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GURU-BHAKTI by H.H. Sacinandana Swami

ATTITUDE AND RELATIONSHIP
There were once some geese that lived in a small pond in a village of Bengal. As
the seasons changed, summer came close and the small pond started to shrink.
With the temperature still rising, the fish in the pond started to slowly die and
the rotting, organic matter at its bottom began emitting a most foul stench. But
the geese continued to live in these conditions and ate the most horrible,
decomposed garbage. At the peak of the summer, the food supply was
shrinking rapidly, many of the geese fell ill and there was a lot of quarrel
amongst them. They finally decided to leave this pond of death and go
someplace cool with nice healthy food. But although they made some plans,
they were at the same time so attached to their filthy pond that they couldn't
really decide to fly and escape into freedom.
One day it so happened that a group of swans, on their way to Mansarovar (a
holy lake at the feet of Mountain Kailash known for its pristine atmosphere, the
ideal place of residence for geese) in the Himalayas, were passing over the
pond. From the sky they saw the dark, dirty and filthy pond littered with the
dead bodies of fish and geese. When they saw the miserable condition of their
surviving brothers and sisters, their hearts were moved. They went to the geese
and said “Everything smells like death here, and you seem so dried out. Why
don't you come with us to Mansarovar? It is like heaven on earth, the water is
fresh and clean and there are plenty of herbs to eat.”
But the geese wondered “How will we get there?” “Don't worry” said the
swans, “We are very strong, you just sit on our back and, we will bring you to
Mansarovar!” So the geese quickly jumped on the backs of the swans. As the
swans flew over the Bengali countryside and entered new territory, the geese
became a bit frightened. Everything was so unusual and new. A small doubt
entered their minds. They could not explain the doubt but they felt afraid, their
former courage to make a change evaporated and they felt pulled towards their
old pond, a place they had gotten used to. So they told the swans, “We want to
return to our ponds!” “What?” said the surprised swans, “but your death is
waiting for you in the ponds!” Now the geese began to plead “No, we miss our
homes, please bring us back ... ” So the swans after hearing the complaints,
forcibly turned around and returned to the dirty little pond where they
unloaded their cousins and continued in amazement on their journey to
Mansarovar.
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We are the geese and the guru is like a swan who wants to take us to a new,
unfamiliar landscape. But we get afraid due to a lack of faith. In this essay I
wish to share with you certain perspectives that can protect your discipleship
from becoming faithless and filled with doubts like the weak geese and
surcharge you with the confidence to remain connected to the swan of higher
aspirations, as represented by your spiritual master.
ATTITUDE
Srila Prabhupada writes in the introduction to the Nectar of Instruction:
“Advancement in Krsna consciousness depends on the attitude of the
follower.” The word attitude is a very appropriate word for what Srila
Prabhupada is trying to convey, the word means: A settled way of thinking or
feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a
person's behavior. In a discussion about the topic of the spiritual master, the
most important consideration there is your attitude. It will determine how you
act in your relationship with him, which is the very basis of your spiritual life.
One should never accept a guru out of social pressure or out of a desire to
conform to an external standard. When you join the movement for Krishna
consciousness, often people might ask you “Who is your guru?” and you might
feel threatened and think “I am in the movement, everyone else has a guru, so
I also need a guru.” But this is not good enough justification for a stable guru -
disciple relationship. Another very external form of accepting a guru is to think
of him as someone whose business is to approve or reject your plans for life.
The disciple thinks: “I must ask my guru about everything I wish to do, I must
bring my material problems before him and if he says no to what I want then I
can't have it.”
It is a fact that sometimes we want our spiritual master to serve our material
plans. This is an external relationship also. If that is the basis of our
relationship, it can become a mere power structure. The internal feeling of
such a disciple is that my guru has more power than me and I will have to do
what he says otherwise I can't really survive or go on in my life. Power
structures fill many relationships, like marriages, where one partner tells the
other “I am going to tell you what you are going to do, I am the chief here.” In
some marriages, there is a very subtle struggle for power in a relationship.
Power structures can be overt or hidden and they depend on negotiations,
paybacks and rewards.
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I don’t think that a healthy guru - disciple relationship functions on the basis of
a power sharing relationship. The fundamental ground must be love and trust.
If the disciple feels afraid to reveal something to his guru out of fear that an
attachment might be taken away from him, then he has missed the point of the
guru - disciple relationship.
The spiritual master is the representative of Krishna, this is how the disciple
who wants to be connected to Krishna sees the guru. Krishna is the adi guru but
to understand Him properly we need a guru on the way to make sure that we
don’t fall of the path. Therefore the gurus' most important function is to help
you understand Krishna. The guru does not stand alone, he represents a much
larger reality and he derives his empowerment from being a transparent
medium for the parampara of gurus leading to Krishna, so that they can touch
your life. I find that many times devotees do not understand this fundamental
reality about their guru. He is first of all a compassionate teacher who wants to
teach you about the words, wisdom and instructions of Krishna. Thus he tries
to plant the seed of two critical spiritual principles within the heart of his
faithful disciple, something I call the proper inner orientation:
1) Always endeavor for the truth
As a disciple, you may have been very enthusiastic in the early days but then
later you might become a little dull and switched to automatic pilot. One very
good disciple in America recently shared with me: “On my way to Krsna - it
seems - I lost my soul. I don't feel enthusiastic any longer about anything.” Only
when you go on striving and trying to endeavor to learn can you stay on the
spiritual platform, this means to always be in the position of receiving. When
this does not happen, the Lord thinks: “There is a problem, he has fallen
asleep!” Then Krishna needs to shake us. You must always strive for self -
realization and that will not happen over night. The danger is that you live
surrounded by this material energy which is the product of a very dangerous
element: False ego! The material world comes from ego, your beauty, your
bodies, your intelligence is all made of ego. So if you fall asleep in the kingdom
of false ego, you may wake up in the middle of the deep ocean of samsara.
Therefore a devotee must constantly strive to understand and live for the
truth.
But there is a secret underlying this principle. And if it is understood then it can
keep the guru and disciple connected forever. I can only define it as a common
purpose: a goal that the spiritual master and the disciple have in common. The
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guru comes into your life by the divine arrangement of Krishna and the glue
which keeps the two connected, over all these years, is something completely
spiritual. The most difficult thing in this world of mortality is to conquer birth
and death. But when the disciple has difficulties, this glue keeps him connected
and does not allow him to drift off in his spiritual life. The glue is a common
mission. The details of our life will change, but the essence should stay the
same.
Prabhupada expressed this essential common goal of the spiritual master and
the disciple in these words: When Krsna was on this earth, all the residents of
Vrindavan loved Him. Indeed, they knew nothing but Krsna. They did not know
whether Krsna is God or not God, nor were they disturbed by such thoughts as,
"I shall love Krsna if He is God." Their attitude was one of pure love, and they
thought: "He may or may not be God - it doesn't matter. We love Krsna, that's
all." This then is the platform of real, unalloyed love .... Little did the residents of
Vrindavan know of Krsna's power as the ultimate controller and master of all
the demigods. What is noteworthy is that their love for Him was not subject to
such considerations. As the residents of Vrindavan loved Krsna unconditionally,
similarly Krsna loved them unconditionally ... This Krsna consciousness
movement aims at teaching people how to become gopi-janas, or pure lovers of
Krsna (Science of Self Realization, Chapter 8: The Perfection of Self -
realization).
This interest is what binds the spiritual master and disciple together. When the
spiritual master advises you then it is not because “He has his interest and I
have my interest and I must say yes because he is more powerful than me.”
This is extremely disturbing for the bonafide spiritual master because he does
not want to control the life of his disciple by his traditionally invested power.
The disciples have to understand that if “I want to go back to Godhead then I
should go to my spiritual master because he is more Krsna conscious and can
help me. I gratefully wish to follow him because I want to reach the goal with
which we started our journey together.
Imagine a group of travellers, who are going to a distant place in the mountains
of Tibet. They require a guide, someone who knows the mountain paths very
well. The guide will protect them from getting sick, he will slowly show them
the best way and instruct them “Don’t take this turn, don’t step on this rock.”
Suppose at one point of the journey, one person in the group sees a very
attractive bridge over a deep abyss, connecting two peaks. And the
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photographer in him now wants to take the best picture of his life. So he starts
to walk towards it but the guide steps in the way: “Don’t step on it, its very
weak from years of neglect and I can see that it might break at any time and
you will fall into the abyss!” Now the intelligent traveller does not think to him
or herself: “Why is he bossing me around and telling me that I cannot go over
this very attractive looking bridge? Its bringing me to a very nice view.” He
understands that it is dangerous. The guide speaks in his own best interest.
When we forget that our goal is a relationship with Krishna then we
imperceptibly start to become a little distant from the spiritual master and the
tight connection becomes weak. If this goal is not before your eyes then you
will even interrupt the journey and no longer have the same relationship with
the guide. Imagine if halfway through the journey of Krsna consciousness you
change your mind and tell your spiritual master: “I am not sure if I want the
same goal anymore.” Then internally distance yourself from your spiritual
master and although you must still like him very much as a person and he also
has affection for you, you become separated.
We want to reach Krishna’s abode, we can only do this if we somehow or other
become pure lovers of Krishna. So we approach our spiritual master and beg
him: “Please teach me how to become advanced in Krishna consciousness,
please make me a lover of Krishna.” This is the glue, when you forget that you
want to become a lover of Krishna and you want to go to Krishna, then you are
no longer connected with your spiritual master. Your constant endeavor for the
truth should be based on the understanding that this is what my spiritual
master wants from me. It is the best service I can render to him: to always
strive and aspire for perfection. To not give up. Srila Prabhupada was once
asked by some disciples what would please him the most. Although in other
circumstances he had given different answers, often replying to specific
services, this time he mentioned the essence: “If you develop pure love for
Krsna.”
2) Fix your intelligence with spiritual knowledge
The Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas have explained our position in the material
world. When the soul goes into a state of being materially conditioned, it is no
longer aware of itself or it’s relationship to Krishna. At that time the mind takes
the place of the soul and rules the life of a conditioned soul. It is no longer the
soul, who is full of bliss and knowledge, that is doing things but it is the mind
who acts on behalf of the soul. It's almost as if, let us say someone becomes
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handicapped and another person is given the authority to make all decisions
for him.
In the modern world this happens sometimes, when people become mentally
disturbed and they are unable to act for their own benefit. Then the law assigns
someones to be their guardian and says that you are now acting and deciding
on behalf of this person. This is what happens with us, we come into the
material world and then Maya puts someone in charge of our life but this
guardian is really not acting for our interest. It's the mind. The mind however is
not capable to act on its own: it has to take help from the soul. The mind acts
by thinking, feeling and willing or making decisions. These three qualities are
originally functions of the soul but they become assistant of the mind so the
mind borrows its potency from the soul and perverts it for material decisions.
What this also means is that we are not making our own decisions any longer.
We are not feeling our own feelings. We are not thinking our own thoughts. It's
the minds' decisions, minds' feelings and the minds' thinking which we
experience. We are really not any longer in possessions of our own life. This is a
serious problem.
Our own independence and spiritual freedom has been handicapped and taken
away from us and now someone who is put in charge by maya is doing
everything for us. Please imagine this scenario: Suppose a voice speaks within
you: “My dear Krishna das, today eat some steak, it is good for you, you will get
some proteins or Krishna das enough of these 4 rules and regulations. Today
we will go the red light district and we will find a suitable partner for you.”
Imagine that in this scenario your free choice to refuse is completely eclipsed.
What a terrible and sad situation! The mind who acts on your behalf entangles
you more and more in Karma and the result is repeated birth and death in the
material world. He does so by severing your material attachments.
How do you stop the power of the mind over your thinking, feeling and willing
and instead allow the soul, infused with bhakti, to be in control of those
functions? To help you come to this stage of freedom is exactly the service of
the guru and his ultimate mission. For those who are serious about answering
this question, please understand carefully the next few statements. This is
explained in the 11th canto of the Bhagawatam by Krishna Himself who gives
Uddhava a fundamental principle of making spiritual advancement. He says:
tato duhsangam utsrjya
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satsu sajjeta buddhiman

