httpv://youtu.be/kMKDCrvTBLQ
video: Chanting with the austerity of mind | Stoka Krishna Das
Prabhupada, San Francisco, March 3, 1967: […] Who is a spiritual master? That is also defined there. Otherwise he will be puzzled where to go. “All right, I am ready to go to a spiritual master to understand the transcendental science, but who is a guru?” Everyone will be ready: “Oh, I am your guru. I am a spiritual master.” No. There are signs. What is that? Srotriyam.
Srotriyam means one who has perfectly heard the science of God from authoritative sources in disciplic succession. That is the qualification. Srotriyam, and brahma-nistham means not that simply he has heard, but the result is that he is firmly fixed up in God consciousness. These two qualifications.
You have to find out that whether this man is coming from disciplic succession, srotriyam… Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, evam parampara-praptam: “By this disciplic succession, this science of Bhagavad-gita was learned.” So you have to approach the spiritual master who is coming down from that disciplic succession.
Then he is bona fide. Not only… He may be coming, but if he has not understood, then simply accepting will not do. Then the next symptom is srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. Brahma-nistham means he is firmly fixed up. Nobody can deviate him from his point of steadiness. These are the general.
There are many other definition in different… And the disciple also, he must have also qualification to approach a spiritual master. It is not that because you have got a bona fide spiritual master, therefore you will be benefited. You must be also qualified. Full Lecture
Speak Your Mind