John Fahey: Mainly alone.
Prabhupāda: Anyway, you have followed somebody at least, standard.
John Fahey: Oh, yeah, people I heard.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is the way of learning what is God. The main business is that one must know God. It is not that because I approach some person and he did not know, he could not give me the right knowledge of God, then I give up this idea of knowing God. No. That will not . . . that is not good for human life. Then you remain animal. I might have been cheated or I might not have approached the proper person, but that does not mean I can stop that idea. That is not . . .
In another place it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). One who is actually inquisitive to understand the highest benefit of life, he must approach a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ. Jijñāsu means inquisitive. Śreya—the highest benefit of life. Uttamam—highest. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Ṣābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ (SB 11.3.21).
What is the qualification of such a person? Ṣābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ: he is completely well versed in the transcendental science. And what is the symptom that he is well versed? Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam: he has taken shelter of Brahma or Kṛṣṇa or God, upāsanā, finishing all material desires. These two things: he is a devotee, but he has no more material desires. He must be well versed in the science, he must be a devotee, and he has no attraction for material things. These three things if you can find, then he's perfect guru.