20151004 Class

So one doctor wrote, I have a test for second initiation and the regular test for educated people, 60 questions, and the test for uneducated, 12 questions, and they can answer orally. 

One doctor said, “I will take the oral test”, that man, he was saying he's an uneducated doctor. How can a doctor be uneducated.(laughter) Then we said, what is this, you are saying uneducated? He said,” In spiritual science”. (Guru Maharaja and all devotees laugh)

So Prabhupāda, he has given us all these books, Bhāgavat purana, Bhagavad-Gīta, Caitanya Caritāmṛita, and many other books. And when I was a new devotee, in 1968, he said you have have to read the Bhagavad Gīta ten times, then I'll give you initiation. Now very few people read, even we ask two times.

So I read ten times and then I was giving an accredited course, in Loyola University, in Montreal Canada. Although I personally left college, to join Prabhupāda. 

So that's how powerful his books are. And they were happy, because I knew the Bhagavad Gīta inside out.

 Questions?

Don't, don’t, don't be afraid.

Dr.Krishna is saying that Krishna prem answered all my questions.

 Dr.Krishna Prem Prabhu : I think by next year most of them will take  up shelter.

 Guru Mahārāja : Someone had advised me, that whenever Prabhupāda give a lecture, at the end when he asked for questions, try to think of an intelligent question and ask a question, even if you know the answer or you think you know it, just to hear from Prabhupāda again. 

So every class I think one question, I want to ask. And then sometimes he would just answer the question. One time I asked a question about Rādhārāṇī, and I was just a new devotee, and he said "Who are you to ask a question on Rādhārāṇī?" [Guru Mahārāja shows actions and all devotees laugh]

But later, I had to work outside to bring money to pay for Prabhupāda's rent. So I listened to the classes in the morning, and at the end of the class he said, "Any questions?”. No, no questions. He said, “Where is Bhakta Jay? He asks good questions.” (Joyous expression) I was flying high.

 

Dr.Krishna Prem prabhu : Mahārāja, if you can explain to them the significance of Guru tattvā, so that they will be able to completely surrender to the principle of Guru tattvā.

Guru Mahārāja : In the mangala arathi, when we sing Guru astakam, that pretty well gives the synopsis of the Guru tattvā. The point is that, in the beginning we can't see Krishna, so the Guru is our via medium between us and Krishna. He connects us to the Guru parampara, the Diksha Guru. 

One has one Diksha Guru, he may have many shiksha Gurus. Siksha Gurus have two qualities, the ones who just give general good advice and some who are like, on a similar level as the Diksha Guru. the Diksha Guru gives us the mantra. Prabhupāda said,” I'm both the Diksha Guru and the Diksha Guru”. Usually the Diksha Guru gives us training and instructions. So Diksha Guru is supposed to only give instructions that are mentioned in the scripture or by his Guru or on the lives of great devotees. And if you ask him, he should be able to substantiate any instruction. 

So in this way he pleases Kṛṣṇa, by accepting the service of devotees, and guiding them back to the spiritual realm, where we actually belong. There, there is no disease, so no job for doctors. (All laugh) No old age, no death. And since there's no death, there's no rebirth. And there everyone is connected by love. And Lord comes down from the spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa comes once in a day of Brahma, and Rāma comes once in a day of Brahma.

So Kṛṣṇa is the original form of Godhead, the original Godhead, and He has unlimited forms and that's why they're so many religions, because the faith that people have, dictates which type of form they have in their religion.

So the Guru, his job is to actually correct the disciple or guide the disciple. You see, the Guru doesn't.., nobody likes to have to correct other devotees. But that's the Guru's service. So we offer our worship, we take the blessings of Guru. Like when we offer Aarti, we show the article to the Guru parampara and offer it to Kṛṣṇa and offer the prasad down to the Guru parampara. 

So in the Padma Purāna, there's a quote that says, unless one receives the mantras, from one of the four bona fide paramparas, his mantra will be fruitless, nishphaltah. so to this.. the Brahma sampradaya, Lakshmi sampradaya, Four Kumaras, and Lord Sīva. And so we're in the Brahma sampradaya, coming down from Madhvacarya. But Lord Caitanya united all the four sampradayas.

And it was like…. the son of the head priest of Sri Rangam, he came to be one of the six goswamis of Vṛndāvana, Gopal Bhatta. But this is a big topic. How.. how.. Guru Tattvā and Sīva tattva these are very confusing, because they are bridges, from the material world to the spiritual world. 

So with this, Lakshmi Priya have any, Lakshmi what.. Vijaya Lakshmi, she thought of a question?  

Dr.Krishna Prem Prabhu : Do you think of a question after hearing about Guru tattvā?

She says, why doyou always put me on the hot seat. (laughter)

Guru Mahārāja :They told me that you had questions. 

You see the hall was filled, and then everybody bowed down to Prabhupāda, when he walked in, and everybody faced their feet to the deities. Prabhupāda hit Brahmānanda, with his cane, "Why are you pointing your feet to the deities?" 

