Necessity of Devotee Relationships

Since Krishna says that we cannot become His devotee unless we become the devotee of His devotee it is absolutely imperative that we develop sweet, loving relationships with Krishna's devotees. This will protect us from falling down from Krishna consciousness. It is said that man is a social animal, and that is a fact. We depend on association in order to become happy. If we do not learn how to develop nice relationships with devotees, we will seek out the association of nondevotees and lose our Krishna consciousness by their bad association. But if we build solid loving relationships with devotees, we will be very strengthened and empowered in our Krishna consciousness.

Join a Spiritual Family and Become Spiritually Strong Disciples with Srila Prabhupada--San Francisco, USA 1967

Become Spiritually Strong Disciples with Srila Prabhupada

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: How to Get Perfect Krishna Conscious Understanding?

First of all I want to thank you for your transcendental guidance. On the 17th of January in "Thought for the Day" you quoted the following statement of Srila Prabhupada: "Our request is that these Europeans and Americans who have taken to Krishna consciousness, just become perfect in the understanding of this science and become guru and deliver the whole world." I like the proposal of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada very much, and I want to know how to become perfect in my understanding on the sublime science of Krishna consciousness and how to contribute to the deliverance of the whole world?

Do you think that by reading Srila Prabhupada's books, participating in courses like bhakti sastri, bhakti vaibhava, the Ultimate Self Realization Course, etc. and by asking submissive questions to the self-realized souls, one will be able to achieve that goal of attaining perfect understanding? 

Is it enough if one has theoretical knowledge only, or one has to apply it in one's life? How did you become perfect in your understanding? 

Please be merciful to me and guide me!

Thank You!

Your eternal servant,
Bhakta Kris

Answer: Follow These Five Guidelines

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 9.9.44 that if one takes to the path of devotional service as prescribed in The Nectar of Devotion, he will attain perfect understanding of the science of Krishna consciousness. The first five steps on that pathway are listed in the Nectar of Devotion as follows:

1. Take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master
2. Accept initiation from the bona fide spiritual master
3. Obey the orders of the spiritual master
4. Follow in the footsteps of the previous acharyas under the spiritual master's guidance
5. Inquire from the spiritual master how to advance in Krishna consciousness

If you will follow these above five items to the best of your ability and preach enthusiastically the science of Krishna consciousness to everyone you meet, you will get perfect scientific understanding of the Krishna consciousness science and will be able to contribute greatly to the deliverance of the entire world.

Whatever meager level of perfection I have achieved in understanding this sublime science of Krishna consciousness is due to the causeless mercy of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and to my strictly following these above five items.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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