santa evasya chindanti
mano-vyasangam uktibhih
An intelligent person should therefore reject all bad association and instead
take up the association of saintly devotees, whose words cut of the excessive
attachment of one's mind. (Srimad-Bhagawatam 11.26.26).
Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur clarifies this further in his short but very
insightful purport: Vyasangam means dangerous attachment. Only the
devotees can cut this attachment. Pious acts, visiting holy places, worship of
devatas and knowledge of scripture cannot do this to the same extent.
The mind is a product of whatever you associate with, this is the principle of
sanga. Saintly devotees, who really care for you, will sometimes say things
which are difficult for you to accept in your mind. They are empowered by the
Supersoul to speak in such a way that they cut, with their words, our illusions.
They are trying to stop us from acting according to the nature of our previous
association. And because we are still very attached to our minds and how it
thinks, we feel that these heavy words are actually personally attacking us!
Therefore the words of the saintly devotees may sometimes pain. Srila
Prabhupada talked about this in relationship to his own spiritual master.
Once Srila Prabhupada attended a lecture by his Guru Maharaja where he sat in
the back, next to an elderly gentleman who was hard of hearing. He would
always nudge Srila Prabhupada and ask him “What did he say?” So Prabhupada
had to repeat the words of his spiritual master for that gentleman. But Srila
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur did not want Prabhupada to be speaking to
anyone else and in the midst of the lecture, he chastised him “Hey! You there!
If you want to give the lecture then you sit here and talk.” Prabhupada felt that
these were cutting words, it was intense. Later he commented: ‘My spiritual
master always talked very sharp. He said “rascal, fool” ’ then Prabhupada
chuckled and said “Very good, very good, very good!” This marks a good
disciple. A good disciple will not object to the sometimes intense words of
correction from his spiritual master and he will feel that this is for my ultimate
benefit. “I need this. I need to be cut away from the illusion of duhsangam (bad
association).”

