In order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be very much disgusted with this material way of life

Expressions researched:
"in order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be very much disgusted with this material way of life"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Now, in order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be very much disgusted with this material way of life. That is very nice qualification. Unless one is disgusted with this materialistic way of life, that actually in this materialistic way of life there is no happiness... This proposition must be convinced by one, that he should know certainly that "In the material way of life I cannot become happy."

690413 - Lecture SB 11.03.21 - New York:

Actual human happiness is not simply to meet the bodily demands. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Now, where to inquire about this Brahman, about oneself, that is the next question. Just like if you want to learn something about medical science, you have to approach some medical man or you have to take admission in some medical school or college. Or if you want to learn about engineering you have to seek after somebody who knows engineering or technology.

That is the way of education—so many universities and department of knowledge teaching different department of knowledge. Similarly, if you want to learn about yourself, Brahman, then you have to seek after some teacher who can teach you about yourself. This is common knowledge. This is common knowledge.

So all the Vedic literature says that in order to learn that transcendental science about your self or about God, then tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

In order to learn that science, don't manufacture. But scientific way, if you want to learn . . . tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva . . . gurum eva abhigacchet. Guru means spiritual master; eva, eva means certain. Not that if somebody thinks, "Oh, I can learn about myself without approaching any spiritual master." That is wrong.

Actually eva, eva means certain. One must. And this verb gacchet is used where this sense is used, "must." Gacchet, "must go," "must approach." That is the injunction of the Vedas. Similarly, the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21).

Now, in order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be very much disgusted with this material way of life. That is very nice qualification. Unless one he's disgusted with this materialistic way of life, that actually in this materialistic way of life there is no happiness . . . this proposition must be convinced by one, that he should know certainly that, "In the material way of life I cannot become happy." This is the first condition. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore."

Similarly, in Vedānta-sūtra also, atha . . . ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā. When we become fed up, disgusted with the materialistic way of life, natural inquiry is then "What is next?" That "next," in order to understand that "next," the Vedānta-sūtra says, the Vedic knowledge says that tasmād gurum evābhigacchet. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Therefore one should seek after a bona fide spiritual master and learn there. That is the Vedic injunction.

So one who is actually convinced that, "The materialistic way of life cannot make me happy," his duty is to seek after a bona fide spiritual master to be enlightened in the transcendental science of understanding oneself and what is God. There are five elementary truths. The living entity . . . we are all living entities, cats and dogs or animals.

There are 8,400,000's of different kinds of . . . according to different kinds of bodies. The living entity is one, spirit soul, but according to his body he is claiming. Just like you have got American body, you are claiming that, "I am American." I have got Indian body, I am claiming, "I am Indian." This is by bodily designation. Similarly, a cat has got a body of cat; he is thinking, "I am cat." A dog has got a dog's body; he's thinking that, "I am dog."

So there are 8,400,000 species of life. They are claiming, "I am this and that." Actually, he is spirit soul. He is spirit soul and eternal servant of the Supreme Lord.