Brahmānanda thought, “Why.me,. everyone is.. why me, everyone?”  

He didn't say, he thought.

Then he thought, that the Guru must think, that I have enough faith that I can take it and others may resent it.

Mataji : I am speechless, dumb struck.

Mataji : I want to ask something, like few people they come to temple and Krishna consciousness and in one or two years, take Guru, Diksha and all. And many people they come for so many years still they don’t get that blessings or they don’t get Diksha. Why it is like that?

Guru Mahārāja : Good question. Good question. Why? 

You see, of course taking initiation is free. It's a freewill. So it's a question of faith. Now somebody has faith, they should take, and like Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-Gīta that if you have doubt, you cannot advance. You can doubt anything, but it should be a reasonable doubt. So if you have a doubt, you should ask a question. 

And if all your questions are answered, if Guru's life is matching up with his speech, then you can take initiation.

Prabhupāda, he took Guru ashraya, but he waited ten years, because he wanted to be a perfect disciple. And he always felt that he was less than perfect. And some God brother told him, that, you shouldn't think, you will be perfect without the mercy of the Guru. We need to have Guru, then you will be perfect. So then he took initiation. And then he felt, he was very fortunate.

So there are different reasons. 

Each person may be different, some people have faith in one Guru, another Guru. Generally they may think that they can be more perfect. All kinds of reasons, but reasonable reasons, not much.

If the Guru is, say someone took ashraya of Guru, and he finds that the Guru is very angry, for no reason he is yelling at disciples, loses his temper. You may think, I don't want this as my Guru. 

Or if you see, some like Guru says one thing or does something else. These are all kinds of reasons that are valid. When one sees that Kṛṣṇa is sending you a Guru, and then there is no reason not to take, His mercy, but then still you hesitate, that case may be, one that’s not proper.

I don't find one that much, most people they take Guru. But that's why before initiation, you should ask questions, you should be very clear. Just like before marriage you can ask all the questions. Once you are married.. (laughter). Of course now we have divorce, but it's not, it's not acceptable by shastra. But it's good if they ask questions beforehand. 

So if someone's  waiting a long time, you may ask "Why are you waiting?" and if that person says, he wants, he or she wants, to be perfect before taking, then tell about Prabhupada and what happened to him. And if they say something else, you can think accordingly. 

Some people don't read the books, and they don't know what the Guru is for? 

I was once in Silchar, in lower Assam, and one lady she approached me. I didn't know her. 

She said: Gurudev!! Gurudev!! Oh Gurudev, give me your blessings. Give me your ashirvaad.

I said what blessings you want? All I have, I have Gastro enteritis, sick. (laughter)

..??go to the doctors, that's not my specialty. 

So there are all kinds of people. Some people don't take, because they feel they're not ready yet. Now we let people come at their own speed, and we don't want to pressure anybody, because it's better, if we pressure they may leave, and then what do we gain? Let them come and with the proper association, they should want to take shelter of Guru.

How many here are initiated? (devotees raise hand)

How many are taking Guru ashraya? 

How many are taking aspiration? (devotees raise hand)

So there are many people who are going step by step. By taking  aspiration or evenGuru ashraya one can change (Guru). One can ask the Guru for blessings and change. After initiation you shouldn't change. 

How.., one may think, how I know the Guru if I don't take shelter or take aspiration, and get closer to him. How I know, just like, how you know the doctor is good? You take this treatment and if your disease is cured then you know he's good.

Mathaji : But Guru Maharaja, one thing, suppose I take aspirant or Guru ashraya, and suppose I am doing some, some kind of sin, maybe knowingly or unknowingly, then it will go to Guru no? or it will go to that person?

Guru Mahārāja :When you take aspiration or shelter, you are still not taking any vows and you're just practicing. So unless the Guru gives you some wrong instruction that means that he is responsible. 

If you just do some sin, then that person is responsible. After initiation, Guru also gets it, the person and the Guru both suffer. That's called a Guru drohi, the killer of the Guru. That's after initiation. Especially after second initiation, it's more serious, but..?? 

So that's why we like to see people chanting sixteen rounds and following the principles, for a year or more, and when they feel they are ready then they take initiation. But they've already had time to try it out, they see this working and they feel better. 

So aspiration and shelter, there is no karma. 

And I pray for the aspiring, sheltered, the initiated and the siksha disciples everyday. Also I pray for those who ask me, to help them, and to take interest in their spiritual life. And those who ask me to bless them, I pray for them.

But I got thousands people who ask me, so I can't say everybody's name, all the time. But I know that Krishna, He can calculate, He has unlimited intelligence.

So I say, please give mercy to me, to my initiated disciples, aspiring disciples, sheltered disciples, siksha disciples. So if someone want me to bless them, they just have to ask me. Those who took aspiring or shelter, they also on prayer list.