The Advanced Spiritual Master Sees Everything in Relation to Kṛṣṇa
The ability to perceive the spiritual reality behind the temporary material facade is the hallmark of a self-realized soul, as Śrīla Prabhupāda continuously points out in his profound purports. While conditioned beings view the world through the distorted lenses of lust, greed, and fear, an advanced spiritual master sees the presence and potencies of the Supreme Lord everywhere. By exploring these instances of transcendental vision described by Śrīla Prabhupāda, we can appreciate how pure devotees accurately diagnose the spiritual condition of others and recognize the hand of Bhagavān in all circumstances.
Seeing the Inquisitiveness of the Disciple
Before a spiritual master imparts confidential knowledge or initiates a student, he carefully observes their heart. As Śrīla Prabhupāda notes from his own experience and scriptural injunctions, the guru specifically looks for genuine inquisitiveness, submissiveness, and an eagerness to hear the transcendental message.
- My Guru Maharaja accepted me as a disciple because he saw in the beginning I was very inquisitive to hear him.
- Before making guru, the system is, for one year the prospective disciple should hear from the person and then decide. And similarly, the guru also see a person who is actually submissive or not. That is Vaisnava injunction, Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
- If he sees that a disciple has become competent and purified by the process of chanting, he offers the sacred thread to the disciple just so that he will be recognized as one-hundred-percent equal with a brahmana.
- The great sage Narada was the spiritual master of Dhruva Maharaja. Certainly he was very glad to see Dhruva's glories.
Seeing the Supreme Lord Everywhere
A pure devotee is never bereft of the Lord's association because their eyes are anointed with love. Śrīla Prabhupāda vividly contrasts the vision of a materialist, who sees the world only for exploitation, with the vision of a pure devotee like Prahlāda Mahārāja, who can see the Supreme Lord even within a pillar.
- Just as those who are greedy see everything as a source of money-making and those who are lusty see everything as being conducive to sex, the most perfect devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, saw Narayana even within a stone column.
- When Nrsimhadeva appeared, Prahlada Maharaja saw the Lord as the supreme solace, whereas his father, a demon, saw Him as the ultimate death.
- Lord Brahma saw the Supreme Brahman, by whose energy this entire universe, with its moving and nonmoving living beings, is manifested. He also saw at the same time all the calves and boys as the Lord's expansions.
- Then, looking in all directions, Brahma immediately saw Vrndavana before him, filled with trees, which were the means of livelihood for the inhabitants and which were equally pleasing in all seasons.
Seeing the True Danger of Material Illusion
Advanced sages can immediately diagnose the spiritual sickness caused by material opulence. Rather than being impressed by wealth or power, Śrīla Prabhupāda illustrates how great personalities like Nārada Muni see how false prestige intoxicates the conditioned soul, and they act out of immense compassion to rectify the situation.
- O Maharaja Pariksit, by some auspicious opportunity for the two boys, the great saint Devarsi Narada once appeared there by chance. Seeing them intoxicated, with rolling eyes, he could understand their situation.
- Seeing the two sons of the demigods naked and intoxicated by opulence and false prestige, Devarsi Narada, in order to show them special mercy, desired to give them a special curse.
- When Sukracarya saw that Bali Maharaja had risked all of his possessions, he understood that this would cause havoc not only to the King but also to the family of Sukracarya, who was dependent on Maharaja Bali's mercy.
- Kasyapa Muni saw that his wife, Aditi, had some material desires for the welfare of her sons, but still he advised her to render devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Seeing the Universal Potencies Subordinate to Kṛṣṇa
When the curtain of illusion is lifted, advanced souls witness how the intricate mechanisms of the universe operate perfectly under the Lord's command. Through the realizations of Lord Brahmā, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that concepts like time, desire, and the modes of nature are actually living potencies completely subordinate to Kṛṣṇa.
- Lord Brahma saw samskara and kama, their own independence being completely subordinate to the potency of the Lord, had all taken forms and were also worshiping those visnu-murtis.
- Lord Brahma saw that kala and svabhava, their own independence being completely subordinate to the potency of the Lord, had all taken forms and were also worshiping those visnu-murtis.
- Lord Brahma saw that karma and the gunas, their own independence being completely subordinate to the potency of the Lord, had all taken forms and were also worshiping the visnu-murtis.
- When Brahma took away Krsna's associates to test the supremacy of Lord Krsna, the Lord expanded Himself again in the forms of the many cowherd boys and calves, all of whom, as Brahma saw, were visnu-murtis.
Conclusion
The transcendental vision of an advanced spiritual master is essential for guiding the blind conditioned souls. Because their consciousness is deeply absorbed in the Absolute Truth, as Śrīla Prabhupāda so wonderfully explains, they see past the superficial material coverings and recognize the eternal relationship everything has with Kṛṣṇa. By taking shelter of such a self-realized soul, who sees both the dangers of māyā and the ever-present mercy of the Supreme Lord, a disciple is safely directed back home, back to Godhead.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category A Spiritual Master Sees. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.