Hearing from the guru

Expressions researched:
"hear from the guru" |"hear from guru" |"hearing from a guru" |"hearing from guru" |"hearing from the guru" |"hearing from guru's"

CC Madhya-lila

One cannot have transcendental knowledge simply by hearing from a guru who is not bona fide.

CC Madhya 8.312, Purport: Sometimes the prākṛtā sahajiyās claim that they have heard the truth from their guru. But one cannot have transcendental knowledge simply by hearing from a guru who is not bona fide. The guru must be bona fide, and he must have heard from his own bona fide guru. Only then will his message be accepted as bona fide. Lord Kṛṣṇa confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.1):

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

“The Supreme Lord said, ‘I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.’”

In this way the message is transmitted in the bona fide spiritual disciplic succession from bona fide spiritual master to bona fide student.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Hear from whom? Hear from whom? That tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "Hear from guru."

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974: And that is also in the case of spiritual. You hear from.... Hear from whom? Hear from whom? That tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "Hear from guru." Who is guru? Guru. Brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma-niṣṭham. Guru means who knows God and fully engaged in His service. That is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And he has also heard from his guru. This is both, hearing. Therefore Vedas are known as śruti. Formerly it was learned simply by hearing. There was no books. And there was no need of noting down. The merit was so perfect that simply by hearing from guru, he would understand everything.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Formerly the students, they were learning everything. Their memory was so nice and sharp that simply by hearing from guru's mouth they would learn.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976: Our real point is that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not a grammarian, but he learned everything from his father by hearing. Therefore it is called śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, properly, then you become perfect. There is no need of literary education. Therefore Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means... Formerly the students, they were learning everything. Their memory was so nice and sharp that simply by hearing from guru's mouth they would learn.

People were so sharp in memory, simply by hearing from the guru, they will remember. Simply. The education and the brain and the capacity was so nice.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975: The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the real comment on Brahma-sutra, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra was compiled by Vyāsadeva. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge, summarized all Vedic knowledge into Brahma-sutra, in nutshell. Then he was not satisfied, although he made so many Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, Brahma-sutra, Upaniṣads and... Means these were correct. He wrote into letters in the book. Being compassionate on the people of this age, all fools and rascals—they have no good memory—therefore he compiled all these Vedas into writing. Before that, there was no writing. People were so sharp in memory, simply by hearing from the guru, they will remember. Simply. The education and the brain and the capacity was so nice.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Hear from the guru and do it. That's all.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Rūpānuga: No, it simply requires that one listen and take instructions.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Therefore śruti, Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhi...[MU 1.2.12]. Hear from the guru and do it. That's all.

guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya

Now, what is that song? Who knows this song, śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma **?

Nitai:

guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya,

ār nā koriho mane āśā

Prabhupāda: Koriho mane āśā. Do not try to research anything. That is final.

ar na koriho mane āśā.

As you become purified, then your faith becomes fixed up with knowledge.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Baradrāj: The Vedic knowledge is also that way, very scientific.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bahulāśva: So first we hear from the guru that Kṛṣṇa is God, and we have faith in that, we chant, and then we come to know.

Prabhupāda: As you become purified, then your faith becomes fixed up with knowledge. Therefore that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: [Bg. 7.28] "One who has finished his sinful life, he can become a devotee." Otherwise one cannot. First of all, beginning in faith. Then, by following the process, he becomes completely sinless. Then he, full knowledge. And so long he will be sinful, the things will be not properly manifested. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam.