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Challenging mood

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

One must be very intelligent to put questions to the spiritual master. Without questions you cannot make progress. So blind faith is never required, neither questions should be in a mood of challenge.
Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966: One must be very intelligent to put questions to the spiritual master. Without questions you cannot make progress. So blind faith is never required, neither questions should be in a mood of challenge. That should not. Questions or answers should be just to understand. And that should be accompanied with service. This is the mood. Whole Vedic process... Nobody can deny in the Vedic process that there is no need of spiritual master. There is. So śraddhāvān. Therefore the faithful, the faithful can acquire knowledge.
If you begin your service... God cannot be understood by our challenging mood.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972: When you... First of all you begin, how to try to learn how to love God. And when you are actually on the platform of love, prema, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti, you will see God always in His form. He becomes revealed. You haven't got to try to see, but He will reveal. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. When you engage your tongue... That beginning is tongue. Jihvādau sevonmukhe. If you begin your service... God cannot be understood by our challenging mood. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "First of all surrender. Then try to understand.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

You cannot approach God in challenging mood. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender first of all."

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972: the Lord is always prepared to bless His servant." He doesn't take any service. There is no need of service. Still, pleased—prasanna-hāsa. Prasanna, pleased. He doesn't require any service. But He... Why not accept this master? Why you are...? [break] Bhṛtya-prasāda. [break] Prasanna-hāsa. He is always pleased. Prasanna-hāsāruṇa, aruṇa-locanānanam. This is God. He doesn't require any service. Still, if you, somehow or other, if you approach there with this service attitude only... Because you cannot approach God in challenging mood. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender first of all." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is bhakti.

General Lectures

To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood.
Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968: And if you cannot please your spiritual master, then you must know that you do not know your whereabouts. You do not know where you are going. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was actually following the disciplic principles. He wanted to please Lord Caitanya submissively. To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood. The Bhagavad-gītā also explains in this way:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti jñānina
tad jñānaṁ tattva-darśinaḥ
[Bg. 4.34]
Tad viddhi praṇipātena. If you want to understand the spiritual science, then you have to approach to a person where you can completely surrender yourself. Because everyone is proud: "Oh, who can teach me? Why shall I go to a spiritual master? I know everything." That is the general mentality. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us direction that you should go to a person where you can fully surrender. So you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master where you can surrender your pride.
Page Title:Challenging mood
Compiler:Rati
Created:10 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:4