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Why do disciples struggle to hear the cutting words of their guru? Perhaps one
reason could be is that we are looking for validation. But when you approach a
spiritual master, don’t see him as someone who takes away your insecurities by
smiling at you and giving you some feeling of self worth. The fact that he has
taken charge of you and cares for your spiritual well being is evidence that he
loves you. NO proofs are needed in the form of smiles and appreciation. Do not
bring your insecurities which constantly demand attention for your wounded
self esteem into the spiritual relationship with a guru. It is neither necessary
nor helpful or desirable. The words which we really need are words which free
us from our material consciousness which is making so many bad decisions on
behalf of us and fosters harmful attachments that threaten our spiritual well
being.
When you want to escape a prison you don't want friendly words and a pat on
the back, you need strong instructions “Here is your key! Turn it in the lock!
Here is a torch so you can see in the darkness where to go!” You don’t need a
smile at that moment. There is a critical mission ahead of you and you might
have to do many things, you are not normally comfortable with. Come to your
spiritual master and inquire from him, not how to live comfortably in the
material world or how to tolerate a disturbed mind. But ask him, “How can I
get out of my present imprisoned condition? How can I make more
advancement in my Krishna consciousness? How can I better apply the
philosophy in my life?” These questions are based on a deeper state of
consciousness where one is wondering “How can I play with Krishna, dance
with Krishna, love Krishna?”( Science of Self Realization, Chapter 8: The
Perfection of Self - realization) Or “How can I go home and go back to
Godhead?” For the smile or human attention we all need – get friends – good
spiritual friends!
Ultimately, we want to wake up to a world of spiritual feelings and emotions.
Where we can think about Krishna and Krishna's love for us. With faith that this
is where the spiritual master wants to take you, fix your self according to his
instructions on spiritual intelligence and therefore overcome your material
mind.
RELATIONSHIP
Simply by becoming a member of a spiritual institution or living in a community
of spiritual people does not ensure that you will come out of the quicksand of
the material energy. You will not become a perfect, “complete product”
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without the personal guidance of your guru. Hence it is important to develop a

