So one has to learn this. But they cannot learn because they do not undergo austerity. That is the defect. No education is there how to perform austerity. Therefore Vedic civilization is how to teach small children austerities. That is brahmacārī. So we want to start this brahmacārī āśrama, or gurukula, to learn austerity from the beginning of life. Then their life will be successful. They'll understand. Not to become a grammarian. That is not our... So we should take lesson from Brahmājī, our grandfather, that pariśuddha-bhāvāḥ tīvra-tapasā. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, mercy, that we haven't got to undergo tīvra-tapasā. But we are thinking, "This is also very difficult." What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. But they are taking it very, very severe. What is the severity? We don't say "No sex," but "No illicit sex." This much tapasya, austerity, you cannot follow? Tapasya must be there. Unless you undergo tapasya, there is no rescue. Even Brahmā had to perform tapasya, what to speak of us. You cannot avoid it. Tapasā brahmacaryena (SB 6.1.13). Tapasya begins from brahmacarya: no illicit sex, no sex. But that is not possible. At least stop illicit sex. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). This is very important thing.
So we should always remember that without... Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, "My dear sons, this human form of life, don't live like cats and dogs. Don't spoil your life." Then what to do? Now, tapaḥ: "Undergo..." Just like Brahmā was advised. Brahmā is the son of Viṣṇu, so when he was perplexed, the same advice was given, tapaḥ. So he underwent. He underwent tapasā, tīvra-tapasā. Tīvra means very severe. So we are advised, tīvra, tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena. It is said in the śāstra,
- akāmaḥ sarva kāmo vā
- mokṣa kāma udāra-dhīḥ
- tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
- yajeta paramaṁ puruṣaḥ
- (SB 2.3.10)
This is injunction. We are mixed up. Somebody has got all desire to fulfill within this material world, sarva-kāma. They never become desireless—increasing, increasing, increasing, one after another. And that is... They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. And akāma means no more desire. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So we have to purify ourself. So to purify ourself means don't desire anything material. "Then I shall become void of desire?" No, not void of desire. Real desire must be there. Therefore we are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. Āra... "No more. That's all." Āra nā koriyā mane āśa. We are singing daily. You must understand what is the meaning. Because we are bewildered, we are misdirected, So, so guru's word, that should be taken seriously. Āra nā koriyā... "No more, anything." That is... Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.
"So how I can find out the real guru by whose words I'll be nicely directed and achieve?" That is not very difficult. You read Bhagavad-gītā. You'll understand. Just like Arjuna. When he was perplexed, he accepted Kṛṣṇa-guru. He said, śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "I become Your (disciple) now... We are talking friendly. The argument will not be ended. Now I become Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'ham. Because as soon as one becomes a śiṣya... Śiṣya means under the order, regulation. A person cannot disobey the order of guru. Then he is śiṣya. If he argues, he's not śiṣya. He's not a śiṣya. Therefore Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'ham: "I surrender, voluntarily surrender to become Your disciple. Now I shall not argue." That is called śiṣya. If you argue, then you are not a śiṣya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. This is tapasya, that "I shall not act anything which is not ordered by my guru," that tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1). Then we'll be nicely guided, and then sattva śuddhyam... Then our this existence will be purified. And as soon as our existence is purified, then we realize the situation, what is God, what is our relationship with Him, what is our activities, athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādya asya yataḥ, everything.