I met in Vrndavan my eternal father, my spiritual master, Gurumaharaha, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. When I heard him speak, when I experienced his love, his realization, the depth of his compassion, I found the synthesis and the fulfillment of everything that I have learnt….. and more. He was someone whom I could truly put my faith and trust in. Someone who is not denying other religions but who was teaching essence that I was seeking in my search. And he was also teaching with pains taking concern for all of living beings, a path, a way of life to follow. So I studied his teachings, I spent some time, and everything I was looking for in my spiritual search was fulfilled in this path of Krishna consciousness. That is why I am like this today.
Question :
Answer : If the teacher does not teach devotion to him, such a teacher is not a good teacher. A true guru is one who teaches us the path of devotion to God. And our devotion to the teacher is in following that path which leads us to God. It is common in India, it says “the guru who says he is God is dog”. But the guru who says that I am the eternal servant of God, teaching you also how to be the eternal servant of God, such a teacher is as good as God.
Question :
Answer : Every sound is a manifestation coming from God, ‘Janmady asya yatah’, but God is that supreme source from which everything emanates. The sunshine is emanating from the sun, but there is difference between the sun and the sunshine, and at the same time there is no difference. The sunshine is the energy, the sun is the energetic source. God is the energetic source of all that exists. Everything in this creation is that energy emanating from that supreme source. If you understand the nature of God, you perceive all of His energy as non different than Him. But at the same time you see difference. The difference is that this is His energy, this is His love. But you understand that Krishna or God is the source of all this. Everything becomes beautiful when we see it in relationship with the source. Just like a father, if a father or mother has a little child say four years old, and the child draws a picture, you know that the picture is not going to be very nice from the artistic point of view. If he takes that picture and gives it to a stranger, who doesn’t know who painted it, he will think it is ridiculous. …………….. But when the father sees that picture, love will just awaken in his heart, when he sees that picture. Why? Because he knows where it came from, someone he loves. Do you understand the example. Everything within this creation; the fire, the grass, the wind, the water, the cold, the rain, if you understand that it is all coming from God, and you have the love of God, then you will appreciate and you love all these things, because you see God within it, just like the father sees the child within that painting. But if you do not understand God, if you do not understand God’s love, then all these thing will be strange and mysterious. We like the heat and hate the cold. But if we love the God, we like the heat and cold equally. Because we will see God in both. Because they are all emanating from the supreme truth Sri Krishna.
Question :
Answer : Every subject in this world is a serious subject. If you are serious to learn, you will find a teacher. The greatest musicians study under other great musicians. The greatest artists study under other great artists. The greatest lawyers, doctors, and professors study under other great lawyers, doctors and professors. So why should we take spiritual life so cheaply. But if every other subject matter when we take it seriously, we try to find a teacher to teach us. But we think that in approaching the science of God, we can just figure out our own way. It is said that by the mercy of Krishna one gets guru and by the mercy of guru one gets Krishna. If we are truly and deeply serious about finding God, then the Lord within our heart will direct us to a teacher who can show us the path. And even the great personalities who don’t need teachers, they accept teachers just to show us how important it is. Jesus accepted John Baptist. His guru, he accepted initiation. John Baptist said “you are better than me, your feet ……. My head, I could I do this”. He said “no, no, it is important, they all must see that I am accepting it.
Krishna became the disciple of His own devotee, Sandipani Muni, just to show the world the importance. If we are humble then we will be …. to accept guidance and knowledge. But we should not do it artificially or superficially. When genuine faith awakens within our heart then we understand what is a guru.
Question :
Answer : Krishna is name, the divine …. of the great divine name of that supreme God that is the source of everything. It is mentioned in Quran that supreme God, the source of everything is known as Jehovah, in the Christian scripture – Christ. Jesus or Christ, where Christ or Christos is the name of God…… But that Supreme Godhead – Krishna appeared in this world 5000 years ago, in India and manifested beautiful and wonderful pastimes, and also spoke Bhagvad Gita, and He was called upon by the name of Krishna.
Question :
Answer : We are part of God. We are God in that the part is the part of the whole.
Question :
Answer : Throughout the world it is said “what America does the whole world follows”. In one sense America is the most important country in the world, because at this particular time, actually for the past over one century, America has been the leader of the world, in technology, in science, in political military power….. Therefore, the various spiritual traditions in all over the world have understood that if America can become spiritualized then world will become spiritualized, because the whole world is looking towards America. Our gurudev Srila Prabhupada, he was trying to spread Krishna consciousness in India for many many years. Krishna consciousness is from India. But the country of India became so westernized, not just in physical form and mentality but by becoming very very materialistic. People were mad after American movies, mad after American styles, mad after American music, and leaving behind their own spiritual heritage and roots. So Srila Prabhupada was thinking that the great gift of India to the world is the spiritual heritage, but the people of India are leaving it all behind, are chased after the west, and we are trying to tell them the great wealth and treasure of their culture, they don’t want to hear. And he was thinking because they are chasing so madly after the things of America, so if Americans become Krishna conscious and they come back to India, then Indians will listen. And it was true. He went to the west and so many young men and women from America and Europe became Krishna conscious, especially America. He brought them back to India and they were saying “we should chant Hare Krishna, we should understand Bhagvad Gita”. And the Indian people were thinking ‘O’, the American say Bhagvad Gita is good, it must be good. To a large extent, I am not saying everyone in India was like that, but to a large extent, in all over the world that is well known. So American are in a very important and very powerful position in this world for the re-spiritualization of this planet, and in one sense it is our good fortune that we can do so much if we just humble ourselves before God.
Question :
Answer : This is why we need a teacher ……… because although in order to truly be able to perceive God and everything, we have to learn how to discriminate. What will help us to purify our hearts, and what is not conducive….. This is very important. Because after all ‘beauty is in the eyes of beholder’. Some people think that I see God in eating your flesh. Does that mean I have the right to kill you and eat you, because I see God in eating your flesh. I means what are we trying to …………….. We can’t spiritual life so cheaply that it is what we want to be. You are talking about music, if the music is truly glorifying God and then that music will awaken our love of God. If it is glorifying intoxications, physical and sensual relations with others, then it has nothing to do with connecting our consciousness to God.
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