As many devotees are becoming aware of Srila Prabhupada’s position and continued presence as diksa guru, let us examine the true nature of our acceptance of him.

The disciple must have the following qualifications. He must give up interest in the material bodily conception. He must give up material lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. He should be interested only in understanding the science of God, and he should be ready to consider all points in this matter. He should no longer think, "I am this body," or, "This thing belongs to me." One must love the spiritual master with unflinching faith, and one must be very steady and fixed. The bona fide disciple should be inquisitive to understand transcendental subject matter. He must not search out faults among good qualities, and he should no longer be interested in material topics. His only interest should be Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

(C.C. Mad, 24.330)

Some of the qualifications mentioned above, are giving up material bodily conceptions and qualities such as lust, anger, greed, madness, and envy. This would indicate at least the attainment of the mode of goodness where one is free from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. The next qualification is that we should love the spiritual master with unflinching faith. The position of a disciple with love for the spiritual master is described in the C.C. Madhya Lila 17.95...”A disciple who has actual love for his spiritual master is endowed by the blessing of the spiritual master with all confidential knowledge.” The next qualification is that one must be steady and fixed. This would mean becoming free from all anartha’s and reaching the platform of nistha. If we study the qualifications of a bona-fide disciple in this way, we must admit it is a level, which most of us haven’t attained.

THE OFFICIAL INITIATION HAS NO MEANING

UNLESS ONE WHO HAS FULLY

SURRENDERED TO GURU

The official initiation has no meaning unless one who has fully surrender to guru. There is no question of initiation "dibya-jnana hrdi prokasito"

(S.B. Lec. New Vrndavana 1974)

SO THEY ARE SACRIFICING THEIR EVERTHING FOR ME. WHY? SIMPLY BY HEARING ME. THAT’S ALL.

God has given you these two ears and if you kindly submissively hear from the realized soul, then your life will be successful. Actually, that is happening. All these boys and girls who have come to me in different parts of the world, simply by hearing... I have not bribed them, I have no money. So they are sacrificing their everything for me. Why? Simply by hearing me. That's all. So the hearing is so strong.

 (S.P  Lecture. New Vrindavan, August31st, 1972)

The surrendering process is completed by the influence of association. The Lord has suggested, therefore, that by the influence of the speeches of saintly persons who have actually realized the Supreme, men are engaged in His transcendental loving service. The conditioned soul gets a taste for hearing about the Lord, and by such hearing only he is gradually elevated to the platform of respect, devotion and attachment for the Lord.

 (S.B.1.7.5)

Surrender to Vasudeva is the result of hearing about Him for many, many births.

(S.B. 9.19.29)

So this hearing... We are talking of the hearing. The hearing process is so important. All our, this institute, Krsna consciousness movement has spread because the students who have joined us, they have given aural reception, by hearing. The hearing, everything was changed within themselves and they have joined with full, whole-heartedness, and the... Going on. So hearing is so important. (B.G. Lecture 7.1. San Diego, July 1^st, 1972)

Prabhupada: Yes, Pulla Reddy, I have seen. (break) He is so much convinced in with our philosophy in Bombay, he is going to take sannyasa.

Mahamsa: Oh, in Hare Krsna Land?

Prabhupada: Yes. Although he is officially Shaivite, but he says that "I am so much convinced with your speech."

(Morning walk conversation, Hyderabad, April 20^th, 1974)

DANDAVAT CLASS,  HEARING CLASS

This hearing process is very, very important. But people are not interested in hearing. They are simply busy in some other duties. My Guru Maharaja used to say... One who was not interested in hearing, he used to call him a dandavat-class. Dandavat-class of men. That means simply he knows how to make dandavats, that's all. (laughter) Anyone who will come to him, he would see whether he is a dandavat-class of man or hearing class of man. So dandavat is nice, but by offering dandavat, if one does not develop the intent of hearing, sravanam, then he is not making very much progress. As you know, because I was little interested in hearing, my Guru Maharaja, he accepted me as his disciple. He marked this. ``This boy is interested in hearing. He does not go away.'' Actually, I do not know. I could not understand what he was speaking in the beginning, but still I was very much interested to hear him, out of curiosity or something like that.

(S.B. Lecture 1.2.8, Vrindavana 19th October, 1972)

Devotional service entails being initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and following his instruction in regard to hearing about the Lord. Such a bona fide spiritual master is accepted by regularly hearing from him about the Lord.

