By Hansadutta das
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Text 31
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Being completely devoted to the
lotus feet
of the spiritual master, free yourself soon from the cycle of birth and
death.
Then, by controlling the mind and senses, you will certainly see the
Supreme
Personality of Godhead residing within your own heart.
The concluding verse of this text explains that one
should be completely devoted to the lotus feet of the spiritual master.
We cannot actually understand spiritual life, any more than a child can
understand
the nature or character of mature adult life. Therefore a child is
always
being guided by his father, mother and teachers. The child's only asset
or
only hope in becoming a mature gentleman is his attachment and loving
relationship with his well-wishing father.
A child becomes attached to his father, the father gives
good instructions and guidance to his child, and one day the child
actually matures, understands and appreciates how his father has
protected him, educated him and trained him to come to this stage of
maturity. Similarly, the disciple cannot really understand the
spiritual master or the character of spiritual life, but the disciple
can become attached to the spiritual master. The spiritual master deals
with the disciple in such a way to increase his attachment more and
more.
Gradually, by the grace of Krishna, the disciple matures
and realizes everything in due course. "For one who has unflinching
faith in the words of his spiritual master and in the words of the shastra,
all the imports of Vedic knowledge are revealed." ( Svetashvatara
Upanishad 6.38)
In the beginning of devotional service, we are simply
following the instructions of the spiritual master mechanically. We
have some attachment for the spiritual master, but we don't have very
much understanding or realisation. Sometimes we feel the spiritual
master is neglecting us or forgetting us or giving us instructions
which are too difficult to carry out.
But a disciple should be convinced that the spiritual master is fully
aware
of the disciple's situation and knows how to deliver the disciple from
the
cycle of birth and death.
Therefore the disciple should be prepared to accept any
and every instruction of the spiritual master and have faith that the
spiritual master knows perfectly well the best engagement and situation
for the disciple. That kind of faith must be there, because as
Vishvanath Chakravarti says in
his prayers, yasya prasadad bhagavata-prasada/ yasyaprasadan na
gatih
kuto 'pi:
Simply by satisfying the bona fide spiritual
master, Krishna is immediately satisfied, and the disciple advances
automatically. If the spiritual master becomes dissatisfied, one cannot
make any advancement in spiritual life. (Sri Sri Gurvastaka,
Verse 8)
Everything depends on satisfying the bona fide spiritual master. Simply
by his blessings, the disciple automatically makes progress. Therefore,
worship of the spiritual master is actually more important than the
worship of Krishna. That is our philosophy. Without the spiritual
master, no one can approach Krishna. We cannot go to Krishna directly.
We must go through Krishna's representative.
Spiritual life does not depend on scholarship,
austerity, penance or renunciation. It depends on one thing: pleasing
the spiritual master. Every disciple has some particular ability and
character. The spiritual master knows how to deal with each disciple in
such a way that he makes progress. What is good for one disciple may
not be good for another disciple. The disciples should not become
jealous or envious of one another, thinking that one disciple has a
better engagement than another. That is a mundane angle of vision. In
devotional life, every engagement is as good as every other. It is not
that
translating books is more important or more spiritual than washing pots
or
earning money is more spiritual than performing deity worship. In
devotional service, every activity is as important and valuable as any
other activity. Our standard of measuring a person's spiritual
advancement is not how much or what he does, but in how he does what he
is asked to do by the spiritual master. That is the criterion for
judging a person's spiritual advancement. Hare Krishna.
