Approach the authorities
Expressions researched:
"approach authority"
|"approach the authority"
|"approach the authorities"
|"approach authorities"
|"approached the authority"
|"approach such authority"
|"approach a man of authority"
|"approach a superior authority"
|"approach the real authority"
|"approach to the authorities"
|"approach the authoritative representative"
|"approach to the authority"
|"approach that greatest authority"
|"approach the higher authority"
|"approach an authority"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
SB Canto 3
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu [Bg. 7.1]
If you believe that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking personally, as Arjuna believed, then you can understand what is God. Otherwise it is not possible. Asaṁśayam.Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: John Stuart, he may be able, but it is not possible for ordinary man to know what is duty. The child plays, he does not know that his duty is to study. So parents teach him that "This is your duty. You must go to school. You must learn." So duty is not created by the rascals and fools. Duty is created by higher authority.
Śyāmasundara: He would agree with that also, but here he says that the higher authorities who determine what is duty, that their rationale or their guiding principles should be what is the greatest good for the greatest number, and that should be our duty.
Prabhupāda: Then how he suggests that a man should know his duty, like that? Then he has to approach that greatest authority. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is our philosophy. In order to know our duty, in order to know what is knowledge, we must approach a guru. Gurum evābhigacchet. We must, eva, certainly.Prabhupāda: Authority means we agree to follow.
Śyāmasundara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Just like we follow Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up everything. Surrender unto Me," we accept that. So similarly, that is the duty. Now I may accept Kṛṣṇa, you may accept Christ, but that doesn't matter. But duty means what the higher authority orders, you must follow. That is duty.
Śyāmasundara: And if I am aware what is that duty...
Prabhupāda: You will be aware as soon as you approach the higher authority. He'll give you order, "Do this," "Do not do this."Prabhupāda: That is (Sanskrit). That is not sense perception. That is a perception received from other authorities.
Śyāmasundara: So it seems like I could come to that same conclusion without consulting a scientist, that I could...
Prabhupāda: You cannot. That is our version. You cannot. Because simply you are puzzled with the sound, that's all. So wherefrom the sound comes, you have to approach the authorities.Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Mr. Wadell: This is something on which I think I am probably too young or too..., I have not thought enough about it to be able to tell you very clearly or to define very clearly what I think. This is very difficult I know. But I am conscious that I do not know about this. I can make certain... I mean I am inclined to accept what you say, but I cannot say that I know it.
Prabhupāda: Therefore when we are in doubts, therefore we have to refer to the authority. Just like when you are diseased, so you go to the physician, "What is the cause of my this trouble?" Similarly, when you are in doubts, you have to approach an authority to clear the doubts. Otherwise you will remain in doubts, ignorance.
Mr. Wadell: Oh, yes.
Prabhupāda: Therefore our Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Tad-vijñānārtham, in order to clear the doubt, to be in perfect knowledge, one must approach the authorized bona fide spiritual master.
Mr. Wadell: Can we go back to the physician. It is possible for a physician to be wrong.
Prabhupāda: Yes, we are always in wrong because we are born ignorant. Everything is wrong because ignorant, foolish. Madman's conception. This is all wrong, childish. Therefore we send our boys, children, to school, to correct the wrong ideas.
Mr. Wadell: But some of the teachers may not be correct.
Prabhupāda: No. The process is you have to go to the teacher. But if the teacher is a cheater, then the whole thing is spoiled. A teacher must be teacher, perfect teacher. But if he happens to be a cheater then the whole thing is spoiled.Karandhara: Well, that vision, that seeing, is supramundane. They only consider the mundane vision.
Prabhupāda: Yes, supramundane, everything is supramundane. Because... How do you know that there is nothing in the sky? Now you say it is vacant. So your eyes is deficient. It is not vacant. There are innumerable planets, but you cannot see. You cannot see. You are blind. Therefore, because it is not in your power to see, you have to hear from me. "Yes, there are millions of stars there." You have to accept it. You cannot see. But because you cannot see does not mean that it is vacant. It is deficiency of your senses.
Karandhara: Well, they will admit that, but they say, "Still, we cannot... Even though we are ignorant of some things, we still can't accept what we can't see."
Prabhupāda: Why? If you are ignorant, you have to accept.
Karandhara: Because what we're told may be wrong.
Prabhupāda: May be wrong, that is your misfortune. But the process is that where your senses cannot approach, you have to hear from authority. That is the process. But if you don't approach authority, if you approach a cheater, that is your misfortune. But the process is, where your senses cannot act, you have to approach authority. That is the process.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they want experimental knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is experimental.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say, "It cannot be proved."
Prabhupāda: No, why not proved? Just like I gave you the... this water, this sand, it is practical. Now you must know somebody has made it.1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Page Title: | Approach the authorities |
Compiler: | Siddha Rupa, Visnu Murti |
Created: | 12March08, |
No. of Quotes: | 17 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=10, Con=3, Let=0 |