Don't Take a Guru Like Getting a Pet Dog

In a lecture given on 29 September 1974 in Mayapur Srila Prabhupada explains the guru should not be taken as a pet dog:

"When one accepts somebody as guru, he cannot argue. That is the condition. One must be fully surrendered otherwise there is no meaning of making a guru. It is not like a pet dog, that 'Everyone has a guru, so let me have a guru.' That is not guru. Guru means first of all the condition is pranipata, fully surrendered. Not that, 'If I like, then I shall carry your order. And if I don't like, then I shall not do it.' That is not acceptance of guru. Pranipata. First of all, we must agree. So because friends and friends talking, a friend may agree with his friend. He may not agree with. That is friendly talk. But Arjuna became disciple. Sisyas te 'ham: 'I am now Your sisya, disciple. Now there is no question of disagreeing with You. Whatever You'll say, I will accept.' So at last Krishna said, 'Surrender unto Me.' And Arjuna did it. That is the whole purpose of the Bhagavad-gita."

Srila Prabhupada's point is that unless we accept our guru in full surrender without argument, we haven't really accepted a guru. This means also that we are not surrendered to Krishna's order and that we are also not qualified to go back to Godhead.

Vamanadeva Das Accepts Initiation from His Spiritual Master
18 October 2014--Kaunas, Lithuania

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: Stuck in a Rut. What Am I Doing Wrong?

I am touch with ISKCON for last 10 years, but I am lost in the whole process. The philosophy says ,"Chant and be happy," but the more I chant, the more disturbed I get. I am fearful, scared, lonely, not able to face situation, and many such more negative things. Can you please guide me what I am doing wrong?

I am based in Delhi. Can I go and meet some of your disciples who can guide me to come out of this situation? I want to chant 16 rounds, take initiation, and move ahead, But I am stuck.

Please help.

V.P.

Answer: You Are Committing Offenses Against Krishna's Name

The problem is that you are committing offenses while you are chanting. To taste the nectar of Krishna's name you must chant without offense. The ten offenses to be avoided are as follows:

(1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.

(2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Vishnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant "Kali, Kali!" or "Durga, Durga!"and it is the same as Hare Krishna, that is the greatest offense.)

(3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master. (This means you must be fully surrendered to the spiritual master.)

(4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.

(5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be imagination.

(6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.

(7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord. (It should not be taken that because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reaction, one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Krishna to neutralize his sins. Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.)

(8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).

(9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.)

(10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter.

It's also offensive to be inattentive while chanting.

If you will carefully avoid these ten offenses, you will experience unlimited sweetness in Krishna's names.

I will put you in touch with my disciples in Delhi so that they can help you to purely chant the names of Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari