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Know the truth

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 13 - 18

Due to rebellion against the Supreme Lord, one becomes subordinate to material nature. One must know and be convinced of this truth.
BG 13.8-12, Purport:

If anyone wants to compete with God and at the same time make advancement in spiritual knowledge, he will be frustrated. It is clearly stated that without humility, understanding is not truly possible. To think oneself God is most puffed up. Although the living entity is always being kicked by the stringent laws of material nature, he still thinks, "I am God" because of ignorance. The beginning of knowledge, therefore, is amānitva, humility. One should be humble and know that he is subordinate to the Supreme Lord. Due to rebellion against the Supreme Lord, one becomes subordinate to material nature. One must know and be convinced of this truth.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.17.22, Translation:

The King said: O you, who are in the form of a bull! You know the truth of religion, and you are speaking according to the principle that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts is also intended for one who identifies the perpetrator. You are no other than the personality of religion.

SB Canto 2

The Lord is not formless, nor does He belong to any of the multiforms experienced within the universal forms. One should try to know the truth about the Lord by following the instruction of Brahmājī.
SB 2.6.43-45, Purport:

When the Lord is described as formless in the Vedic literatures, it is to be understood that all these forms mentioned above, within the experience of universal knowledge, are different exhibitions of the Lord's transcendental potencies only, and none of them factually represents the transcendental form of the Lord. But when the Lord actually descends on the earth or anywhere within the universe, the less intelligent class of men also mistake Him to be one of them, and thus they imagine the Transcendence to be formless or impersonal. Factually, the Lord is not formless, nor does He belong to any of the multiforms experienced within the universal forms. One should try to know the truth about the Lord by following the instruction of Brahmājī.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.27.26, Translation:

The influence of material nature cannot harm an enlightened soul, even though he engages in material activities, because he knows the truth of the Absolute, and his mind is fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When they (the Supreme Soul and the individual soul) engage in reciprocation of service and benediction, the living entity is said to be in the ātmārāma position. This ātmārāma position can be attained by one who knows the truth as it is.
SB 3.27.26, Purport:

The Supreme Soul is the Personality of Godhead, and the individual soul is the living entity. When they engage in reciprocation of service and benediction, the living entity is said to be in the ātmārāma position. This ātmārāma position can be attained by one who knows the truth as it is. The truth is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the enjoyer and that the living entities are meant for His service and enjoyment. One who knows this truth, and who tries to engage all resources in the service of the Lord, escapes all material reactions and influences of the modes of material nature.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who knows the truth about Śrī Kṛṣṇa's descent and His various activities is at once liberated and does not have to fall again to this existence of birth and death after he leaves his present material body.
CC Adi 3.12, Purport:

The descent of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is very purposeful. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who knows the truth about Śrī Kṛṣṇa's descent and His various activities is at once liberated and does not have to fall again to this existence of birth and death after he leaves his present material body. In other words, one who factually understands Kṛṣṇa makes his life perfect. Imperfect life is realized in material existence, in five different relationships we share with everyone within the material world: neutrality, servitorship, friendship, filial love and amorous love between husband and wife or lover and beloved. These five enjoyable relationships within the material world are perverted reflections of relationships with the Absolute Personality of Godhead in the transcendental nature. That Absolute Personality, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, descends to revive the five eternally existing relationships. Thus He manifests His transcendental pastimes in Vraja so that people may be attracted into that sphere of activities and leave aside their imitation relationships with the mundane. Then, after fully exhibiting all such activities, the Lord disappears.

CC Adi 5.12, Translation:

I have explained the seventh verse in four subsequent verses. By these verses all the world can know the truth about Lord Nityānanda.

CC Madhya-lila

It was Lord Śiva who said, "I do not know the truth about Kṛṣṇa, but a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa knows all the truth. Out of all the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Prahlāda is the greatest."
CC Madhya 8.246, Purport:

It was Lord Śiva who said, "I do not know the truth about Kṛṣṇa, but a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa knows all the truth. Out of all the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Prahlāda is the greatest." Above Prahlāda, the Pāṇḍavas are supposedly more advanced. Above the Pāṇḍavas are the members of the Yadu dynasty, who are even more advanced. In the Yadu dynasty, Uddhava is the furthest advanced, and above Uddhava are the damsels of Vraja-dhāma, the gopīs themselves.

This is the answer to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's question, and from this we can understand that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa knew the truth.
CC Madhya 9.116, Purport:

This is the answer to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's question, and from this we can understand that Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa knew the truth. He told Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that Nārāyaṇa is a form of Kṛṣṇa associated with transcendental opulence. Although Kṛṣṇa is two-armed and Nārāyaṇa four-armed, there is no difference in the person. They are one and the same. Nārāyaṇa is as beautiful as Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are more sportive. It is not that the sportive pastimes of Kṛṣṇa make Him different from Nārāyaṇa. Lakṣmī’s desiring to associate with Kṛṣṇa was perfectly natural. In other words, it is understandable that a chaste woman wants to associate with her husband in all his different dresses. Therefore one should not criticize Lakṣmī for wanting to associate with Kṛṣṇa.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth. He thinks like that, that "I cannot do anything. I am always dependent on Kṛṣṇa. I cannot..."
Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit. Tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth. One who knows the truth. The truth is that unless Kṛṣṇa allows me to go, oh, I may not go. There may be so many obstacles on my path. I have made my whole program. Just like last year, there was air crash on the Switzerland, one Indian aircraft. And there were all respectable gentleman, and there was... Perhaps you know it. There was one Indian chemist, Dr. Bhabha(?). He was going to attend some nuclear meeting in some European country, but there was a crash and all of them died in a second. So unless Kṛṣṇa desires, unless He allows, we cannot do anything. We cannot do any... This is the fact. So tattva-vit... Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth. He thinks like that, that "I cannot do anything. I am always dependent on Kṛṣṇa. I cannot..." Mahatma Gandhi he used to say that "Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of God." It is a fact. It is a fact. Nothing can be done without His sanction.

Without sanction, nothing can be done. So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he knows. He's tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth, that "I cannot do anything without Kṛṣṇa's sanction." Therefore he does not do anything.
Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

So sanction is always there. Sanction is always there. Without sanction, nothing can be done. So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he knows. He's tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who knows the truth, that "I cannot do anything without Kṛṣṇa's sanction." Therefore he does not do anything. Whatever is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa he does; otherwise not. So paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan. These are our activities. Paśyan, we act by seeing. We act by hearing. We act by touching. We act by smelling. We act by going. We act by dreaming. We act by breathing. So many our activities are... So in all these, going on. But a tattva-vit, one who is in the perfect knowledge and is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he, although he is doing all these things he knows, "I'm not doing." This is tattva-vit. Although he's doing all these things he knows that "I am not doing. Kṛṣṇa is doing. I am simply instrumental. I am simply instrument." That is the perfection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We must approach the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth; through them, through him, we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

So guru means kṛṣṇa-tattva-vit, one who knows about Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He explains about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains about Himself. The Gosvāmīs, Ṣaḍ Gosvāmīs, they are explaining about Kṛṣṇa. And in their paramparā system, the ācāryas, they are also explaining Kṛṣṇa. So if we do not go through these tattva-vits, then we'll misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti, kabe hāma bujhabo se jugala-pīriti. All of a sudden, if you become a knower of the jugala-pīriti, love of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, then there is chance of becoming fallen. There is chance. So we should... Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). We must approach the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth; through them, through him, we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly.
Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

This is the confirmation of all authorities. We have to carry out very faithfully the order of the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). We have to hear from the tattva-vit, not from the so-called scholars and politicians. No. One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly.

If you want to know the truth, then you have to accept. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. You try to understand the Absolute Truth through the disciplic succession.
Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

Similarly, there are four āmnāya party. Āmnāya means disciplic succession. One party is coming from Lord Brahmā, and one party is coming from Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, or the consort of Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. That is called Brahma-sampradāya and the Śrī-sampradāya. Śrī. Śrī means Lakṣmī. Śrī means beauty. Śrī means fortune. Therefore, according to Vedic system, the "śrī" word is added before anyone's name, śrī. So there is Śrī-sampradāya, and there is Kumāra-sampradāya, and there is Rudra-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas of Viṣṇu, er, Vaiṣṇava. So Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya—they are called āmnāya. If you want to know the truth, then you have to accept. Tattva āmnāyam. Tattva āmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyam. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. You try to understand the Absolute Truth through the disciplic succession of āmnāya, āmnāya.

One has to approach a person who has seen God. How God can be seen? Tattva-darśinaḥ. Tattva-darśinaḥ means one who knows the truth. Truth means how to see: by the eyes of knowledge.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

One has to approach a person who has seen God. Tattva-darśinaḥ. How God can be seen? Tattva-darśinaḥ. Tattva-darśinaḥ means one who knows the truth. Truth means how to see. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣa: by the eyes of knowledge. Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣa. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. Not that if somebody challenges that "Have you seen God?" "Yes, I have seen." "How?" "Through śāstra, through śāstra." God reveals. You cannot see, even God comes before you... Just like Kṛṣṇa was present... Here is God before you. But you cannot understand. Unless we are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we'll think, "What is this, a statue of stone? He is God?" Yes, He is God. Otherwise, why we are spending so much money, wasting time? No, here is God.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

If you want to know the truth, then you have to follow these principles, how to know īśvara-tattva. And how to know? Then you have to go, approach the bona fide guru. He will let you know.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.12 -- Mayapur, April 5, 1975:

So in this way we have to study īśvara-tattva, then śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva. That is knowledge; that is education. Not whimsically suggesting something and talking foolishly and... Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). If you want to know the truth, then you have to follow these principles, how to know īśvara-tattva. And how to know? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Then you have to go, approach the bona fide guru. He will let you know. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). No challenge. That is foolishness. No challenge. Praṇipātena. First of all surrender. You don't surrender to a foolish man, but you have to surrender. Now it is your business to find out where to surrender. But you have to surrender. This is the process. Without surrender, you cannot understand the truth as it is. That is the instruction of Vedas everywhere.

Philosophy Discussions

So inquiry means to know the truth. Therefore our inquiry should be made to a person who knows the truth. Otherwise the inquiry has no valid position.
Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: He (Dewey) believes that it is the nature of inquiry itself to want to believe something, even on the small, everyday level. If I want to know who put these flowers here, because I want to believe the truth about these flowers, I ask, I inquire.

Prabhupāda: So inquiry means to know the truth. Therefore our inquiry should be made to a person who knows the truth. Otherwise the inquiry has no valid position. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is Vedic injunction. The inquiry should be genuine and the answer should come from a genuine person. Then it is all right.

One can understand the truth, simply one who has got a little, little, fractional portion of Your mercy, he knows the truth.
Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are so perfect and subtle, as soon as He thinks, "Let there be creation," immediately everything perfectly done. That is God. So if God is perfect in that way, then we should take guidance from God and mold our lives. That is perfect leader. That we are doing. We have taken Bhagavad-gītā, the words of God, and guide, that is the guide, and we are following. Therefore our principle, our process is perfect. We don't make any experiments for perfection. Take. Just like a teacher, if he shows that you write "A" like this, that is perfect. That's all. Why should I go on, lifelong, just like this child is doing, this scientist. No. But if he takes guide from his teacher, he immediately teaches, "Make this one like this, one like this, one like that. Three lines makes 'A'." Immediately. And he'll go on, lifelong, like this, like that—he'll never come to God. Nobody will like. So their process is like this. You go on like this—existential—one problem, one problem, one problem, go on. But he does not know "If I continue in this way millions of lives, I will never come to perfection," unless the teacher shows, "Do like this." That is their foolishness. Ciraṁ vicinvan. That is described, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). One can understand the truth, simply one who has got a little, little, fractional portion of Your mercy, he knows the truth. Others, athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśa. Prasāda means mercy; leśa, "a little fragment of Your mercy." One who has this, jānāti tattvam, he knows the truth. Others, na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan. Eko 'pi. There are many mental speculators, philosophers, all of them, if they go on thinking like that for life after life, they will never understand. Simply waste time. That's all. So why not try to have a little fraction of mercy of Kṛṣṇa? And Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "Simply by devotional service one can understand Me." So why not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately? That is perfection. That is perfectional stage. Why should he speculate and be misguided by your so-called (sic:) existentional person?

We say that perceptual fact is that we are controlled. Every one of us, controlled. Who can deny it? Why you are running on this fan? Because you are controlled. There is excessive heat controlling you. Therefore I am trying to counteract it. In every step you are controlled by the laws of nature. So how he thinks that he is independent? Why does he manufacture so many so-called laws of independence? In fact he is controlled.
Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: Well, this Mao Tse Tung's (sic:) systemology, or his method of knowing truth, of knowing things, is that first of all there is the perceptual, or the phenomenal, and this becomes the conceptual, or inferential. In other words, if you..., you can condition people to a certain type of truth by presenting some phenomenon repeatedly, over and over again, until they accept it, they make a conception: "This is the truth."

Prabhupāda: So that is our process. We say that perceptual fact is that we are controlled. Every one of us, controlled. Who can deny it? Why you are running on this fan? Because you are controlled. There is excessive heat controlling you. Therefore I am trying to counteract it. In every step you are controlled by the laws of nature. So how he thinks that he is independent? Why does he manufacture so many so-called laws of independence? In fact he is controlled. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). He is in contact with some modes of material nature, and he is controlled by them. So why does he not accept that "I am not independent, I am controlled. The basic principle is that I am controlled." Then if one is actually conversant with the laws of control, then he makes adjustment according to that. One being controlled, how he can become controller? This is phenomenon. Where one is... Let any man come and say boldly that "I am not controlled." Who is that man? Find out any man. We are sitting, so many men here. Let any one of us declare that "I am not controlled." So therefore basic principle is that "I am controlled." So how this position of being controlled can be perfect, that should be our study. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We say that you are controlled. So the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. So you voluntarily surrender yourself, that "Kṛṣṇa, from this day... I was struggling against Your laws. Now I fully surrender."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

The truth is... The example I have given you, that service of the body means service of the stomach. Service of the body does not mean service of the finger.
Discussion with Guests -- December 23, 1969, Boston:

Guest (4): Because I am also in doubt about... I want to know the truth.

Prabhupāda: The truth is... The example I have given you, that service of the body means service of the stomach. Service of the body does not mean service of the finger.

Guest (4): Service of the body means the service of part of God because body is an embodiment of the...

Prabhupāda: Now, I'll give you the example. Suppose if you want to... Take the whole body. If you want to serve this body you must give food. So where to give the food? To the finger or to the stomach? Therefore God is the stomach. Supply food there and every part of the body will be full.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

What is the nonsense scholar (laughter) if he does not know the truth? Scholar maybe superficially, but real knowledge is taken away by māyā.
Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Guest: He is not a bhakta, he is a scholar.

Prabhupāda: What is the nonsense scholar (laughter) if he does not know the truth? (Hindi) Māyaya apahṛta-jñānā. Scholar maybe superficially, but real knowledge is taken away by māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu (Hindi) māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If people hear him, then for good he will be lost in bewilderedness. (Hindi conversation) Why do you think you are sinner? (Hindi) Our theory is not that. Kṛṣṇa is fighting, He is inducing fight against irreligiosity.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, it's inconceivable by them, not by us. Therefore we call them fools. It is not inconceivable by us. But so you know the Truth from the Truth, Absolute Truth.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, it's inconceivable by them, not by us. Therefore we call them fools. It is not inconceivable by us. But so you know the Truth from the Truth, Absolute Truth. A layman or a foolish boy does not know where..., which side the sun will rise. His father can say, "This side it will rise." That is the difference. Because he knows how to suggest which side, because there is reddish, how do you say? Illumination. He knows that "This side it will rise," by the symptom. Both of them, the foolish man and the intelligent man, just at present do not see that where is the sun. But the intelligent man knows "Here is the sun," although the sun is not visible both to the intelligent and foolish man. That intelligence means he knows how to find out where is sun. That is intelligence. And this is not discovery. I am intelligent speaking "This side is sun." It is not my discovery. I have heard from authority that from the eastern direction the sun rises, so I know it.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

No, argument you can go on, but if you want to know the truth it will not be attained by argument because argument is also within your thinking power: thinking, feeling, willing.
Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Professor: No, I said old tradition in India has been going on into argument itself.

