View source for A spiritual master takes his disciples as his spiritual master. That is the position. He thinks that, "Krsna has sent me so many spiritual master." He does not think himself as spiritual master, he thinks himself their servant

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{{terms|"A spiritual master takes his"|"disciples as his spiritual master"|"That is the position. He thinks that"|"Krsna has sent me so many spiritual master"|"He does not think himself as spiritual master, he thinks himself their servant"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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[[Category:Attitude of a Devotee of God]]
[[Category:Disciple - Devotees of God]]
[[Category:This Is the Position]]
[[Category:Thoughts of a Devotee of God]]
[[Category:Krsna Has]]
[[Category:Krsna's Sending]]
[[Category:So Many]]
[[Category:Spiritual Masters]]
[[Category:Devotees of God Do Not]]
[[Category:Serving Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Servant]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
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The spiritual master does not think of himself as Hari. Although he's offered the respect of Hari, he thinks himself as humble servant of Hari and all others. A spiritual master takes his disciples as his spiritual master. That is the position. He thinks that, "Kṛṣṇa has sent me so many spiritual master." He does not think himself as spiritual master, he thinks himself their servant. Because they have to be trained. Kṛṣṇa has appointed him to train them. Therefore he thinks himself as the servant of the disciples. This is the position. So when one is advanced, he can see the importance of devotee.
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[[Vanisource:721023 - Lecture NOD - Vrndavana|721023 - Lecture NOD - Vrndavana]]
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In the lower stage, the devotee is engaged in Deity worship. It is not that Deity worship is lower than meditation. We don't mean that. Deity worship is the beginning of devotional service, as it will be mentioned in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, how to approach the Deity, how to cleanse the floor, how to change the dress, flowers, how to make ārātrika. Everything in detail there are.

So in the beginning, certainly one who is not advanced, he cannot see Kṛṣṇa properly. Kṛṣṇa, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Just like if we speak of king, "The king is coming," it does not mean the king is coming alone. The king is coming—his ministers, his secretaries, his military commanders, his queens, his servants, so many other servitors of the king, they are also coming. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 10.8 (1972)|BG 10.8]]). Kṛṣṇa is the root of all emanations. Kṛṣṇa's energies, Kṛṣṇa's expansion, Kṛṣṇa's different types of energies, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, [[Vanisource:CC Madhya 13.65|CC Madhya 13.65, purport]]). He has got multi-energies, out of which the ācāryas have taken three principal energies: the external energy, the internal energy, the marginal energy. Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, expansion, all together means Kṛṣṇa.

So the kaniṣṭha adhikārī, in the lower stage, he thinks that he's worshiping the Deity very nicely, he has realized Kṛṣṇa. No. Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 11.2.47|SB 11.2.47]]). We have to make further advancement. Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Especially Kṛṣṇa's devotees, they are always with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when we can recognize a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and offer him the respect as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is further advancement. In the madhyama adhikārī, or in further advancement of devotional service, one can see four categories.

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:īśvare tad-adhīneṣu</dd><dd>bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca</dd><dd>prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā</dd><dd>sa bhakta madhyamaḥ</dd><dd>([[Vanisource:SB 11.2.46|SB 11.2.46]])
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Īśvara. When we are further advanced, we do not see only Kṛṣṇa, but we see His devotees also. We can recognize, "Here is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa." But in the lower stage, a . . . the devotee is concerned with the Deity worship, but he does not take much care of the devotees. But when one is advanced further, he can see Kṛṣṇa and His devotee also. Īśvara tad-adhīna. Tad-adhīna means devotees. Devotees are always under the service of Kṛṣṇa.

So anyone who is giving service to Kṛṣṇa, we should take care of them also. We should offer our respect in . . . you'll find in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, it is stated somewhere that if . . . if a devotee is coming, then another devotee who is engaged in worship of the Deity may stop Deity worship for the time being and should go immediately to receive the devotee.

So Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhika. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied more when a devotee worships His devotee. Kṛṣṇa says: "If one is worshiping Me and one is worshiping My devotee, then the person who is worshiping the devotee, he's more important than the person who is worshiping Kṛṣṇa."

Therefore in . . . in the Gurvaṣṭaka by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, it is said there, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. The best devotee is the spiritual master. Unless one is devotee, pure devotee, how he can be spiritual master? Spiritual master means representative of God. So who can become representative of God? Unless he is twenty-four hours engaged in the service of God, Kṛṣṇa, how he can be spiritual master?

This is also explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. The spiritual master is described as good as Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because the, the spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa because he's most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor ya priya eva tasya. Yasya pra . . .

Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. The spiritual master is worshiped as good as the Supreme Person. Sākṣād dharitvena. This is not artificial, but in all the śāstras, this is recommended. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Those who are learned devotees, advanced devotees, they also accept this, that spiritual master should be treated as good as Hari, the Supreme Person.

Why? Now . . . but the spiritual master does not think of himself as Hari. Although he's offered the respect of Hari, he thinks himself as humble servant of Hari and all others. A spiritual master takes his devo . . . disciples as his spiritual master. That is the position. He thinks that, "Kṛṣṇa has sent me so many spiritual master." He does not think himself as spiritual master, he thinks himself their servant. Because they have to be trained. Kṛṣṇa has appointed him to train them. Therefore he thinks himself as the servant of the disciples. This is the position. So when one is advanced, he can see the importance of devotee.

Advanced devotee never disobey or disrespect another devotee. Disrespect to another devotee is a great offense, vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is very serious offense. Therefore we teach to address amongst the devotees, "Prabhu," "Prabhu," "Such and such Prabhu." This should not be simply spoken by the lips; it should be realized. Everyone should think other devotee as his prabhu, master, not he should try to become master.

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:tṛṇād api sunīcena</dd><dd>taror api sahiṣṇunā</dd><dd>amāninā mānadena . . .</dd><dd>([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.31|CC Adi 17.31]])
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Mānadena. We should be always ready to offer respect to all, not only devotees, but everyone. Everyone.

Because every living entity is originally a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. But circumstantially, being covered by the coat of māyā, he's playing like demon. But his original nature is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 20.108-109|CC Madhya 20.108-109]]). Everyone is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. But being influenced by māyā, when he gets this body, given by māyā . . . Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.27|BG 3.27]]), when he's conducted by the three guṇas of māyā, he thinks himself otherwise. He thinks himself independent of Kṛṣṇa. But actually, nobody is independent of Kṛṣṇa.

I have given this example that the prisoners, the criminals in the jail, they go to jail thinking themselves to be independent of the state laws, outlaws. A criminal thinks, "I don't care for the state laws." But after all, for his activities, criminal activities, he's put into the jail. So at that time he's forced to obey the state laws. Outside the state laws, he disobeyed. But within the prison, he's forced by punishment. Similarly, those who are defying the authorities of the Supreme Lord, they are all criminals, and they are being punished by Durgā-devī. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44).

So nobody is independent of the laws of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is under the obligation of the laws of the Kṛṣṇa. But one is voluntarily accepting and one is whimsically rejecting. Rejecting means to be under the control of māyā, and voluntarily accepting the service of the Lord means to be under the protection of spiritual energy. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ.
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