View source for First beginning of Vaisnava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, then other things. Because who will teach you?

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{{terms|"First beginning of Vaisnava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, adau gurvasrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you"}}
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[[Category:First]]
[[Category:Beginning Of Life]]
[[Category:Life of a Devotee of God]]
[[Category:Vaisnava - Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Accepting a Guru]]
[[Category:Accepting a Spiritual Master]]
[[Category:Acceptance of a Devotee of God]]
[[Category:Other Things]]
[[Category:Because]]
[[Category:Who Will]]
[[Category:Teaching]]
[[Category:Questions Posed by Srila Prabhupada]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB7928MayapurMarch61976_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="835" link="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976">
<div class="heading">First beginning of Vaiṣṇava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, ādau gurvāśrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you? So we have to approach a pure Vaiṣṇava as spiritual master, follow his instruction.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976|Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So this is the process. Tava bhṛtya-sevā. We have to... Ādau gurvāśrayam. First beginning of Vaiṣṇava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, ādau gurvāśrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you? So we have to approach a pure Vaiṣṇava as spiritual master, follow his instruction. And what is his instruction? His instruction is as he was instructed by his spiritual master. He does not invent instruction. This is instruction. The pure Vaiṣṇava, he does not invent anything new. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You all, every one of you become guru, everyone." Āmāra ājñāya guru haña tāra ei deśa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]). Wherever you are living, it doesn't require that you have to travel all over the world. If you have no such capacity, it doesn't matter. You remain wherever you are, but you become a guru. "How I become a guru?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa: ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 7.128|CC Madhya 7.128]]) "Very simple thing. You instruct only what is instructed by Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Don't invent. Don't become overintelligent. Remain a poor fool. Guru more mūrkha dekhi śāsana, korilā śāsana ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 7.71|CC Adi 7.71]]). Caitanya Mahāprabhu also presenting Himself as a great fool because He says, "My Guru Mahārāja found Me a great fool." He was a fool? He was Kṛṣṇa Himself. But one should remain always a fool before Guru Mahārāja. That is progress. If he thinks, "I know more than my Guru Mahārāja," then he's fallen. Yasyāprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Then he is finished. So we should always remain a fool before the spiritual master, even though one is incarnation, not that "I am incarnation; therefore I have become God." No. Even if you are incarnation, you should remain a humble servant. That is that, tava bhṛtya-sevām. Prahlāda Mahārāja is... Daityānāṁ prahlādo 'smi. The Supreme Personality of Godhead incarnates in different societies, different platforms, and He says, "Amongst the Daityas..." Amongst the Daityas, there are also devotees. So prahlādo 'smi. Prahlāda Mahārāja is saktyāveṣāvatāra, but still, he says that kathāṁ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām: "How can I give up this service?" Prahlāda Mahārāja does not say, "My Lord, Nṛsiṁhadeva, I am now so competent. Give me Your service directly." No. Tava bhṛtya-sevām: "First of all give me the opportunity to serve Your servant." This is Vaiṣṇavism.</p>
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