God Is Spiritual Master - The Supreme Guide Within and Without
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate source of all knowledge and the original teacher of the universe. To deliver the conditioned souls from the entanglements of karma, the Lord actively guides them by acting as the supreme spiritual master both internally and externally.
The Original Teacher of Everyone
The flow of transcendental knowledge begins with the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that God is the instructor of the very first created being, Lord Brahmā, making Him the supreme spiritual master of all other gurus in the disciplic succession.
- There are many instances in the revealed scriptures of the Personality of Godhead's acting as the spiritual master from within. The Personality of Godhead was the spiritual master who instructed Brahma, the original living being in the cosmic creation.
- One should adopt the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described here as guror guruh, the spiritual master of all other spiritual masters.
- The disciple 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.
- One should not be misled by so-called gurus who are rascals and fools. Rather, one should directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the guru or instructor.
The Guide Within and Without
To ensure the conditioned soul receives perfect guidance, the Lord makes Himself available in two distinct ways. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Lord appears externally as the initiating guru and internally as Paramātmā to constantly direct the sincere devotee.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased to guide a devotee from within and without. From within He guides him as the Supersoul, and from without He guides him as the spiritual master.
- Within the heart of every living being the Lord Himself as the Supersoul becomes the spiritual master, and from without He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures, saints and the initiator spiritual master.
- He manifests Himself as spiritual master both internally and externally to help the conditioned soul both ways. Therefore He has been mentioned herein as gurum.
- The spiritual master outside and the spiritual master within are both representations of the Lord. Unless one has contact with such bona fide representations, one cannot claim to be a spiritual master.
The Internal Caitya-guru
The Lord is sitting in the heart of every living entity, perfectly aware of their desires. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a devotee becomes serious about spiritual life, the Lord acts as the caitya-guru, supplying the exact intelligence needed to return to the spiritual world.
- Krsna is sitting within your heart. Krsna is acting as your spiritual master, caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means the guru, or the spiritual master, who is sitting in my heart, citta.
- From within He is directing as caitya-guru, or the spiritual master sitting within the heart. Indirectly He is also helping the living entity by manifesting Himself as the spiritual master outside.
- The Lord sends the spiritual master to train a devotee, and when the devotee is advanced, the Lord acts as the spiritual master within his heart.
- The Lord Himself as Paramatma, or the spiritual master sitting within one's heart, gives the devotee exact directions by which he can gradually go back to Godhead.
Taking Shelter of the Supreme Instructor
Because the living entities are bewildered by material illusion, they cannot solve the problems of life independently. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that one must consciously accept the Supreme Lord as their ultimate spiritual master, just as great personalities in the Vedic histories have done.
- Although Arjuna was putting forward so many arguments based on knowledge of the principles of religion and moral codes, it appears that he was unable to solve his real problem without the help of the spiritual master, Lord Sri Krsna.
- She said: My dear Kapila, You have come as my son, but You are my guru because You can inform me how I can cross the ocean of nescience, which is the material world.
- We are interested in self-realization. Therefore we accept You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as our spiritual master, for You are able to see in all directions and are omniscient like the sun.
- Such gurus are accepted by those who are blind, not knowing the goal of life. Maharaja Satyavrata, however, knew the goal of life. He knew the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he accepted the Lord as his guru.
Conclusion
The presence of the spiritual master is the ultimate manifestation of God's mercy. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead leaves no stone unturned in His effort to reclaim the conditioned souls. By acting as Paramātmā within the heart, He guides the living entity internally, and by manifesting as the bona fide spiritual master externally, He provides practical, personalized training. Whether studying the Bhagavad-gītā or navigating the challenges of daily life, a sincere soul must recognize the Lord as their supreme teacher. By submissively hearing from Him and His authorized representatives, the devotee successfully crosses the ocean of material existence and returns to the eternal shelter of Bhagavan.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Spiritual Master. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.