Geniune disciple

Expressions researched:
"disciple is genuine" |"genuine desire of the disciple"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding.

BG 4.34, Translation and Purport:

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The Bhāgavatam (6.3.19) says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help lead one to the right path. Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. Not only should one hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Yes. Blind following and absurd inquiries. These things are condemned in this verse. Blind following means: "Oh, there is a swami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple." This is called blind following.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: "Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries in submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission in service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master. And when the spiritual master sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Blind following and absurd inquiries. These things are condemned in this verse. Blind following means: "Oh, there is a swami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple." This is called blind following. You do not know what is that swami, whether he is a swami or a rascal. You do not know. But because everyone is going, "Oh, let me become his disciple." This is blind following, without any knowledge, blind following. The swami says that "You give me money. I make you immediately God." So this is blind following. And another thing, what it says? What? What is that? Blind following?

Madhudviṣa: Absurd inquiries.

Prabhupāda: And absurd inquiries. Absurd inquiries... Just like somebody goes to a so-called spiritual master. There are so many stories, that such-and-such person approached his spiritual master, and he asked his spiritual master, "Can you show me God?" And the spiritual master immediately showed him God. You see? This rascaldom is going on.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

If one guru is genuine and the disciple is genuine, then both of them are benefited and they go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

This human form of life is meant for tapasya, to learn how to become detached from this material world. And the beginning is this brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī gurukule vasan dāntaḥ. Dānta means self-controlled. That is real teaching. Either a gṛhastha lives... If a gṛhastha lives, even he has got wife, he does not... One side, according to Vedic civilization, there is no sex life except for begetting a nice child, and that also with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In other words, whimsically sex life is completely stopped in Vedic civilization. There everything under regulation. Therefore brahmacārī means how to control the senses, to keep under his own control, not that "I am now sexually inclined. I must have immediately sex." No. Dānta. That is taught. Just like in our society, even gṛhastha, he is also under restriction, and what to speak of brahmacārī. But we should always remember that this human life is meant for controlling the senses. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is simply meant for inquiring about our spiritual life. That is perfect civilization.

Therefore brahmacārī means living under direction of guru, guror hitam. And guror hitam... How he can be simply thinking of benefiting the spiritual master? Unless that position comes, nobody can serve guru. It is not an artificial thing. The brahmacārī, the disciple, must have genuine love for guru. Then he can be under his control. Otherwise why one should be under the control of another person? Therefore it is said, ācaran dāsavat. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Not only servant, but menial servant. Menial servant means just like the sweeper, the cobbler, like that. They are called menial servants. So in India there is system. The sweeper class is different, the cobbler class is different, and domestic servant is different, and the barber, he is also servant, different. The washerman, he is also servant. So nīca means just like the washerman or the barber or the cobbler. They are less than the domestic servant at home. They are śūdras, and they are considered less than the śūdras, pañcama. So a disciple is expected to live in gurukula or... Gurukula means at the shelter of guru; nicavat, menial servant. Menial servant. Nīcavat. Ācaran dāsavan nīco gurau sudṛdha sauhṛdaḥ. This can be possible when one is very thickly related with the guru. Otherwise ordinary relationship will not do. One who has got actually the conviction, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo... **. One who is convinced that "If I can please my guru, then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased..." This is called sudṛdha, full faith. Yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. "And if I displease my guru, then I have no place." In this way... Of course, guru cannot be a false guru. False guru has no such thing. If one guru is genuine and the disciple is genuine, then both of them are benefited and they go back to home, back to Godhead.