sense of what it means to have a relationship with the spiritual master and how
one should function within it.
Every relationship needs a certain forum or a setting. One kind of forum is a
'public' one. Its where we participate in the world, exchange information and
make relationships that are open for all to see. We all need to learn what to do
and what not to do in public forums. For ex. Take care that you are dressed
properly, speak in a way that is generally acceptable and has a common
inspirational value for all etc ...
Then there is something called 'personal' forums. Personal forums are for
relationships within our intimate circle. It can be a group of people who all
share the same experiences or are connected in a common interest. Here you
are more relaxed and open hearted, the discussions can be more specific to
how you experience the world. For example with friends and close loved ones,
the personal forum is a place to talk about problems and current states of
mind.
Finally there is a third forum and that is for the very close and 'intimate'
dealings. This is like the innermost chamber of our home where we interact in
our closest relationships. Here you can reveal those aspects of your heart that
we don't reveal in the public nor the personal forum. You may not see the
spiritual master frequently but your relationship with him should be in this
most intimate category. It should be a heart – to – heart relationship where we
feel invited and comfortable to address our deepest spiritual concerns. This
does not necessarily mean that we discuss our routine activities or the day – to
– day struggles. No, it is really reserved for subjects that relate to Krsna. As we
contemplate deeply about the challenges before us, our weaknesses and
doubts, as well as our spiritual aspirations, we need an intimate forum where
our trusted spiritual guide shows us the way. The intimate forum is for
receiving guidance that is tailor made for our specifc spiritual needs.
THE CRITICAL NEED FOR GUIDANCE
Imagine an assembly line which begins with the shell of a car. As it moves down
the line, someone adds an engine, some tires, seats, lights and so on and
automatically at the end, comes out a car. Our own spiritual growth is not like
this. Immature disciples think that spiritual development is similarly an
automatic process. Hence they think: “I will go into the association of my guru.
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I will get the standardized training. I will do what everyone else does and at the
end I come out perfect.” This however does not work and the evidence is that
so many people have started their spiritual life like that but did not make it to
the end. Finally they leave the Krsna consciousness movement.
There are new members always joining the institution but what happened to
many of the older members? Where did they go? I deeply feel that if the
disciple has a close relationship with the spiritual master and he feels that my
guru has accompanied me on the stormy path of life, let me stick with him
through thick and thin, then he would feel sheltered and protected. Once a
Vaisnavi was in an urgent situation and she immediately wrote to me in red
letters: “Help!” I immediately thought: This is what a disciple means. So I
immediately went to the telephone and responded. This is very important, this
is what the relationship between the spiritual master and disciples means. You
should feel sheltered, that you can depend on someone greater than you. You
don’t have to be perfect and you understand that I am now a disciple, I am not
a wild leaf in the storm. I have some glue which keeps me connected.
I have thought deeply this. Spiritual master in ISKCON have disciples who are
living in all parts of the world and the challenge is: How do we take care of so
many people? It is the duty of the spiritual master to give spiritual knowledge,
this is the traditional function of the guru. But this is a reciprocal relationship.
In the gurukula, students would serve the guru and hear from him. For this to
be successful, they must want to learn from the guru in some way. The disciple
should have the faith that My guru knows something more than I know and I
want to learn this from him. In Krishna consciousness we have to ask our
spiritual master to teach us how to apply the philosophy to properly situate
ourselves. This eagerness is the heart of successful spiritual practice and leads
to our inner transformation.
THE PATH OF TRANSFORMATION
Spiritual life in Krsna consciousness is really about a transformation of the ego
from being the enjoyer to becoming a servant. We might sometimes feel
discouraged when we see the long road ahead. We need to have faith that by
the instructions of one's guru and the process of bhakti, change is possible,
improvement is possible and, perfection is also possible.
A sincere disciple who engages with his heart in his relationship with the
spiritual master can enter a sacred spiritual space by merely thinking of him
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and Krsna. Hence, discipleship is always a possibility, an open invitation to

