The Prime Necessity
According to Srila Rupa Goswami, the great authority on the bhakti yoga science:
ādau gurv-āśrayam sad-dharma-pṛcchā
"The very first step on the path of bhakti is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and inquire submissively from him how to advance in Krishna consciousness."
--Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.74
If one tries to avoid this step he cannot make any progress. It is further enjoined in this regard fin the Mundaka Upanisad that taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is an absolute must for one who is eager to realize God. And in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Chapter, verse 21, Prabuddha tells Maharaja Nimi:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
"My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions. Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters. Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss."
In connection with this verse Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in the Nectar of Devotion:
"The purport is that one should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is fool number one, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service, or who has not conquered the influence of the six sense-gratifying agents. The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words. Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life. One who is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to traverse the path of spiritual salvation without any doubt."
So considering all the above authoritative evidence we really have no other option than fully surrendering ourselves at the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. Finding and surrendering to bona fide spiritual should be taken as the prime necessity of our lives.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
The second question is on the same subject. Srila Prabhupada is saying in his interviews to the Christians that in the Bible it says "thou shall not kill", and then he asks the priest, "Why do you open slaughterhouses and keep going against the Bible?" If the Bible says," Thou shall not kill", then we should not kill plants as well. Isn't this correct?
Prabhupada also says, "Why do the Christians sin and leave their sins to Jesus? They should stop sinning after Jesus has devoured their sins. But they say, 'No we should sin once more and leave the sins for Jesus.'"
What did Prabhupada mean by that? Can a human being stop sinning?
Am I your disciple or just your student? In both cases I will have the same respect and affection for you, I just wanted to know what is my formal position.
Your servant,
Indu pati das
Killing plants is also sinful. This is why we must offer them to Krishna first. If we do so, it is not sinful to kill the plant, and the plant that is offered to Krishna is greatly blessed in his progress towards attaining the human form of life in a future birth. Krishna has authorized us to become relieved of the sin of killing plants by offering them to Him before we eat, but He has not authorized that we can do this with animals. The government has a right to distinguish between what is legal and what is illegal. Just like on the highway the government orders that we must keep to the right and that if we keep to the left, we are subject to punishment.
The real meaning of human life is to stop sinning. If one continues sinning, he is an animal not a human being. In our Krishna consciousness movement we teach our members how to become actual human beings by becoming completely free from all sin. This is why we restrict our members: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling.
Student and disciple are the same. Even though the spiritual master is the best friend of the student/disciple he does not relate with student/disciple on an equal level as a friend because this will not be beneficial for the student/disciple. Instead he always takes a superior role and guides the student/disciple how to advance in spiritual understanding and practice.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
ādau gurv-āśrayam sad-dharma-pṛcchā
"The very first step on the path of bhakti is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and inquire submissively from him how to advance in Krishna consciousness."
--Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.74
If one tries to avoid this step he cannot make any progress. It is further enjoined in this regard fin the Mundaka Upanisad that taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is an absolute must for one who is eager to realize God. And in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Chapter, verse 21, Prabuddha tells Maharaja Nimi:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
"My dear King, please know for certain that in the material world there is no happiness. It is simply a mistake to think that there is happiness here, because this place is full of nothing but miserable conditions. Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters. Everyone should try to find such a bona fide spiritual master in order to fulfill his mission of life, which is to transfer himself to the plane of spiritual bliss."
In connection with this verse Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in the Nectar of Devotion:
"The purport is that one should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is fool number one, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service, or who has not conquered the influence of the six sense-gratifying agents. The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words. Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world. To accept such a spiritual master is the crucial point for advancement in spiritual life. One who is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master is sure to traverse the path of spiritual salvation without any doubt."
So considering all the above authoritative evidence we really have no other option than fully surrendering ourselves at the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. Finding and surrendering to bona fide spiritual should be taken as the prime necessity of our lives.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
ISKCON Temple, Copenhagen, Demark
Answers According to the Vedic Version:
Question: Am I Your Student or Disciple?
I have a doubt about your letter from 14th of October 2008 about meat. You write there replying to your student that we should be in harmony with God by not consuming meat. Then why does the whole world do it? They do it according to the religion God made for them, like Judaism, Islam and Christianity. All these religions are the different laws of God, and it says there that they are allowed to eat meat. Then why do you say that eating meat is not in harmony with God, if God said there that it is allowed?The second question is on the same subject. Srila Prabhupada is saying in his interviews to the Christians that in the Bible it says "thou shall not kill", and then he asks the priest, "Why do you open slaughterhouses and keep going against the Bible?" If the Bible says," Thou shall not kill", then we should not kill plants as well. Isn't this correct?
Prabhupada also says, "Why do the Christians sin and leave their sins to Jesus? They should stop sinning after Jesus has devoured their sins. But they say, 'No we should sin once more and leave the sins for Jesus.'"
What did Prabhupada mean by that? Can a human being stop sinning?
Am I your disciple or just your student? In both cases I will have the same respect and affection for you, I just wanted to know what is my formal position.
Your servant,
Indu pati das
Answer: Student and Disciple are the Same
In all religious systems those who are sinful are allowed to eat meat under restrictions so that their sinfulness becomes minimized. Even the Vedas allow the eating of goat meat under very restrictive conditions. But such concessionary injunctions are not on the level of pure bhakti. Those who take advantage of such concessions are not qualified for pure bhakti and cannot attain the kingdom of God at the time of death.Killing plants is also sinful. This is why we must offer them to Krishna first. If we do so, it is not sinful to kill the plant, and the plant that is offered to Krishna is greatly blessed in his progress towards attaining the human form of life in a future birth. Krishna has authorized us to become relieved of the sin of killing plants by offering them to Him before we eat, but He has not authorized that we can do this with animals. The government has a right to distinguish between what is legal and what is illegal. Just like on the highway the government orders that we must keep to the right and that if we keep to the left, we are subject to punishment.
The real meaning of human life is to stop sinning. If one continues sinning, he is an animal not a human being. In our Krishna consciousness movement we teach our members how to become actual human beings by becoming completely free from all sin. This is why we restrict our members: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling.
Student and disciple are the same. Even though the spiritual master is the best friend of the student/disciple he does not relate with student/disciple on an equal level as a friend because this will not be beneficial for the student/disciple. Instead he always takes a superior role and guides the student/disciple how to advance in spiritual understanding and practice.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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