Excerpt from Bhagavad Gita As It Is defeating ritvikism

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PAMHO Maharajas, Prabhujis and Matajis

 

AGTGM

AGTSP

Jai Panchatatva

Jai Gaur Nitai

Jai Radha Madhav

 

 

I was reading from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is written by His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and I found a purport which very clearly

uproots the evil of ritvikism in the movement today. I am pasting it below

for your kind reading.

 

TEXT 41

 

vyavasayatmika buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-sakha hy anantas ca

buddhayo 'vyavasayinam

 

SYNONYMS

 

vyavasaya-atmika--resolute Krsna consciousness; buddhih--intelligence;

eka--only one; iha--in this world; kuru-nandana--O beloved child of the

Kurus; bahu-sakhah--various branches; hi--indeed; anantah--unlimited;

ca--also; buddhayah--intelligence; avyavasayinam--of those who are not in

Krsna consciousness.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O

beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is

many-branched.

 

PURPORT

 

A strong faith in Krsna consciousness that one shall be elevated to the

highest perfection of life is called vyavasayatmika intelligence. The

Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.62) states:

 

'sraddha'-sabde----visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya

krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

 

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in

the duties of Krsna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the

material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or

nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one's reactions from

past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krsna consciousness, he need no

longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in

Krsna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are

no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of

Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This

state is automatically achieved by progressive Krsna consciousness. The

resolute purpose of a person in Krsna consciousness is based on knowledge,

Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah, by which one comes to know

perfectly that Vasudeva, or Krsna is the root of all manifested causes. As

water on the root of a tree is automatically distributed to the leaves and

branches, in Krsna consciousness one can render the highest service to

everyone--namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Krsna is

satisfied by one's actions, then everyone will be satisfied.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

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Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able

guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krsna,

who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Krsna

consciousness.

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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""As such, to be well-versed in Krsna

consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Krsna,

and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as

one's mission in life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura instructs us, in

his famous prayers for the spiritual master as follows:

 

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi

dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam

vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

 

"By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no

chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna consciousness. I should,

therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my

respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master."

The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond

the conception of the body--not theoretically but practically, when there is

no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive

activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types

of fruitive acts.

 

 

 

 

So we see that Srila Prabhupad has clearly mentioned that we need the

guidance of a spiritual master who can assess the student and study his

nature and hence guide him.

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Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able

guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of

Krsna,"""""" who knows the nature of the student"""" and who can guide him

to act in Krsna consciousness.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 

Hence those who have the guidance of a spiritual master are extremely

fortunate that we have received direct guidance and instruction from him. I

pray at all your lotus feets that you bless me that I may be able to serve

and devote myself more to Krishna Consciousness and serve the lotus feet of

my glorious spiritual master and receive instructions and blessings from my

diksha guru and from other gurus who are all my worshippable siksha gurus.

 

I remain indebted to all of you for your blessings

 

your servant

 

Mahaprabhu Caitanya das