So spiritual knowledge means to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the sum and substance, to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is, not that concocting, manufacturing that, "Kṛṣṇa is this. Kṛṣṇa is that." No. As Kṛṣṇa says, as śāstra says what is Kṛṣṇa, you have to understand it like that. So sādhu śāstra guru vākya. It is said that we have to accept knowledge through saintly person. Through śāstra and guru we have to understand. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus and ācāryas. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ācārya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the ācāryas or the ācārya-paramparā. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.
So under the circumstances, whatever Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavān says . . . śrī-bhagavān uvāca, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. The real business is to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is your real business. How we can increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that is explained by Kṛṣṇa. So mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ (BG 7.1). The āsakti, attachment, it has to be done according to the system, ādau śraddhā. First thing is śraddhā, little faith that, "Let us go to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and let us hear what they say." This is called śraddhā. Then if you become interested, then sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Those who are actually devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, you have to associate with them. And who is sādhu? Sādhu is described by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā: api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ . . . (BG 9.30). He is sādhu, who is . . . so the fact is, sādhu means unalloyed devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He is sādhu. Śuddha-bhakta.
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmady anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (Brs. 1.1.11)
One who has no other desire than to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, he is sādhu.
So we are sending all these sādhus all over the world, these European and American sādhus, because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any doubt. And it is becoming effective. Because we have got so many expansive centers all over the world, it is not possible for me to go everywhere. But these boys, because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, they are doing very nice. And it is not difficult for them, because we have given this English translation of this book. We have got at least eighty books of four hundred pages, and they are preaching very nicely. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa . . . you'll be surprised to understand that we are selling books not less than one lakh of rupees per day. So the preaching is going on very nicely. We request all Indians to take part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be yourself happy, be yourself guru, and deliver all other persons who are in ignorance. And to become guru is not very difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa
- yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa