Srila Prabhupada on Reading and Hearing

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The following are a few instructions from Srila Prabhupada regarding the

relative importance of reading his books and hearing them from genuine

saintly persons. --Md

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READING

 

All the devotees connected with the Krishna consciousness movement must read

all the books that have been translated (the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srimad

Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and others); otherwise, after some time they will

simply eat, sleep and fall down from their position. Thus they will miss the

opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life of transcendental pleasure.

- Purport to Cc. madhya 25.278

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The more we become renounced from this material world the more we advance in

Krishna consciousness. But we are only able to make such sacrifices and

perform tapasya if we have got knowledge. So first thing is to become

knowledgeable in Krishna consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life

of austerity will result automatically. So I am requesting all of my

students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this

way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily in the

transcendental subject matter of Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and other

books then very easily you will make your advancement in Krishna

consciousness.

- Letter to Bhargava, 13 June, 1972.

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I am very much stressing at this point that all of my students shall be very

much conversant with the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, and that they

should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and

try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles. ... we have

got ample stock for acquiring knowledge. And if the students get knowledge

more and more they will automatically become convinced and very easily

perform their duties for tapasya or renunciation of the material bondage,

and that will be their successful advancement in Krishna consciousness.

- Letter to Madhudvisa, 16 June, 1972.

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HEARING

 

The Puranas are also parts of the Vedas. And histories like the Mahabharata

or Ramayana are also parts of the Vedas. The acarya or the gosvami must be

well acquainted with all these literatures. To hear and explain them is more

important than reading them. One can assimilate the knowledge of the

revealed scriptures only by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called

sravana, and explaining is called kirtana. The two processes of sravana and

kirtana are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life. Only one

who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source

by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject.

- Purport to Bhag. 1.1.6

 

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....if one wants to learn the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one must take

lessons from a realized soul. One should not proudly think that one can

understand the transcendental loving service of the Lord simply by reading

books. One must become a servant of a vaisnava. As Narottama Das Thakur has

confirmed, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara peyeche keba: one cannot be in a

transcendental position unless one very faithfully serves a pure vaisnava.

One must accept a vaisnava guru (adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions

and answers one should gradually learn what pure devotional service to

Krishna is. That is called the parampara system.

- Purport to Cc. antya 7.53

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Indian lady: How does one contact the spiritual master? Through a book can

you contact the spiritual master?

 

Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.

 

Syamasundar: "Can you associate through a book?" she asked.

 

Prabhupada: Yes, through books, and also personal. Because when you make a

spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in the air you make a

spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you

make a spiritual master, you should be inquisitive.

 

.... if you simply try to understand what is God by reading scriptures, you

cannot achieve. You must approach a guru. Just like a medical book. It can

be available in the market. If you purchase one medical book and study and

you become doctor, that is not possible. You must hear the medical book from

a medical man in the college, medical college. Then you will be qualified.

And if you say, "Sir, I have read all the medical books. Recognize me as a

medical practitioner," no, that will not be.

- Lecture on the Appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, 23 Sept 1969,

London

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Study Srimad-Bhagavatam from a living bhagavata. So if one does not take or

does not surrender unto the living bhagavata, he cannot understand

Srimad-Bhagavatam. Many scholarly, learned scholars, Sanskrit scholars, they

cannot understand Bhagavatam.

- Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam. Los Angeles, June 20, 1972.

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To understand this knowledge one has to approach acarya. Acarya means one

who knows the purpose of Vedic literature, sastra. Asrnoti yah sastram. And

practices and teaches his disciple. He knows. Acarya means knows. One who

knows the purpose of Vedic literature, he practices in his life, and he

teaches his disciple. He is called acarya. So acarya upasanam. Before

worshiping the Lord... Just like here Krishna said in the beginning,

acaryopasanam, and in the middle he says, mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir

avyabhicarini. So before engaging yourself in devotional service to the

Lord, you must first of all worship acarya, acaryopasanam. One cannot become

a devotee personally. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of

accepting guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience.

 

But who is acarya? Acarya means one who has received the Vedic knowledge

through the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh

[bg. 4.2]. He is acarya. Acarya cannot be manufactured, self-made. No. He

must come down from the disciplic succession. He is acarya. You have to

approach such acarya who is coming in disciplic succession. acaryavan puruso

veda. One who is under the shelter of acarya, he knows things. So Krishna

recommends also here that if you actually want to become in knowledge, if

you want to have real knowledge, then you must worship acarya.

Acaryopasanam. This is Vedic system. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet

[MU 1.2.12].

 

It is not that "If I like, I can go to a guru; if I don't like I can learn

the books at home and learn everything." No, that is not possible.

Practically... Just like if you purchase some medical book and study at home

and if you begin to practice, you will be called a quack. You will not be

recognized by the government. You will not get the practitioner's

registration. You will not. Unless you have passed through the medical

college, your medical examination, you will not be accepted, even if you say

that "I have read all the books." Similarly, if you simply think that "I

have read... As we see generally, "Oh, I have read Bhagavad-gita hundred

times." But you ask him what is Krishna, he cannot say. Because he has not

approached the acarya. This is the difficulty. He might have read

Bhagavad-gita a thousand times, but he will not understand a single word

because he has not approached. -- Lecture on Bhagavad-gita. Bombay, October

5, 1973.

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Madhudvisa: One cannot become a medical practitioner by simply reading the

books. He must study under a medical practitioner. So in the case of your

books, is it possible to become a devotee without actually having personal

association with you? Just by reading your books?

 

Prabhupada: No, it is not that you have to associate with the author. But

one who knows, if you cannot understand you have to take lesson from him.

Not necessarily that you have to contact with the author always.

 

Devotee: Just like the textbooks are not written by the teachers; they're

written by other professors.

 

Devotee: Usually you don't even meet the author.

 

Prabhupada: Simply one who knows the subject matter, he can explain.

 

Madhudvisha: But can your, would your purports, would that serve as

explanation besides...

 

Prabhupada: No, no, anyone who knows the subject matter, he will be able to

explain. It is not necessary that the author is required to be present

there. [break] ...to study from a medical man, I never said you have to

study from the author. Or one who understood the author's purpose. Just like

we are explaining Bhagavad-gita as it is. Not that one has to learn directly

from Krishna. One who has understood Krishna, from him. That is the

parampara system.·

- Morning Walk, 21 May 1975, Melbourne