pure by following

[Guest guest]

We have heard that a Spiritual Master must be a fully pure devotee in order

to "deliver" the disciple. Can you dispell this doubt for me Maharaja?

 

 

Srila Prabhupada explains in the lecture below why the guru doesn't have to

be expert in all respects, but if he follows his Spiritual Master who is a

pure devotee then that is sufficient in order to "deliver" the disciple or

bring him upto the level of a pure devotee. Sincerely following the

previous acaryas signifies that the Spiritual Master is sincere in serving

the Lord and the previous acaryas. If he is sincerely serving the Lord and

training the disciple to serve the Lord, then the disciple is delivered by

Krsna.

 

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Here's a quote from a BG lecture by Prabhupada given in Los Angeles

on Nov. 25, 1968:

 

But if we follow Arjuna and Krsna, then we get the perfect

knowledge. We may not be cent percent perfect, but as far as possible, if we

follow the instruction as it is, that much perfect. In this way one will get

perfection.

So one has to follow. The same example, try to understand, that a

perfect, expert technologist or technician or mechanic is working, and

somebody is working under his instruction. So this somebody, because he is

strictly working under the instruction of the expert, he’s also expert. He

may not be cent percent expert, but his work is expert. Is that clear?

Because he is working under the expert. Do you follow?

So if you follow pure devotee, then you are also pure devotee. It

may not be one is cent percent pure. Because we are trying to raise ourself

from the conditional life. But if we strictly follow the pure devotee, then

we are also pure devotee. So far we do, that is pure. So pure devotee does

not mean one has to become immediately cent percent pure. But if he sticks

to the principle that “We’ll follow a pure devotee,” then his actions are...

He is as good as a pure devotee. It is not I am explaining in my own way. It

is the explanation of Bhagavata. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to

follow the footprints of pure devotees."

 

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So by following Srila Prabhupada one will also be pure. By following someone

who is purely following Srila Prabhupada then one will also be pure, and so

on... That is the parampara system.

 

I hope that this finds you in good health.

 

Your well wisher,

 

Jayapataka Swami