- parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
- yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
- (SB 5.5.5)
- apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ
- gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām
- (SB 2.1.2)
So we should be awakened to the consciousness, "Now what is my duty?" We should inquire. And for your inquiry, the answers are there already in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Upaniṣads. We have got in the Purāṇas. So we should utilize it. So instead of utilizing this knowledge, this treasure house of knowledge, we are reading bunch of useless newspaper. You see? In the Western countries, most of you may know, they are delivering in the morning such big lump of newspaper. And after one hour, it is thrown away. Who will read that? But people's attentions are diverted by so many nonsense literature, and they are not interested to inquire from the real source of knowledge, real treasure house of knowledge.
Therefore here it is said that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: "Your only business is to inquire about the truth." And that truth should be inquired from whom? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you are actually inquisitive to understand what is Absolute Truth, what is your life, what is the value of life, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. A guru is not a fashion, that "Oh, such-and-such svāmījī is a . . . let me make him guru." Just like, "Oh, there is a nice dog. Keep me a dog. Let me keep here dog." And if a guru says, "Yes, whatever you are doing, you are right. You can do whatever you . . . you can eat whatever you like. You can do whatever . . ." "Oh, he is a very nice guru." And as soon as he will say: "No illicit sex life, sir; no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication," "Oh, Swāmījī, you are very conservative." I have heard these things. That poet Allen Ginsberg, he said: "Swāmījī, you are very conservative." No. I am the most liberal. You do not know. If I become conservative, then none of you will come to me.