“You shall go to a Guru who is brahma-nistham, a great Devotee”

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video: Memories of Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada, Nairobi, October 28, 1975: […] So similarly, we have to find out guru for perfect instruction. That is the only way. Otherwise we shall keep ourselves in ignorance, in mistake, in illusion, in imperfectness and so many other things.

So this is the injunction of the Vedas, that, “If you want real knowledge, you must go to guru.” “Now, there are so many gurus. So whom shall I…? Where shall I go?” No. You shall go to a guru— samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12] You shall go to a guru who is brahma-nistham, a great devotee.

He is guru, not a so-called guru, gold-making guru. (laughter) Then another cheater. You see? So the Vedic injunction is brahma-nistham. That is guru, one who has full knowledge in Brahman. Athato brahma jijnasa. So here also in the Bhagavad-gita you’ll find who is guru.

Tattva-darsinah. Tad-vijnana… Tattva-darsinah, one who has seen the truth. Never says this magic player, no. Tattva-darsinah. This is the greatest magic, brahma-nistham. That is the greatest magic, how to become fixed up in Brahman.

That is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you become brahma-nistham, fixed up in Brahman, then all your miserable condition finished. Prasannatma. That is the sign. Everyone is trying to be very happy. So that you can be by brahma-nistham, by understanding that you are Brahman.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]

These are the preliminary stages to enter into the kingdom of devotional… Mad-bhaktim labhate param. After being… After going through this process—brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54], then you come to the transcendental platform, and that is business of brahma-bhutah stage.
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