Material and Spiritual Success

There's nothing wrong with material success provided one spiritualizes it by offering in the service of the Lord. However, material success which is not offered in the Lord's service will keep one bound up in the repetition of birth and death and is thus an impediment for one's attainment of true, lasting peace and happiness. Therefore one should be very careful to follow in the footsteps of Arjuna, who demonstrated the perfect example of engaging his material success in the service of the Lord and thus became liberated.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Difference Between Guru and Spiritual Master?

In a recent "Answers According to the Vedic Version" you stated that the spiritual master is not Lord Krishna Himself. This is also my understanding. However, I have been told that actually there is only one guru and that is Krishna. All the bona fide spiritual masters in this world are like mediums through which Krishna is sending the Absolute Truth to bring us back home.

My first question is what is the difference between guru and the spiritual master? I have always assumed that they refer to the same thing. Also, is Krishna the only guru as I have been told or is there some subtle understanding about this that I am missing?

Kody

Answer: The Terms are Synonymous

Yes, you are right. There is indeed only one guru or spiritual master, and that is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So those who simply repeat His words, they also become guru or spiritual master. The terms guru and spiritual master are synonyms are thus fully interchangeable. Spiritual master is the English translation of the Sanskrit word guru.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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