Prabhupāda: No, argument you can go on, but if you want to know the truth it will not be attained by argument because argument is also within your thinking power: thinking, feeling, willing. So if your thinking, feeling, willing is imperfect, what is the use of your argument? What is the use of your so-called advancement of knowledge? Basically, if the senses, knowledge acquiring senses, are imperfect, then how you can get perfect knowledge?

That means you do not know the truth. That is a fact. You do not know—simply speculating.
Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth:

Amogha: They say this means they are discovering the truth, step by step.

Prabhupāda: That means you do not know the truth. That is a fact. You do not know—simply speculating. You are accepting some spot—this is truth. And after some days, "No, no, this is not truth, this is truth." This is your position.

But the word means, "experiment with truth," that is contradiction. There cannot be any experiment with truth. Truth is truth.
Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: We are experimenting to find out the truth. Truth is there. My house is there, sir, but you may go this way or that way, that way. We are making experiment to go to my house.

Prabhupāda: So that means you do not know what is the truth.

Dr. Patel: Truth is there, but we do not know the truth. That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Dr. Patel: We are making experiment to..., experiment by this way will lead up to the truth.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Experiment means repeat, with regard to the matter of finding out the truth. Not with the truth itself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But the word means, "experiment with truth," that is contradiction. There cannot be any experiment with truth. Truth is truth.

Let them experiment. Because he does not know the truth perfectly well.
Morning Walk -- December 24, 1975, Bombay:

Śrīdhara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, people can understand that the truth is already there, but they can't understand how by meditating on one particular person or thing, all other truths automatically become realized. They want to experiment to find out what is the unlimited truth.

Prabhupāda: Let them experiment. Because he does not know the truth perfectly well.

Śrīdhara: So just by meditating on the person Kṛṣṇa, all other truths become known?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

The truth is explained by the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth. How? He is explained as Brahman, as Paramātmā, or as Bhagavān.
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Here it is same thing explained, that don't be entrapped with these temporary bodily necessities of life, sense gratification. You must inquire about the Absolute Truth. In the next verse it is explained, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva. Tattva means truth. The truth is explained by the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth. How? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. He is explained as Brahman, as Paramātmā, or as Bhagavān. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Now one should learn what is Bhagavān, what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā. In this way one should make advancement of his spiritual consciousness. That is the purpose of Vedānta-sūtra.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Inquisitive, they want to know the truth.
Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is inquisitive, jijñāsu. That is there, a class of men, jijñāsu. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ. They are pious. "Actually what is the truth?" Jijñāsu. And jñānī. Two third class, fourth class, and two, first class, second class. The first class, second class, is jñānī jijñāsu, and third class, fourth class, ārto arthārthī. They approach God. The third class, fourth class, those who are in need of money or in distress and seeking the favor of Kṛṣṇa, they are third class, fourth class. And the jijñāsu and jñānī, they are first class, second class. Inquisitive, they want to know the truth. That is first class. Jijñāsu—"What is that first class?" He is second class. And ārto arthārthī, he is in need. If he gets some money, then he forgets God. That's all. His disease is cured. Then finished business. "O God, give us our bread." As soon as I get bread, then finished church.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

As soon as one is liberated he is immediately a resident of Krishna Loka, and anyone who knows the truth of Krishna can become Spiritual Master.
Letter to Mukunda -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

The answer to your Istagosthi questions are as follows: Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance. And who is a liberated person? One who knows Krishna. It is stated in BG, fourth chapter, anyone who knows Krishna in truth is immediately liberated, and after quitting the present body, he immediately goes to Krishna. That means he becomes a resident of Krishna Loka. As soon as one is liberated he is immediately a resident of Krishna Loka, and anyone who knows the truth of Krishna can become Spiritual Master. That is the version of Lord Caitanya. So to summarize the whole thing, it is to be understood that a bona fide Spiritual Master is a resident of Krishna Loka.

Page Title:Know the truth
Compiler:Laksmipriya, Alakananda
Created:22 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=4, CC=4, OB=0, Lec=10, Con=9, Let=1
No. of Quotes:29