enter a forum where one can meet Lord Krishna through the spiritual masters’
words and instructions. I always feel this to be my own greatest asset and
chance. But discipleship is something dynamic and it requires investment. It
requires thought, it requires commitment on an ongoing level. It is not correct
that discipleship is exhausted with the name giving ceremony at the fire. One
maintains dynamism in discipleship by always taking shelter of this key
principle: hope.
The moment you give up this principle of hope and faith then you run the risk
of becoming dull and inactive. No one in spiritual life is condemned to remain
in the same state. Real spiritual life frees the soul so that the soul can become
active in the spiritual world. Now I want to give you a few practices which will
help you to operate on this principle:
1) Base your discipleship on hearing and learning in an ongoing way
The words of a sadhu or a spiritually potent person have a special strength in
them to direct our feelings and faith into a direction which we have never
ventured to go before. They are clearly coming from beyond our own world
and ways of thinking and they can lead us into new areas of experience.
One might say to the guru “But I have been hearing and nothing happened to
me. Maybe it works with you and Srila Prabhupada but it doesn't work with me
and you.” This is the feeling of some devotees and I want to give you hope to
try again. I have experienced this doubt also in my relationship with Srila
Prabhupada. And sometimes I am hearing but I am protesting with my
intelligence. I don’t really feel that my consciousness is pushed or pulled in a
new direction. But I have seen that if I remain faithful to the principle then a
change of consciousness is possible. And if I do prolonged hearing then change
is bound to happen. Spending time everyday with Srila Prabhupada's
commentary to the Srimad-Bhagawatam has completely convinced me of the
transformative effect of submissive hearing.
Once I was diagnosed with a certain problem and someone gifted me some
very expensive medicine which was supposed to be taken with rice milk. And
for three days I took this medicine and nothing happened. I felt a doubt arising
in me: Is this going to work? I mean its so complicated and I don't feel any
different. But then on the fourth day of taking this medicine, I felt that the
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problem which had been troubling me for one year was gone! It happened in
such a subtle way that in spite of my doubts, I was cured.
But there is a condition, if you hear from your spiritual master in the spirit of: I
know better ... He is a little eccentric and I have heard from his god brothers
that he also has some faults ... then his words will not be able to transform you.
If you can hear from a sadhu in a humble state of mind then you will take his
words seriously, but if you cannot do so then no change will happen. Practice
hearing in a humble state of mind and change is sure to happen.
2) Accept a new vision of reality as revealed by your spiritual master and the
parampara
This is the real benefit of discipleship. It affords you the opportunity to step
outside your limited vision created by the mind and develop a new perspective.
A proper nice disciple is someone who, whenever he comes to a challenging
situation in life, he will ask himself: How would gurudev perceive and act within
this situation? In this way he receives the guru’s mercy within his heart which
enables him to adopt spiritual principles and knowledge to solve his dilemma.
In my own preaching I simply try to share a new and different perspective from
the one my listeners may be habituated to seeing. I then try to support that
perspective with scripture and ultimately motivate my listener to try and
change his vision, even though there is resistance from within. The ability to
accept a new perspective and ultimately a new self - identity is actually the
path of advancing on the path of bhakti.
There are two types of bhakti: Aropya siddha bhakti and Swarupa siddha
bhakti.
A) Aropya siddha bhakti
This refers to adopting some new concept, like putting on a mask. Sometimes
we get criticised by those who are opposing our devotees. They say that
devotees have only adopted a new identification of a very surrendered soul
without really realising it. In this way they have become only spoons or yes
men. But for the conditioned soul the adoption of a new vision is almost the
only way to change his long standing, materialistic perspective. And it can work
if we gradually internalize the new perpective. Everything is connected to
identity. According to the way you identify yourself - you will think, feel, decide,
act and even dream! Everything starts with identifcation – either consciously or
subconsciously.
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Let me give you an example involving Krishna's darshan. We hear that the deity
is a transcendental personality because Krishna can adopt any form: even one
made of matter and be fully present. In this way the deity IS Krishna as himself.
So you hear this and you go before the altar and you start your prayers after
remembering this. In the begining this is just a concept, something you have
put upon yourself like a mask. But there is a great difference between a
material and a spiritual concept which has been handed down from parampara
since ancient times and is of an inherent spiritual quality. When you start to act
on spiritual knowledge, even if it is only a concept, then the resulting
experience purifies you from illusion, and opens your spiritual eyes.
Essentially, you submit yourself to a process which has the ability to awaken
your inherent bhakti. Therefore it cannot be criticized as artificial because it
gives you something real. In the material world it can be un-authentic to take
on a new concept and self - identity that is diferent from how you truly feel,
but in spiritual life its a bit different. And this is the only key for getting out of
your mental prison and it leads to the second type of bhakti.
B) Swarupa siddha bhakti
At this stage your experiences and realizations fill you with confidence that you
are on the right path and you experience the results of your sadhana. You no
longer identify conceptually – you experience your new identity.
In advanced Krishna Consciousness we want to start following in the footsteps
of the inhabitants of Vrindavan. At a certain time the devotee begins to feel
attracted to the way a particular servant of Krishna serves Lord Krishna and
Srimati Radharani. And then he begins to follow the example of that particular
person and in this way he becomes qualified to enter the spiritual world. This
following is also done in this conditional world. We can apply the principle of
this and follow our spiritual master. Don't imitate his personality. Follow the
vision and the instructions.
SEVA
If you really want to benefit from the association of your guru then you should
offer some service. Through service you become closely connected. There are
three ways in which you can offer service:
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A) Apekshita seva
This refers to seva performed with the expectation to enjoy benefits, like a
position or being close to the spiritual master.
B) Sadharana seva
A devotee in this consciousness of service thinks “Whatever I do, I ofer my
plans to my Guru Maharaja.” And he continues to do whatever he likes to do.
This second one is a bit whimsical.
C) Svatantra seva
A devotee with this mood approaches the spiritual master with curiosity to
hear about his dearest projects and he/she offers their help. This is of course
the ideal consciousness for rendering seva. As you do your service to your
spiritual master, you should always meditate on offering him something that
pleases him.
I was once asked by someone: “I read somewhere that the "Absolute reality is
realised by conscious attunement of one's heart with that of one's spiritual
master.” Can you please help me unpack this statement? How can I do this
more and more in my relationship to you?" I responded in the following way: In
the Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu (1.2.229) it is mentioned that our heart, like a
crystal, takes on the impressions of things and people it comes in contact with -
including devotees. Therefore the tip is "to stay in your own family."
“Yasya yat-sangatih pumso manivat syat sa tad-gunah
Sva kula-rddhyai tato dhiman sva-yuthan even samsrayet”
Translation: “A man will attain the qualities of the person with whom he
associates, just as a crystal takes up the color of the object next to it. Therefore,
the wise man will take shelter of those who have qualities like his own for the
prosperity of his family.”
Through association with a sadhu we receive our sambandha-jnana.
Sambandha - jnana means the knowledge which refers to the relationship of
the soul to Krsna, and the relationship of the soul to the world of relationships,
and also vice versa. Through association with various types of devotees, various
types of sadhanas and sadhyas will be adopted, that water the seed of bhakti.
All this will produce various devotional orientations and sentiments in a
practicing devotee.
 15

