So we are very much proud of seeing things. Somebody says: "Can you show me God?" But just try to understand what is the power of our eyes. Now there is no light, so our seeing power is vanished. In this way, all the powers of our senses are conditional. Under certain condition we can see, under certain condition we can hear. Therefore at the present moment our life is conditional. We act, we see, we walk, we hear, we smell, we touch—under certain condition. Just like I have got my eyes. Because my sight power is less, so I take the condition of a glass and try to see. Similarly, this material condition is like that. Spiritually, we have got the power of seeing, the power of hearing, the power of speaking, the power of touching, power of smelling, but because we are covered by this material body, all these powers have become conditional, not absolute. So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life, or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says pūrve, "in the beginning." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of ācārya. Ācāryavān. This vān word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata(?). So when one possesses the shelter of ācārya, then his knowledge is perfect.
So the beginning of spiritual life . . . (aside) Oh? He doesn't require hearing? The beginning of life is gurvāśrayam, ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the beginning—every śāstra, every Vedic scripture. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He is the original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Ya. Brahmā, Brahmā is the first living creature within this universe. So he was also enlightened and educated by the Supreme Lord. Not that because he's Brahmā he's independent. Nobody is independent. Knowledge must be received from the authority, and the supreme authority is Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
So here Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His life, practical life. He's Kṛṣṇa, and He's personally speaking. Kṛṣṇa first of all spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but foolish persons, mūḍha . . . avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). So Kṛṣṇa was misunderstood. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). People misunderstood. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His five opulences—Himself, His expansion, His incarnation, His energy, personal energy and marginal energy . . . there is no association of the external energy, as it is said here, that guru-tattva-kahiyāchi, ebe pāñcera vicāra (CC Adi 7.3). Guru-tattva is also along with Him. He's also representative of the Supreme Lord. Acāryāṁ māṁ vijānīyān (SB 11.17.27).