Position of a teacher
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said—this is the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
- kibā vipra, kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya
- [Cc. Madhya 8.128]
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
General Lectures
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sannyāsī and brāhmaṇa and Rāmānanda Rāya was a śūdra and a gṛhastha, householder, still He became like a student and inquired Rāmānanda Rāya. Rāmānanda Rāya felt some, I mean to say, hesitation that "How can I take the position of a teacher to a sannyāsī?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "No, no. Don't hesitate."
Prabhupāda: Brief summary... In this scene Caitanya Mahāprabhu became the student. Not exactly student. He inquired and Rāmānanda Rāya answered. So the importance of the scene is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not follow the formality, only the sannyāsīs should be the spiritual master. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can be spiritual master. And to show this example practically, although He was sannyāsī and brāhmaṇa and Rāmānanda Rāya was a śūdra and a gṛhastha, householder, still He became like a student and inquired Rāmānanda Rāya. Rāmānanda Rāya felt some, I mean to say, hesitation that "How can I take the position of a teacher to a sannyāsī?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "No, no. Don't hesitate." He stated that either one may be a sannyāsī or he may be householder or one may be a brāhmaṇa or śūdra, it doesn't matter. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can take the place of teacher. So that was His, I mean to say, gift. Because in Indian society it is simply taken that the brāhmaṇas and the sannyāsī can be spiritual master. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "No. Anyone can become spiritual master provided he's conversant with the science." And the summary of the discussion was how to elevate oneself in the highest perfection of love of Godhead. And that love of Godhead was described, existed, I mean to say, superexcellently in Rādhārāṇī. So in the bhāva, in the feature of Rādhārāṇī. And Rāmānanda Rāya, in the feature of Rādhārāṇī's associates Lalitā-sakhī, both of them embraced and began to dance in ecstasy. That will be the end of the scene. Both of them began to dance in ecstasy.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You understand what is the meaning of Bhāgavata, this word, Bhāgavata? You understand? These are the common questions. If you do not understand this common question then how you can instruct others?
Guest (1): (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: That's all right but do not take the position of a teacher unless you have assimilated the whole thing. Simply by hearing others you may misunderstand, you may not present the real thing. Therefore I'm asking you...
Guest (1): (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (indistinct) but you must know. Another thing is that you must know Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a bhāgavata, whose life is bhāgavata. First of all you must know what is bhāgavata. What is bhāgavata? Can you give me idea what you have understood? Instead of going through the instruction, first of all let me understand what do you understand about this (indistinct) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is essential.1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda, can you say something about the training for a brāhmaṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. They are satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ. He must be truthful, he must control the senses, control the mind... śamo damaḥ,... He must be tolerant. He should not be agitated in trifle matters. Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ śaucam. He must be always clean. Three times he must take bath at least. All the clothing, all, everything is clean. This is brahminical training. And then he must know all what is what, knowledge, and practical application, and firm faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa.
Hṛdayānanda: So what kind of practical work could we engage them in?
Prabhupāda: They'll be teaching. They'll be all teachers.
Hṛdayānanda: Oh, they'll be teachers.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Droṇācārya. He was brāhmaṇa, but he was teaching military art to the Pāṇḍavas. General teacher class will be the brāhmaṇas. It doesn't matter what he's teaching. But teaching, perfectly teaching, how to become a military man. Arjuna's fighting was due to Droṇācārya. He learned it from Droṇācārya. He was a brāhmaṇa. But because he took the position of a teacher, he thought very perfectly. A brāhmaṇa should be expert in every kind of knowledge. If requires, he'll become teacher. This is brāhmaṇa.
Hṛdayānanda: So brāhmaṇa can teach how to fight?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Brāhmaṇa means intelligent, brain. So in intelligent brain one can learn anything and teach anything.Indian Man (1): In the beginning everybody is foolish. We are born foolish.
Prabhupāda: Well, born foolish. That... He has to become intelligent. But when he talks foolishly, he remains foolish.
Indian Man (1): Well, so far he is not enlightened.
Prabhupāda: If he talks foolishly, that means he is still foolish. He has not attained any knowledge.
Indian Man (6): But after getting the knowledge, then knowledge means when we completely know the Supreme Personality is Lord Kṛṣṇa, then he is all right.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.
Indian Man (6): But those who have got no knowledge about all these things, so they must be worshiping some Devī, Gaṇeśa...
Prabhupāda: But why they take the position of a teacher? They should not take the position of a teacher. They should remain foolish, that "I have still to learn."
Indian Man (1): Ah, that is the significance. They should not say that "I am already perfect." That is the sig... They should not claim like that.
Prabhupāda: That is our protest, that "You are foolish. Why you are taking the position of a teacher? You are foolish. You are rascal. You don't take the position of a teacher. Then you are a cheater. First of all make your life..." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janma sārthaka kari kara paropakāra: "First of all make your life successful. Then you become a teacher." Paropakāra. You are a fool number one and you are going to make paropakāra? Daridra-nārāyaṇa. (laughter) [break] ...when they take the position of teacher, they not only do harm to themselves but to others. So our protest is that "You are a fool, rascal. You go to hell. Why you induce others to go to hell?"
Indian Man (1): They want some companions. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Why, why, why? This is very dangerous.1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Acyutānanda: The scient... There was a scientific law called Heisenberg's Law of Uncertainty that—'cause this Heisenberg just died, so they wrote his philosophy—that you cannot observe anything and give a conclusive answer to anything that was uncertain. No one can make a decisive statement...
Prabhupāda: So why you are giving this conclusive answer? Why he is giving?
Acyutānanda: No.
Prabhupāda: This is conclu...
Acyutānanda: All he's saying is like what Socrates..., "I only know that I don't know."
Hari-śauri: In other words, he's in ignorance.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guru-kṛpā: In other words, he's admitting that he has limited senses.
Prabhupāda: So "I don't know" means that you are rascal. So you know. So why you are preaching? You know that you are a rascal. Then why you are preaching? You are teaching.
Acyutānanda: They, they showed his picture in the...
Prabhupāda: That's all right. He said, "I know. I know that I don't know." So if you don't know, that means you are a rascal. So, knowingly that you are a rascal, why you are taking the position of a teacher? That is cheating. You are rascal, cheater. That's all.Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
Page Title: | Position of a teacher |
Compiler: | Laksmipriya, Haya |
Created: | 16 of Dec, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=4, Let=1 |
No. of Quotes: | 9 |