(S.B. 3.5.42)

Unless one gets this spiritual encouragement by following the instructions of the spiritual master, it is not possible to make advancement. Therefore, one's development of a taste for executing these instructions is the test of one's devotional service. Initially, one must develop confidence by hearing the science of devotion from a qualified spiritual master.

(C.C. Adi, 1.60)

One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorised person also has no potency.

One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed. The disciple, however, must be ready to execute the order of the bona fide spiritual master as Lord Brahma executed the instruction of his spiritual master, the Lord Himself. Following the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the only duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success.

(S.B. 2.9.8)

One should take shelter of a pure devotee, who has nothing to do with this material world but is simply engaged in devotional service. By serving him only, one can transcend the qualitative material condition. In this verse it is recommended (yogesvara-upasanaya) that one serve the lotus feet of the topmost yogi, or the devotee. To serve the topmost devotee means to hear from him about the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To hear the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the mouth of a pure devotee is to acquire a pious life.  (S.B. 4.22.22)

SO WE HAVE TO HEAR.

IF WE WANT TO DIMINISH OUR ANARTHAS.

So we have to hear. If we actually want to diminish our anarthas, then we must hear Krsna as He's speaking, without any interpretation. So this is the process of diminishing all dirty things within the heart. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah-stho. Krsna is hrdy antah-stho, within your heart. Vidhunoti. He washes all dirty things. Krsna is taking charge of washing your dirty things. Simply by hearing about, you... Why don't you take this opportunity? What is this nonsense? Krsna simply says that ``You hear about, from Me.'' Satatam kirtayanto mam. ``Always chanting about Me, and hearing about Me.'' Simple process. But the rascals will not take. They will make humbugs, jugglery of words: ``This is meaning, this is meaning, this is meaning.'' Therefore they do not advance. Andhah yathandair upaniyamanah. The story of anchor. The anchor was not taken, and the whole night they rowed on the boat, and it was where it was there.Now, the next verse is that if you hear about Krsna from Krsna or Krsna's representative, not from bogus men.

(S.B. Lecture, 29th October, 1972)

A GREAT INSTITUTION WAS LOST

BY WHIMSICAL WAYS

Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, amara ajnaya guru hana, ``You become a spiritual master under My order.'' So if you carry out the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna, then you become guru. Amara ajnaya guru haya. Unfortunately, we do not wish to carry out order of the acaryas. We manufacture our own ways. We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways. Without carrying out the order of the spiritual master, they manufactured something and the whole thing was lost. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura stresses very much on the words of the spiritual master. Vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. If you stick to the order of spiritual master, then, without caring for your own convenience or inconvenience, then you become perfect.

This is the confirmation of all authorities. We have to carry out very faithfully the order of the bona fide representative of Krsna. Then our life is successful. Then we can understand Krsna in truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam. We have to hear from the tattva-vit, not from the so-called scholars and politicians. No. One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly.

(S.B. Lec., 1.2.11 Vrndavana 22nd October, 1972)

The whole Gaudiya matha was lost due to whimsical ways. Being influenced by the material energy, certain individuals manufactured their own philosophy and neglected the order of Srila Bhaktissidanta Sarasvati Thakura Maharaja. We have already experienced the hand of maya working through certain motivated individuals in Srila Prabhupada’s society. This is only the beginning, we may find many more severe tests ahead of us, therefore we should protect ourselves by hearing from the tattva-vit Srila Prabhupada and in this way understand everything very clearly. If we neglect this we may find that the movement we are all dedicated to preserving and spreading, again jeopardised by whimsical ways.

IF WE HEAR ATTENTIVELY

SRILA PRABHUPADA BECOMES VERY HAPPY

When a student hears spiritual subjects attentively, the spiritual master becomes very happy.

(T.L.K. Chapter 7)

So when a person comes to a transcendentalist to inquire about sreya uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental subject matter, he becomes very happy. He becomes very happy. One who hears very attentively about the spiritual subject matter, the spiritual master becomes very happy.

(S.B. Lecture, 3.25.14)

LET'S INVITE SRILA PRABHUPADA TO SPEAK

AND MAKE HIM SMILE

TRANSLATION Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus the chief of the sages, who was always enthusiastic about describing topics regarding the Personality of Godhead, began to narrate the descriptive explanation of the Puranas, being so infused by Vidura. He was very much enlivened by speaking on the transcendental activities of the Lord.

PURPORT Great learned sages like Maitreya Muni are always very enthusiastic about describing the transcendental activities of the Lord. Maitreya Muni, being thus invited by Vidura to speak, appeared to be smiling because he actually felt transcendental bliss.

(S.B., 3.7.42)