In summary: The devotees love for his ishtadevatas or worshipable forms of

Godhead like a crystal takes on a form similar to that of another devotee to
whom he is attached. Therefore one should attune his heart with one’s
spiritual master who is that devotee who influences more than any other. This
will create the derived impressions that will guide one to the Lord.
Attachment can grow by association: either in direct service or by listening and
following the vani or words of the spiritual master. Once Srila Prabhupada told
a devotee that he would be safe from maya only by association with other
devotees. “Maya means the external energy, whereas association with
devotees is the internal energy.” The devotee asked back: “But what when I
stay on an island?” Srila Prabhupada answered “Then follow the instructions of
the devotees.”
I hope that this essay will help you in your journey towards that ultimate
destination of developing pure love for Krishna under the guidance of your
spiritual master.
EPILOGUE
In this essay we have strongly argued for the need of a personal relationship
with our spiritual master. The question is of course: “How to have a personal
relationship if we have little or no opportunity for being in his physical
presence? How then will we get his personal training? I had to think about this
very deeply because I can count my personal meetings with Srila Prabhupada
on the fingers of one, maximum two hands ... not more. And most of the times,
there were many of us present.
My answer to this question is however hopeful. I have seen that spiritual
relationships are on a different platform than our material relationships: and
there are different rules operating. When we are together in spirit the
relationship is fully manifested and unencumbered. Thinking, praying, reading,
hearing, following and most important of all: serving are never failing means to
be in contact, and form a tight compact I should say. With this perspective, I
once wrote a letter to my disciples in America when I could not obtain a visa in
time to be with them physically:
My dear disciples and aspiring disciples in the USA.
Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
 16

