The beginning of spiritual life is to accept the bona fide spiritual master

httpv://youtu.be/WNFcEjupbXU
video: An excerpt from lecture by HG Madhu Pandit Dasa | Published on Jul 4, 2013

Prabhupada, Mayapur, March 3, 1974: […] Srila Rupa Gosvami also says in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, adau gurvasrayam: the beginning of spiritual life is to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma prcchat. Then inquiry from the spiritual master. The approach should be by full surrender. Tad viddhi pranipatena, tattvam, etad viddhi [Bg. 4.34] By pranipatena. Prakrsta-rupena nipatam.

Just like we have learned how to offer obeisances to the spiritual master, to the gurus, falling down flat, pranipa, no reservation, falling flat—that is called pranipa—so one has to approach the spiritual master. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad vijnanartham. Tad means tattva.

In order to understand the tattva, the Absolute Truth, vijnana… Vijnana means practical science, not theoretical. Theoretical is jnana. When that is practically applied in life, that is called vijnanam. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore, the statement is there: jnanam me paramam guhyam yad vijnana-samanvitam. Jnana and vijnana.

So we are very much proud of seeing things. Somebody says, “Can you show me God?” But just try to understand what is the power of our eyes. Now there is no light, so our seeing power is vanished. In this way, all the powers of our senses are conditional.

Under certain condition we can see, under certain condition we can hear. Therefore at the present moment our life is conditional. We act, we see, we walk, we hear, we smell, we touch—under certain condition. Just like I have got my eyes.

Because my sight power is less, so I take the condition of a glass and try to see. Similarly, this material condition is like that. Spiritually, we have got the power of seeing, the power of hearing, the power of speaking, the power of touching, power of smelling, but because we are covered by this material body, all these powers have become conditional, not absolute.

So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta says purve, in the beginning. Acaryavan puruso veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of acarya. Acaryavan. This van word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata. So when one possesses the shelter of acarya, then his knowledge is perfect. Full Lecture