Discipleship

Expressions researched:
"discipleship"

SB Canto 2

If one is not very inquisitive about self-realization, one need not approach a spiritual master simply to make a show of discipleship.

SB 2.8.24, Translation and Purport: O great sage, representative of the Lord, kindly satisfy my inquisitiveness in all that I have inquired from you and all that I may not have inquired from you from the very beginning of my questionings. Since I am a soul surrendered unto you, please impart full knowledge in this connection. The spiritual master is always prepared to impart knowledge to the disciple and specifically when the disciple is very inquisitive. inquisitiveness on the part of a disciple is greatly necessary for the progressive disciple. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is a typical disciple because he is perfectly inquisitive. If one is not very inquisitive about self-realization, one need not approach a spiritual master simply to make a show of discipleship. Not only is Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquisitive concerning all he has inquired about, but he is also anxious to know about what he has not been able to inquire. Factually it is not possible for a man to inquire about everything from the spiritual master, but the bona fide spiritual master is able to enlighten the disciple in every way for the disciple's benefit.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

What one fails to comprehend is how the leaders of these cults, who have never accept discipleship and tutelage from any bona fide spiritual master, can suddenly rise to the position of spiritual master themselves.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.12: O people of the world! Please try to translate the Gītā's message into action and channel your thoughts toward Lord Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Serve Him with your mind and body. If you dovetail all your energy in the Lord's service, then not only will you feel intense exhilaration in this lifetime, but you will be immersed in eternal bliss in the spiritual world, perpetually serving Him. The most munificent incarnation of Godhead, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, recently advented in the Age of Kali to propagate this message. By the great fortune of all Bengalis, He appeared in Bengal and blessed the Bengali race. Thus Bengalis can preach His mission and instructions to the entire human race and deliver the people of the planet and themselves. The presentation of this knowledge in a systematic and scientific manner will bring about universal sublime peace. Yet the shocking fact is that thirteen unauthorized cults have mushroomed into prominence and are fast expanding their illegitimate fold with naive disciples. What one fails to comprehend is how the leaders of these cults, who have never accept discipleship and tutelage from any bona fide spiritual master, can suddenly rise to the position of spiritual master themselves. The subject matter that needs to be promulgated among the people is not some cheap, sentimental concoction meant to deceive them; it is in fact a deeply profound and esoteric theology. The words of Lord Caitanya can never be disseminated by unscrupulous self-styled "gurus" who fake spiritual sentiments to impress the ignorant mass of people. All saintly persons beware!

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The body is changing, but I am not changing. I am eternal. After Arjuna has accepted his discipleship, the first instruction is this.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968: This simple truth, what is the difficulty for the people to understand this simple truth? The body is changing, but I am not changing. I am eternal. Therefore I am not this body. I am not changing. This simple truth, the first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has begun instructing Arjuna... After Arjuna has accepted his discipleship, the first instruction is this, that "You are lamenting on the body of your grandfather and teacher regarding fighting, but your grandfather, or the soul...," which is already explained that, "You are soul, I am the supreme soul, or all these kings and soldiers who has assembled, they are also souls. They existed in the past. Now they have changed their body. Again they will change their body, but they will exist." This is the instruction.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

The spiritual master knew that the brāhmaṇa was illiterate. And the brāhmaṇa also knew that "I am illiterate. I cannot know what is alphabet, Sanskrit." Still, the order of spiritual master, that is... This is discipleship.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969: Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved one brāhmaṇa. He was illiterate. He could not know what is the Sanskrit alphabet or character, what to speak of reading. But when he was initiated, his spiritual master said, "You read daily so many chapters of Bhagavad-gītā." The spiritual master knew that he is illiterate. And he also knew that "I am illiterate. I cannot know what is alphabet, Sanskrit." Still, the order of spiritual master, that is... This is discipleship. "All right, my spiritual master, I shall try to read." So how he was reading? He, he took the book, and he was seeing the book, and "Ohhhh," like... That's all. His friends, who knew that this man is illiterate, and what he is reading: "Mr. such-and-such, how you are reading?" Criticizing. He was silent because he knew that "I am illiterate. My friends are criticizing. That's all right. What can I do?"

Just like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He argued with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a scholar. But when he became defeated, he accepted His discipleship.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974: Just like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He argued with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a scholar. But when he became defeated, he accepted His discipleship. This was the method, that two persons may argue, but one who is defeated, he must become his disciple. Not that simply waste time arguing and no conclusion. Formerly this was the system, to come to a conclusion. If two parties are arguing on a subject matter, the one party will be defeated, he must become his disciple, under control.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

This is acceptance of spiritual master. You cannot argue. You don't say, "Oh, I am such a great scholar, and unjustly my spiritual master says that I am fool." Then you lose the connection at once. He is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking about His own discipleship.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.76-81 -- San Francisco, February 2, 1967: Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I accept the order of My spiritual master in toto, without any interpretation, without any argument, without any understanding. Whatever he has said, it is all right." This is acceptance of spiritual master. "Oh, I accept spiritual master, but I don't accept your order"—this is not acceptance of spiritual master. If you at all accept somebody as spiritual master, you must test him. You must test him for at least one year if you have got doubts. And when you are convinced that "Here is a person whom I can follow blindly," then you accept. You haven't got to follow blindly. Spiritual master will not place before you anything unreasonable. But the process is that you cannot change the order of spiritual master. You cannot argue. You... Unless you are convinced that "I shall accept the order of this person without any argument," don't accept anybody as spiritual master. It is a false acceptance. Just see. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that. And other point is that if you take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life, oh, He was a vast learned scholar, but He said that His spiritual master found Him the nonsense. Now how it is that? He was a great scholar, and how His spiritual master found Him a nonsense? So therefore, however you may be a great scholar, if your spiritual master finds you a fool, you must accept that you are a fool. You don't say, "Oh, I am such a great scholar, and unjustly my spiritual master says that I am fool." Then you lose the connection at once. You'll understand, yes, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple. He is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking about His own discipleship.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

But try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa by your activities. That is wanted. Just like Arjuna. He remained a kṣatriya. He was a fighter, he was declining to fight, and Kṛṣṇa said, "What is this nonsense, you decline to fight?" Then he was..., he accepted Kṛṣṇa's discipleship,

Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh , -- November 25, 1971, Delhi: Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa. Either you may be brāhmaṇa or either you may be kṣatriya, either you may be vaiśya or śūdra, it doesn't matter. But you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is your perfection. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Vibhāgaśaḥ is accepted, varna āśrama. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got particular duty to perform. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. You remain kṣatriya, you remain brāhmaṇa, you remain śūdra, it doesn't matter. But try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa by your activities. That is wanted. Just like Arjuna. He remained a kṣatriya. He was a fighter, he was declining to fight, and Kṛṣṇa said, "What is this nonsense, you decline to fight?" "No, I do not wish to kill my kinsmen." Then he was..., he accepted Kṛṣṇa's discipleship, śiṣyas te 'ham [Bg. 2.7], "Now I am puzzled, I do not..., I am..." Yes. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Because Arjuna accepted discipleship, so Kṛṣṇa immediately chastised him that "You rascal, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are on the platform of bodily conception of life, the platform of the animals."

Room Conversation -- April 30, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: ...therefore he very intelligently appointed Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. Because everyone is in perplexity about the problem of life. So this very thing happened to Arjuna, and he wanted to go to spiritual master for solution. And the supreme spiritual master was present before him; therefore he submitted: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-saṁmūḍha-cetāḥ, yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me.

Prabhupāda: Yac chreyaḥ syāt, yac chreyaḥ syāt tat brūhi me niścitam. So the spiritual master's duty is how to benefit the disciple, śreyaḥ. What is the translation?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. So because he accepted discipleship, so He immediately chastised him that "You rascal, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are on the platform of bodily conception of life, the platform of the animals."

If you think that "No, I know better than him," don't accept a formal guru. That is mistake. And guru also will see, "He's appealing to me, he is going to accept my discipleship, let me see whether he is qualified."

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he is guru. Just like Arjuna is our guru, but he's a gṛhastha, he's a soldier, he's a kṣatriya. He's neither brāhmaṇa nor sannyāsī nor Vedantist, nothing of the sort. But he knows Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is guru. So gṛhastha (Hindi). Śravaṇam, this is the first step of bhakti. Hear about Kṛṣṇa from the right source. Otherwise you will be misguided. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. You have to go to a person where you can surrender. (Hindi)

Guest (3): How to...?

Prabhupāda: That we have to test, whether I can surrender to him. That we have to behave with him. Therefore according to system, one has to study that "Whether I can surrender to him?" If you think that "No, I know better than him," don't accept a formal guru. That is mistake. And guru also will see, "He's appealing to me, he is going to accept my discipleship, let me see whether he is qualified." Then there should be guru and śiṣya, not that as a fashion. Like Arjuna, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru after talking with Him. Find out that verse, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam.

Guest (3): Pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ.

Prabhupāda: When he was convinced that "I do not find anyone else to give me instruction," then he surrendered.

1968 Correspondence

In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything. Neither do I offer anything new. I offer the same Hare Krishna beads, but it becomes spiritually powerful on account of being delivered in disciplic succession.

Letter to Christopher -- Montreal 13 July, 1968: Our system is completely different from theirs. In the beginning, we simply invite men to come and join us in the transcendental vibration by chanting Hare Krishna. We do not say that you pay me something and I give you this chanting. But this chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it. But the chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple. In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything. Neither do I offer anything new. I offer the same Hare Krishna beads, but it becomes spiritually powerful on account of being delivered in disciplic succession. And practically we see that the students who are initiated in this way, they are advancing slowly and surely, and any one of my students can challenge any student of so-called yogis, and that is practical evidence.