Madhudviṣa: Absurd inquiries.
Prabhupāda: And absurd inquiries. Absurd inquiries . . . just like somebody goes to so-called spiritual master. There are so many stories, that such-and-such person approached his spiritual master, and he asked his spiritual master, "Can you show me God?" And the spiritual master immediately showed him God. You see? This rascaldom is going on.
Suppose if you go to a professor, and if you say: "Oh, if you are a professor, can you make me immediately M.A.?" and if he says: "Yes, why not?" Then are you not a fool? He is also fool. The so-called spiritual master is also rascal, and the man who has gone to him, he is also rascal. God is so cheap thing that immediately you go to a rascal and he shows you God immediately? Is it magic?
But these things are going on. "Oh, such-and-such Swāmījī had a spiritual master who immediately showed him God." Huh? Dhruva Mahārāja went to the forest, and he had practiced so much penance and austerities. Then he saw God. And I can see God immediately without being trained, without undergoing training? No. It is not possible. These are absurd thing.
Suppose if you are not qualified, how you can see things? Suppose if you have never seen what is ten dollar note, then if you ask somebody, "Can you give me ten dollar note?" and if he gives you one piece of paper, "Yes, it is ten dollar note," then are you not cheated? You must know what is ten dollar note. Otherwise you'll be satisfied with a paper, piece of paper. That's all. If you do not know God, then how you can see God? You have to check it.
You go to a market place. You buy something. Suppose you buy, purchase, one knife. You know what is knife. It must be a sharpened instrument. You see how it is cutting. You test it. So suppose if you go on to somebody to see God, how you'll test it if you do not know what is God? Then he will give you, supply you, deliver you one dog, and you'll understand, "This is God." So what is your testing power? At least, you must have some theoretical knowledge what is God. So these things are going on, absurd things. You must know what is God.
Just like here the Bhagavad-gītā is the description what is God, how He is creating. God . . . you know that God has created this world. Now, here there is description how He creates. So such inquiries, such spiritual master, is overcrowded; but you have, if you are sincere, then you have to find out some spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, who knows about the science of God. You must know also theoretically what is meant by "God," then you try to see God. Otherwise you'll be cheated.
Somebody says: "Oh, everyone is God." Oh, he becomes puffed-up, "I am also God." But what you know about God? You are thinking, "My spiritual master has said that I am God." But you should not inquire that, "How I become God"? We learn from scripture, God has created this material universe. Oh, what I have created? And still I am puffed-up—"I am God"? So this cheating business is going on. So these are absurd. Absurd inquiries are condemned herewith. One must approach to the real spiritual master in submission. Inquire from him by rendering service. Then, gradually, you learn the science.
Here we are teaching our students—not abruptly say that "You have learned." We are teaching them Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, so many books. And we are discussing about God practically whole day and night. We are publishing paper. So in this way one has to learn.
It is not a cheap thing that immediately you learn God. But if you are submissive—if you are really inquisitive—then God reveals unto you. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ.
Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.234)
When you are actually in service spirit, then He reveals. That is God-realization.