Submission, Service and Inquiry Require a
Live Person

BY: VRAJA VILASA DASA

Jul 13, 2013 — USA (SUN) —

This is in reply to the recent article entitled, "The Transmission of Transcendental Sound" by Rakshana dasa.

If there is not a self-realized soul always present, then what is the point of Krsna speaking the verse Bg. 4.34? Without this being true at all times and forever, what exactly would be the point? Was it relevant 5,000 years ago, but not today? Relevant when Srila Prabhupada was present but not any more? Is it just all 'history' now? Has Krsna stopped looking after us?

Please read the following relevant quotes from Srila Prabhupada that support Krsna's direct words:

"This is the secret. Unless one is svanubhavam, self-realized, life is bhagavata, he cannot preach Bhagavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's secretary, Svarupa Damodara, recommended, bhagavata pora giya bhagavata-sthane, that "If you want to read Srimad-Bhagavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhagavata." Bhagavata pora giya bhagavata-sthane. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhagavata realization."
(May 27, 1974)

"Then what is required? Namanta eva. Just become submissive. Don't think yourself as very great philosopher, theologist, scientist. Just be humble. "My dear sir, just be humble." Namanta eva. "Then what will be my business? All right, I shall become humble. Then how I shall make progress?" Now, namanta eva san-mukharitah bhavadiya-vartam. "Just hear the message of God." "From whom?" San-mukharitam: "through the mouth of the devotees." Not professional, not gramophone—through the mouth of, through the lips of real devotee."
(July 8, 1975)

"As they have been trained up to rise early in the morning, this will give you spiritual strength. If you simply becomes a gramophone speaker, then it will not be effective. Gramophone or tape record speaker, that will not be. You must be live speaker. Your living condition should be spiritually, what is called, surcharged."
(October 5, 1975)

"The Bhagavatam is krsna-tulya bhagavata vibhu sarvasraya — a direct incarnation of Krishna (Cc. madhya 24.318). Just as Krishna is only known by pure devotion, so too is the Bhagavata. Bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya — one can only understand the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam by bhakti. One cannot understand them simply by scholarship or "ca tikaya" by reading commentaries."
(Cc. Madhya Lila 9.102)

"…if one wants to learn the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one must take lessons from a realized soul. One should not proudly think that one can understand the transcendental loving service of the Lord simply by reading books. One must become a servant of a vaisnava. As Narottama Das Thakur has confirmed, chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara peyeche keba: one cannot be in a transcendental position unless one very faithfully serves a pure vaisnava. One must accept a vaisnava guru (adau gurv-asrayam), and then by questions and answers one should gradually learn what pure devotional service to Krishna is. That is called the parampara system."
(Purport to Cc. Antya Lila 7.53)

Indian lady: How does one contact the spiritual master? Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?

Prabhupada: No, you have to associate.

Syamasundar: "Can you associate through a book?" she asked.

Prabhupada: Yes, through books, AND ALSO PERSONAL. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in the air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you make a spiritual master, you should be inquisitive…. if you simply try to understand what is God by reading scriptures, you cannot achieve. You must approach a guru. Just like a medical book. It can be available in the market. If you purchase one medical book and study and you become doctor, that is not possible. You must hear the medical book from a medical man in the college, medical college. Then you will be qualified. And if you say, "Sir, I have read all the medical books. Recognize me as a medical practitioner," no, that will not be.
(Lecture on the Appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, 23 Sept 1969, London)

Madhudvisa: One cannot become a medical practitioner by simply reading the books. He must study under a medical practitioner. So in the case of your books, is it possible to become a devotee without actually having personal association with you? Just by reading your books?

Prabhupada: No, it is not that you have to associate with the author. But one who knows, if you cannot understand you have to take lesson from him. Not necessarily that you have to contact with the author always.

Devotee: Just like the textbooks are not written by the teachers; they're written by other professors.

Devotee: Usually you don't even meet the author.

Prabhupada: Simply one who knows the subject matter, he can explain.

Madhudvisha: But can your, would your purports, would that serve as explanation besides…

Prabhupada: No, no, anyone who knows the subject matter, he will be able to explain. It is not necessary that the author is required to be present there. [break] …to study from a medical man, I never said you have to study from the author. Or one who understood the author's purpose. Just like we are explaining Bhagavad-gita as it is. Not that one has to learn directly from Krishna. One who has understood Krishna, from him. That is the parampara system.
(Morning Walk, 21st May 1975, Melbourne)

"One cannot become a devotee by one's personal endeavor. Just like some rascals say, "What is the use of accepting a guru?" Of course, they have got very bad experience. Who is acarya? Acarya means one who has received Vedic knowledge through the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. He is acarya. An acarya cannot be manufactured or self-made. He must come in disciplic succession. One who is under the shelter of an acarya, he knows things. Krishna recommends that if you actually want to have real knowledge then you must worship the acarya, acaryopasanam. This is the Vedic system. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. It is not that, "If I like I can go to a guru, and if I don't like I can study books at home and learn everything." No, that is not possible. It is practical. Just like if you purchase a medical book, study at home, and then begin to practice, you will be called a quack. The government will not recognize you. You will not get the practitioner's registration. Unless you have passed through the medical college and had your medical examination you will not be accepted, even if you say, "I have read all the books." Similarly, someone may say, "I have read Bhagavad-gita a hundred times." But if you ask him what is Krishna he cannot say because he has not approached the acarya. This is the difficulty. He might have read Bhagavad-gita a thousand times but he will not understand a single word because he has not approached. Therefore Vedic literature says, tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. Abhigacchet. This word is used when the sense is "you must". It is the vidhilin form of the verb. "You must. There is no excuse. You cannot learn."
(Lecture on Bhagavad-gita in Mumbai on October 5th, 1973)

More quotes:

"Even if you read some books you cannot understand unless you understand it from me. This is called parampara system. You cannot jump over to the superior guru, neglecting the next acarya, the immediate next acarya."
(Lecture, LA 1973)

"In order to receive the real message of Srimad Bhagavatam one should approach the current link or spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession.."
(SB 2.9.7)

"Concerning your questions: Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but you have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided. "
(Letter , April 1976)

"There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krsna…"
(B.1.1 Ppt)

"If you want to read Srimad Bhagavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhagavata."
(Lecture, 1974)

"You study Srimad Bhagavatam from living Bhagavata. So if one does not take or does not surrender unto the living Bhagavata, he cannot understand Srimad Bhagavatam."
(Lecture LA, 1972)

If you want to understand that transcendental knowledge, then you have to accept this process, pranipata. PRANIPATA MEANS SURRENDER, AND SURRENDER MEANS THERE MUST BE SOMEBODY TO WHOM YOU SURRENDER. YOU HAVE TO SURRENDER TO SOMEBODY.

And, finally, from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

"Be intelligent. Associate with a living source. "
(Amrta Vani)

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