Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact. So He is advising everyone, especially those who are born in India,
- bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
- janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
- (CC Adi 9.41)
That is His mission. He is requesting every Indian, every Indian, because they have got the facility for understanding what is Bhagavad-gita, what is Srimad-Bhagavatam, what is Vedas. They have got this opportunity. Therefore He says, janma sarthaka kari': "You have taken your birth in India. You make your life successful by taking advantage of these scriptures and then assimilate the knowledge and preach all over the world." They are in darkness. That is being repeatedly said. But we are not taking advantage of. We are so misfortunate. We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavan. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavan and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, amara ajnaya guru hana: (CC Madhya 7.128) "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Amara ajnaya guru hana.
Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Krsna or His representative. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. He is ordering, amara ajnaya, "By My order," guru hana, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low." A devotee always thinks like that. He never thinks that "I have become very great man." Just like Caitanya-caritamrta, author of, he says, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha (CC Adi 5.205). Purisa, purisa means stool, and there are worms in the stool. So Caitanya-caritamrta author is saying that "I am lower than the worms in the stool." That is Vaisnava conception. Trnad api sunicena. He is very humble. He never says, "Oh, I am the Supreme. I have become God." A most rascal, foolish. So that is not... Therefore we have to follow. If we actually want to become guru, there is necessity of many thousands of gurus to teach this cheated public. But how to become guru? That is... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya: "By My order." "What is Your order, Sir?" Yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then you become guru. You simply advise people to follow Krsna's instruction. Then you become guru.
So that is our mission. This Krsna consciousness movement is that we are simply trying to convince people what Krsna has said, that's all. We are not manufacturing anything. So that is our business. Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru (BG 18.65). We are training our disciples "Just always think of Krsna, chant Hare Krsna, and become Krsna's devotee, offer Him prasadam, dress Him nicely." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: "Worship Me." Worship Krsna, the same thing. Krsna says, "Worship Me"; we are saying, "Worship Krsna." Krsna says, "Surrender unto Me"; we are saying, "Surrender to Krsna." So we have no difficulty. To become a guru there is no difficulty, provided we repeat the same thing as Krsna says. And if you say something more or less, then you are not a guru. Very simple thing. Very simple thing.
So that is advised here, animitta bhagavati, bhagavati bhaktih. You cannot manufacture the ways of bhakti. Bhagavati, what is advised by Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture a line of dharma. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Lord. You cannot manufacture, "This dharma, that dharma, this dhar..." No. Dharma is one. Dharma cannot be different. Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.
Therefore Bhagavata says, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Srimad-Bhagavatam." Dharmah projjhita. Projjhita, prakrsta-rupena ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhagavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhagavati bhaktih. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavan. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavan and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavan then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavan is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavan and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavan is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavan, feeding the Bhagavan, chanting the Bhagavan's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavan, to publish books about Bhagavan. This is bhakti, bhakti bhagavati, simply in relation with Bhagavan, no other business, animitta, without any material desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam (Brs. 1.1.11). There is no touch even of jnana. Jnana means speculation. And trying to understand the Absolute Truth by his... (break)
- jnanam parama-guhyam me
- yad vijnana-samanvitam
- sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca
- grhana gaditam maya
These are the instruction of Lord Krsna to Brahma. Sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca. Anga, this bhakti-anga, this sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam (SB 7.5.23), these are different, I mean to say, branches, or not actually branches, different phases or features of bhakti, to hear just like we are hearing and chanting. I am speaking, chanting; you are hearing. This is bhakti. Sravanam kirtanam. What we are chanting and hearing? Visnu, not any other one. No. Visnu. Visnu. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. You cannot say any other demigod. No. That is material. That is material. If you try to hear about some great person or demigod, that is material. But when you hear and talk about Visnu, that is bhakti. This is bhakti, different processes. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam.