Approaching a Qualified Spiritual Master

“To receive this knowledge one should approach a qualified Spiritual Master with submissive inquiries and render service unto him. Such self-realized souls will impart knowledge unto you because they know the truth perfectly.”

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

PURPORT BY SRI KRSNA BALARAM SWAMIJI

It has already been demonstrated that the living entity and the Lord are both eternal, nato evaham gate nasam (Gita 2.2): “There was never a time when I did not exist, nor you,” and, ajo’pi san avyayatma (Gita 4.6): “I am unborn, and My body never deteriorates.” When one learns the knowledge of the Absolute, the knowledge of the soul is automatically included. The person interested in knowledge of the Absolute must first accept a qualified Spiritual Master and, with due respect, offer him full obeisances, then submissively ask about the cause of one’s entanglement and the process of liberation. Those kind of question are best asked after some service has been rendered, because the answers of the Spiritual Master are more effective when he is satisfied. Moreover, the Absolute Truth cannot be understood with a challenging spirit. One should therefore serve the Spiritual Master as his humble servant. When the Spiritual Master sees the student is seriously desiring to understand spiritual life, he gives the knowledge how how to become connected to the Absolute Truth. The empowered Spiritual Master is a via medium of God because he has seen the truth, his heart is filled with mercy, and he can even show the Lord personally. To reach God, Sri Krsna, one must go through a qualified Spiritual Master. As it is said in the Vedic literature:

tad vijnanartham sa guur evabhi gacchet
sameet panah srotriyam brahma nistham
(Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12)

“To learn the transcendental science of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead a person should approach, with folded hands, a self-realized Spiritual Master who is expert in Vedic literatures and fixed in devotional service to the Lord.”

[Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God, 4.34, KBS0151]

PHOTO: Sri Krsna Balaram Swami, 2017 Himalaya pilgrimage