that guru-like attainment? "This world is limited, and therefore

not providing actual shelter. However, as revealed in scriptures and

confirmed by my experience, there is a power and an intelligence beyond

this machine of the material energy. Let me seek the shelter of one of

his representatives, or a tattva-darshi, who can bring me to His lotus

feet!"

 

This is a vartmapradarsaka-guru function, one of the categories of guru,

viz one who shows one the path of devotion. See Cc Madhya 8.128.

 

Receiving direction to approach Krishna and to know Him in fullness,

as described in BG 4.2 or in 4.34, is the outcome of the process

described in SB 11.7.19-21.

 

One type of guru (as Krishna is describing to Uddhava in this Canto 11

reference) leads one to a 2nd type or category of guru (the category

which Krishna describes to Arjuna in Ch 4 of BG).

 

The vartmapradarsaka guru instructs us that we must take shelter of

the type of guru mentioned in BG 4.2.

 

 

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----- Festivals over the next week ------

Aug 11 2004, Wednesday Ekadasi Parama (Break fast 05:20-09:55) (Fast)

 

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