I am very happy that I can connect with you through this e-mail. I can
understand that you are sad because I could not come to America this year. But
please do not worry: Krishna will give you the spiritual strength you require. He
never has a visa problem (smile) and can always be with each one of His
devotees. As long as we engage in the process of bhakti we will never be
disappointed in our forward progress in Krishna consciousness.
When Srila Prabhupada left New York to spread his movement all over America
(and later the world) his fledgling disciples felt threatened: How would things
go on in his absence? Srila Prabhupada took this situation as an opportunity to
teach them one of the most important lessons in Krishna consciousness:
"Physical presence" he wrote them, "is immaterial: presence of the
transcendental sound received by the spiritual master should be the guidance of
life. That will make our spiritual life successful."
That was in 1966 or 1967, but it is relevant today also.
When I heard this instruction I became astonished. Then I heard another
instruction by him and felt elated: "Do not fear. There is no question of
separation. The sound vibration fixes us up together, even though the material
body may not be there. What do we care for the material body?"
And he continued with very practical advice: "Just go on chanting Hare Krishna
and we will be packed up together. You will be chanting here and I will be
chanting there and this vibration will circulate around the planet." (Srila
Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol. 2)
When the disciples in New York heard these powerful instructions on vapu and
vani they accepted them with simple faith - a faith that always provides entry
into the transcendental truth of Krishna consciousness. They improved their
japa and kirtan and immediately felt assured. And Srila Prabhupada confirmed
their experience by writing them:
"So long our kirtan is alright, there is no difficulty at all."
We have to ask ourselves: Are these just sweet words to paint a black situation
in rosy colors and hide the sad truth before the faithful who can be spoon - fed
with illusion? The answer to this question needs to be found out by each one of
us in our own lives. Krishna consciousness is a science, which is revealed in the
heart by the Lord who reciprocates with each one of us.
 17

Having said this, let me assure you that I am also a man of the heart, not just a
philosopher. Simultaneously, I am convinced that we can solve all problems only
by spiritual solutions - and for that we need to practice, practice and again
practice according to the guiding instructions of Srila Prabhupada.
You can't believe how much I wish to be with all of the devotees, my exalted
God brothers, all of you - everyone - and chant the Holy Names in unison.
Therefore I will take shelter in Srila Prabhupada's advice: You will be chanting
there at The Sadhu Sanga Retreat and I will be chanting here near Berlin. Then
the sound vibration will circulate the planet - meet - and then we will be
spiritually packed up together!
Wishing you a lot of spiritual strength and please try your best.
Sacinandana Swami
Srila Prabhupada once wrote to two disciples: “It is a question of heart how to
please Krsna. One simply has to agree to be trained up how to do it.”
All the instructions of the spiritual master are simply to help the disciple come
to a stage where his or her heart is saturated with the sentiment of wanting to
please Krsna. When you are able to do this, you will always feel close to the
Lord, your spiritual master and the entire parampara, there will be no question
of separation or sadness. Hare Krsna!
 18

ATTITUDE AND RELATIONSHIP

ATTITUDE

1) Always endeavor for the truth

2) Fix your intelligence with spiritual knowledge

RELATIONSHIP

THE CRITICAL NEED FOR GUIDANCE

THE PATH OF TRANSFORMATION

1) Base your discipleship on hearing and learning in an ongoing way

2) Accept a new vision of reality as revealed by your spiritual master and the parampara

A) Aropya siddha bhakti

B) Swarupa siddha bhakti

SEVA

A) Apekshita seva

B) Sadharana seva

C) Svatantra seva

EPILOGUE

When Srila Prabhupada left New York to spread his movement all over America (and later the world) his
fledgling disciples felt threatened: How would things go on in his absence? Srila Prabhupada took this situation
as an opportunity to teach them one of the most important lessons in Krishna consciousness:

"Physical presence" he wrote them, "is immaterial: presence of the transcendental sound received by the
spiritual master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful."

"Do not fear. There is no question of separation. The sound vibration fixes us up together, even though the
material body may not be there. What do we care for the material body?"

And he continued with very practical advice: "Just go on chanting Hare Krishna and we will be packed up
together. You will be chanting here and I will be chanting there and this vibration will circulate around the
planet." (Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol. 2)

"So long our kirtan is alright, there is no difficulty at all."

I am convinced that we can solve all problems only by spiritual solutions - and for that we need to practice,
practice and again practice according to the guiding instructions of Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada once wrote to two disciples: “It is a question of heart how to please Krsna. One simply has to
agree to be trained up how to do it.”

All the instructions of the spiritual master are simply to help the disciple come to a stage where his or her heart
is saturated with the sentiment of wanting to please Krsna. When you are able to do this, you will always feel
close to the Lord, your spiritual master and the entire parampara, there will be no question of separation or
sadness. Hare Krsna!

Wishing you a lot of spiritual strength and please try your best.

Sacinandana Swami