“But how you can get knowledge without authoritative studies of books and science and philosophy?”
Prabhupada, London, August 22, 1973: […] Everyone is born rascal and fool. Nobody, otherwise, if you are learned, if you know things, then why do you go to a school and college and pass university? It is a fact. Animals. If we do not cultivate knowledge, then we are as good as animals. Now another animal is saying that there is no need of books, and he has become guru. But how you can get knowledge without authoritative studies of books and science and philosophy? But they are trying to avoid this. So imagine what kind of guru and what kind of disciple.
So sastra says, parabhavas tavad abodha-jato. Abodha-jato. Everyone is born rascal, fool. He has to be enlightened, he has to be given knowledge, and he has to receive knowledge to make his life perfect. Therefore parabhavah means one who does not make his life perfect, he’s being defeated. What is the defeat? Struggle for existence. We are trying to get better life. Here also, in this life also, we are struggling hard for getting better position. So real better position we do not know. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: sah amrtatvaya kalpate. Here in this material world there is no better position because there is death. You may possess a very good better position, but you’ll have to give it up. Either the better position will give up you, or ultimately you have to give up that better position. You cannot stay. Suppose you have earned millions of dollars, millions of pounds: “Now we have got good bank balance.” You think, “Now I am in the better position.” A little dysentery, or cholera, dysentery—finished, better position. Or the bank fails—that better position gone. So there is no better position in this material world. It is a false. Therefore those who are trying to get better position in this material world, they are simply becoming defeated, because there is no better position. He’s a rascal. He’s thinking this is better position. What is better position? Then Bhagavad-gita says the better position is amrtatva. Sah amrtatvaya kalpate: “Don’t die. Keep your position firm.” That is better position. So is there any science to give knowledge how one becomes immortal? Yes, there is. You can become immortal. Not in this material science; not in the so-called universities. But there is knowledge in the Vedic scripture by which you can become immortal. That is better position. No more death, no more birth, no more old age, no more disease. So guru’s task is very great responsibility. He has to guide the disciple how to make him quite eligible candidate to get the perfect position, immortality, back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much. (end)
Lecture: What is a Guru?
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
London, August 22, 1973
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