You cannot understand what they have said merely by reading their books

May 27, 2003

A Living Sadhu

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 seers. 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

May 28, 2003

It is also true that people change their opinion. Maybe they write something and ten years later they think something else.

Satyameva jayate

May 28, 2003

SRILA NARAYANA MAHARAJA:

What is the meaning and purport of the sloka I spoke about in this morning's class?

bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad

isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih

tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam

bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma

Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body

because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord.

When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord,

he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord.

This bewildering, fearful condition is manifested by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord,

under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master,

whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul. (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37).]

PUNDARIKA DASA:

Srila Gurudeva has ordered me to speak on the verse he discussed this morning.

The cause of the living entities material conditioning, and its resultant fear,

has been pointed out in this verse. That cause is forgetfulness of Krsna arising from aversion to Him. That fear creates a second natur" or dvitiyabhinivesa.

Abhinivesa means material absorption, or absorption in something that is not really there. Gurudeva was explaining this morning about maya – accepting something that is actually different from what it appears to be. Our actual nature is simply to serve Sri Krsna, who is our origin. A spark of fire belongs to the fire s flames and it wants to unite with that.

Similarly, the thirst in the heart of every living entity to enjoy and be happy can only be satisfied by serving Sri Krsna. Forgetting that eternal nature and being covered by the subtle and gross body, the living entity thinks himself to be different from what he actually is.

Due to various designations and self-conceptions, one's happiness or distress depends on the results of his karmic activities. According to the body with which one identifies, a person sometimes becomes happy and sometimes distressed by that body and its surroundings and circumstances.

Since this cycle goes on and on, what is the way out?

The way out is to come in touch with pure sadhus who are like the current of the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord, which He has manifested here in this material world as sadhus and sastra.

Coming in touch with the sadhus, who are non-different from sastra, is very rare.

Moreover, even if one is fortunate and able to come in contact with a sadhu,

it is equally difficult to surrender unto that personality

and to imbibe his innermost moods and the inspiration

that he wants to manifest in our hearts.

This sloka is pointing out that this is the only way out of fear.

It says that one must unconditionally imbibe that mood of surrender towards the sad-guru,

try to observe his activities, and thereby learn from him externally and internally

how to serve sri gurudeva, the sadhus, and Sri Krsna's bona fide disciplic succession.

The word gurudeva refers to diksa and siksa-guru from whom we are trying to benefit ourselves through spiritual knowledge.

If we are able to feel natural attraction towards that personality, feeling that inspiration coming from him in our heart, then our heart will run towards that person very naturally and spontaneously.

We will feel that our heart has become one with his.

We will not feel any blockage or impediment in the flow of love and trust towards him,

which will in turn bring all that which is contained in his heart.

It will bring all the knowledge required,

as well as complete sambandha-jnana (realization of our relationship with Radha and Krsna). It will also further direct us towards the accurate and exact process,

with constant inspiration, determination, and tolerence.

That will bring us to the goal of life which is to serve Sri Krsna wherever we are and in whatever condition we are situated.

Your servant

The unqualified copy man