Duties of Students of a Spiritual Master
The Vedic system of education is not based on merely acquiring academic information; it is a profound process of spiritual transformation. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that transcendental knowledge cannot be achieved by a fertile brain or independent study. It must be received through the descending process from a bona fide spiritual master. To qualify for this transmission of absolute truth, the student must adopt a life of strict discipline, profound submissiveness, and dedicated service. By living under the protective and regulatory guidance of the guru, the student's heart is cleansed, allowing them to become completely free from the material concept of life.
Submissiveness and Strict Discipline
The foundation of a student's life is obedience. In the traditional guru-kula system, the brahmacārī lives entirely for the benefit of the spiritual master, controlling his senses and rendering menial service.
- When a bona fide student approaches a bona fide spiritual master, he submissively prays to the spiritual master, "My dear lord, kindly accept me as your student."
- A student should practice completely controlling his senses. He should be submissive and should have an attitude of firm friendship for the spiritual master. With a great vow, the brahmacari should live at the guru-kula, only for the benefit of the guru.
- Being called by the spiritual master, the student should study the Vedic mantras regularly. Every day, before beginning his studies and at the end of his studies, the disciple should respectfully offer obeisances unto the spiritual master.
- A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.
- He (a brahmacari) takes food only under the master's order, and if the master neglects to call the student for food that day, the student fasts. These are some of the Vedic principles for observing brahmacarya.
- If by chance the spiritual master forgets to call a disciple to partake of the prasada, it is enjoined in the scriptures that the student should fast on that day rather than accept food on his own initiative.
The Descending Process of Knowledge
Vedic knowledge is known as śruti, meaning that which is heard. A sincere student does not try to figure out God through mental speculation, but submissively hears from the transparent medium of the guru.
- By ascending knowledge, one tries to elevate himself by his own effort, but by descending knowledge one receives the knowledge from a superior source. In the Vedic tradition, knowledge is imparted to the student from the spiritual master, as in Bhagavad-gita.
- Formerly, the Vedas were heard by the student from the spiritual master, and thus the Vedas became known as sruti, meaning - that which is heard.
- The Lord is not to be found simply by education or by a good fertile brain, but surely He can be found by the sincere student through the transparent medium of the bona fide spiritual master.
- The inquisitive student must approach a qualified spiritual master to receive transcendental knowledge by surrender, submissive inquiries and service. Knowledge received by submissive inquiries and service is more effective than in exchange for money.
- In this way (BG 4.1) the message is transmitted in the bona fide spiritual disciplic succession from bona fide spiritual master to bona fide student.
Practical Examples of Sincere Students
The Vedic histories are filled with examples of great personalities who perfectly executed the duties of a student, showing that genuine submission guarantees success.
- Lord Rsabhadeva for a while became a student in the gurukula, and after returning, He followed the orders of His guru and accepted a wife named Jayanti, who had been given to Him by the King of heaven, Indra. He begot a hundred sons in the womb of Jayanti.
- Sanjaya was a student of Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so, he asked Sanjaya about the situation on the battlefield.
- This art (of mrta-sanjivani) was known to Sukracarya and many others, and Kaca, the son of Brhaspati, became Sukracarya's student to learn it.
The Duty of Guru-dakṣiṇā
Education in the guru-kula is not purchased with tuition fees. Instead, the student incurs a debt of gratitude to the spiritual master, which is repaid through service and a final offering.
- Offering by the student to the teacher or spiritual master is called guru-daksina. It is essential that a student satisfy the teacher in return for any learning received, either material or spiritual.
- If possible, the student or disciple should reward the spiritual master with the remuneration the spiritual master requests, and then, following the master's order, the disciple should leave and accept one of the other asramas, namely the grhastha-asrama.
The Ultimate Result of Proper Training
By strictly adhering to the instructions of the spiritual master, the student is elevated above material ignorance. They become firmly established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and can practically apply spiritual knowledge in all aspects of life.
- The Vedic knowledge is mother, and the spiritual master is the father. So samskarad bhaved dvijah. The spiritual master trains the student gradually. That is called initiation. That is called dvija.
- A spiritual master teaches his students to get free from the material concept of life by various instructions. For instance, in Bhagavad-gita we find Krsna instructing Arjuna to free him from materialistic considerations.
- By following the instructions of the bona fide spiritual master in conjunction with the principles of revealed scriptures, the student will rise to the plane of complete knowledge.
- What is the use in becoming a scientist or a philosopher if we cannot say what our next life will be? A realized student of Krsna consciousness can very easily say what his next life is, what God is, what the living entity is and what his relationship with God is.
Conclusion
The relationship between a student and a spiritual master is the cornerstone of Vedic civilization. It requires the student to completely abandon the proud, independent mentality of the material world and adopt a mood of absolute submissiveness, rigorous discipline, and loving service. By acting as an obedient brahmacārī and offering proper guru-dakṣiṇā, the student qualifies themselves to receive the descending mercy of the Lord. Ultimately, a sincere student who exactly follows the instructions of the spiritual master is guaranteed to break free from bodily illusion and rise to the perfection of complete spiritual realization.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Students of a Spiritual Master. We invite you to click this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.