A Living Sadhu

[Guest guest]

A Conversation with

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

 

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada always emphasized that he was eternally present in

his books, instructions, tapes, and letters. So when you say we should take

association of a sadhu can we do that through Srila Prabhupada's books?

 

Gour Govinda Swami: If Prabhupada says he is there, then you try to see him,

associate with him, and listen from him. Do you see Prabhupada? Do you hear

from Prabhupada? Is he speaking to you?

 

Devotee: Through his books.

 

Gour Govinda Swami: Through his books, yes. All sadhus speak through their

books. Jiva Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Bhaktivinode Thakur,

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada all say that they speak

through books. This is not a new thing. This is our vaisnava procedure. But

you should see him. Can you see Bhaktivinode Thakur? Can you see Jiva

Goswami? You may say, "Oh I have read their books; I have their

association." That won't help you. You cannot understand what they have said

merely by reading their books. Your consciousness is very low, so you cannot

understand their words. They are very, very merciful, but you should follow

the proper path. If you are intelligent you will understand how they are

still here, not only in the form of their books but also they are here. You

should see them. Why are you thinking so foolishly? So many books were

already there, so why has Srila Prabhupada said this? You are thinking, "We

need only to read books. There is no need of associating with a sadhu who is

physically present. Is there any sadhu? No, there is no sadhu at all." Your

motto is, "Seeing is believing." You cannot see, so you cannot believe.

Because you are a conditioned soul your vision is defective. You cannot see

a sadhu. Krishna is there, can you see Him? No, you cannot, because you are

not endowed with proper vision. First develop the proper vision and then you

can see Krishna. Then you can see how a sadhu is there. It is not a fact

that sadhus are not present. How is everything going on? How does the sun

rise, the wind blow, and Indra give rain? All these things are going on. No

sadhu? No Krishna? It's nonsense, foolishness. We are so proud and puffed

up. We are identifying our self as the body, mind and false ego. We think we

are very great. So we say, "Oh, there is no sadhu." We are in the category

of identification with the body and mind. We have not come to the beginning

of the stage of purity. No!

 

Devotee: So we have to associate with a living sadhu?

 

Gour Govinda Swami: Definitely. There is always one there. But he is not a

cheap person. Such a person is very rare. If you can get his mercy then you

can see him. Otherwise, by your own effort and perception, you cannot see

him. No, no, no.

 

You always think that you are drasta, the seer, and that the sadhu is drsta,

the one to be seen. Everyone is like this. They think they are the seers.

But it is just the reverse. You are to be seen and they are the seer! Think

this over very deeply. I think you cannot completely understand what I say.

We always think that we are the seer and that they are to be seen, but this

is not a fact. It is just the reverse. They are the seers and we are to be

seen.

 

Devotee: How are we seen by the sadhu? By our service?

 

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. The sadhu is the seer. If he showers his mercy upon

you, he sees you. If you receive that merciful glance then you are very

fortunate. However, you are in the category of bodily consciousness. How can

you have it? Guru is the manifestation of the Supersoul, caitya-guru in the

heart. He manifests a body and appears. He knows your heart.

 

Devotee: I don't quite understand.

 

Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, try to understand. As I told you, just hear

patiently. A new bhakta cannot understand it because it is a topic of the

highest class. You are in pre-primary class, how can you understand? You are

not even in the primary class. How can you understand this topic of the

highest class? Just accept the bona fide authorities. That will help you.

The teacher says, "Two plus two is four." The primary school student accepts

it. If the teacher asks the child, "What is two plus two?" The child will

reply, "Two plus two is four.Why is two plus two four?My teacher

says." He will answer like this. That means he has accepted authority. This

is the only principle in the beginning. How is two plus two four? Why not

three or five? That will be explained in a higher mathematics class, not in

the beginning. You have to have patience and get a promotion. My

guru-maharaja says in his purport that the beginning is purity of

consciousness. First come to this beginning stage, then gradually other

things will come up. You are not in the beginning stage so how will the

higher topics come up? This is a very, very subtle and very deep philosophy.

 

Putting full faith in the sadhu you need only submissively hear - sravanam,

sravanam, sravanam. In that way you can get the mercy of that sadhu. That

will help you. Only one thing is required, nothing else - sravanam,

sravanam, sravanam. Just hear. Serve that sadhu, please him, hear

submissively, surrender yourself at his lotus feet and submissively ask

questions. Out of mercy the sadhu will impart this tattva-jnana to you. This

is the only process.

 

Unless you get association with a living sadhu, what can you do? Will you

put some question to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada will answer you?

This process is a living thing, it is always there, and it is always

current. It is not that inquiry was done a certain way in the past and now

things are done differently. No! It is an eternal process, pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya.

 

- Chapter six from The Process of Inquiry. Gopal Jiu Publications.

Bhubaneswar. 1998.