EXAMINATION TO QUALIFY FOR TAKING SHELTER OF AN INITIATING GURU

1. What are the qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master? A bona fide spiritual master means he is following the footprints of the previous ācāryas. Therefore he is bona fide. So following is the main point. This following means that he has the right knowledge from the right source – means from the paramparā – and he is able to apply that knowledge in his life. This means he acts like it is recommended by the sāstra. So he carries out the order of higher authorities. It is in the previous sentence but it is important so I have to emphasize it, that bona fide spiritual master, means he has to receive the power from authority. This means that his power, his authorization comes down from the highest authority – Kṛṣṇa – trough the line of bona fide persons – paramparā. In other words bona fide spiritual master means who is in the line of successive spiritual master. The original spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. So then one who has heard from Him and he has explained the same message to his disciple, then the disciple is bona fide spiritual master – if he does not change. This is the process. In other words spiritual master does not manufacture his own ideas. Spiritual master is he who speaks exactly the words which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. The other qualification is, that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam.(Bhāg. 11.3.21) According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī without scriptural knowledge (śābde) and practical realization of the Personality of Godhead (niṣṇātaṁ), a so-called guru will be unable to dissipate the doubts of his disciples and therefore unable to execute the function of bringing the sincere student back home, back to Godhead. The symptom of realized understanding of the Vedas and Kṛṣṇa is upaśamāśrayam, fixed in detachment from material affairs.

2. Why are you convinced to follow the orders of the spiritual master in this life, and even life after life? If someone wants to live spiritual life, than he (or she) has to follow the orders of the spiritual master. This is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.34): tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā, means:”try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. ” I’m convicted that Kṛṣṇa is God. The Bhagavad-gītā contains the words of God. If someone wants to develop spiritual life, than one has to follow the words of God. And He – in His words – recommends that one has to follow the orders of the spiritual master. So following the orders of the spiritual master is a recommendation from Kṛṣṇa – who is the original spiritual master or ādī-guru – therefore one – who wants to develop spiritual life – has to follow it. In this life or next life it does not matter. From the absolute viewpoint this is not important. The connection between the disciple and the spiritual master is eternal, therefore this life next life, life after next life it does not matter. The relationship is eternal thus following is eternal.

3. Why does one worship the spiritual master like God? Because the spiritual master is the representative of God. Kṛṣṇa comes out as instructor guru or initiator guru outside, and he is sitting within the heart as caitya-guru. Kṛṣṇa is ready to help us in two ways: by the external guru and internal guru. Internal guru, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and external guru, His manifestation, the spiritual master. Therefore one has to worship the spiritual master like God because from this viewpoint there is no difference between them. ”One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, is not different from Kṛṣṇa.” (Bhāg. 4.29.51) One who is a spiritual master in accordance with the above descriptions is to be understood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally present.

4. Do you believe the spiritual master speaks the absolute truth? If so, why? Yes, I do believe, that the spiritual master speaks the absolute truth. Like I have previously mentioned this is one qualification of the bona fide spiritual master that he speaks the absolute truth, because he speaks what he has received through the paramparā which comes down from the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. Just like lawyer, representative of the law, means who carries the order of the supreme executive. Thus if one accepts a spiritual master as bona fide in the same time one accepts that he speaks the absolute truth. For this one should have faith. Everything begins with faith (ādau śraddhā). Gurv-āśrayam means to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, ādau gurv-āśrayam, and this takes place when there is śraddhā. One is forbidden to accept the guru, or spiritual master, as an ordinary human being (guruṣu nara-matiḥ). A spiritually advanced person who is authorized to act as the spiritual master speaks as the Supreme Personality of Godhead dictates from within. In other words, when the spiritual master speaks, what he says should be accepted as having been directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the paramparā system. He is transparent via media between Krishna and the devotee. The devotee has no access to Krishna without the via media.

5. Under what circumstances should the spiritual master be rejected? Once accepted, the spiritual master takes responsibility for the disciple. And disciple also must be obedient to the spiritual master for life. So if one rejects spiritual master, he becomes a great sinner, most sinful. But according to revealed scriptures, a spiritual master is liable to be rejected if he proves himself unworthy of the position of a guru or spiritual master. Anyone who is obstruction to worship the Supreme Lord, he should be rejected immediately. This means if he is not following the steps of the previous ācāryas, if he is not qualified anymore to be a bona fide spiritual master then he has to be rejected. (The qualities of the bona fide spiritual master see above.)

6. What are the qualifications and responsibilities of a disciple? The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.10.6) says: amāny amatsaro dakṣo / nirmamo dṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ / asatvaro ’rtha-jijñāsur / anasūyur amogha-vāk ”The servant or disciple of the spiritual master should be free from false prestige, never considering himself to be the doer. He should be active and never lazy and should give up

all sense of proprietorship over the objects of the senses, including his wife, children, home and society. He should be endowed with feelings of loving friendship toward the spiritual master and should never become deviated or bewildered. The servant or disciple should always desire advancement in spiritual understanding should not envy anyone and should always avoid useless conversation.” Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that a bona fide disciple must be very inquisitive to understand the transcendental subject matter. Another qualification is humbleness. Without this there is no advancement in spiritual life. It is really necessary that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. It is essential; therefore a disciple must be very much obedient and submissive to the bona fide spiritual master. The good qualification of a disciple also to remain a fool before the spiritual master. Therefore one should never dare to argue or disobey. That is offense. A qualified disciple also increases the importance of the Spiritual Master. Thus one should think that everything one can achieve is because the mercy of the spiritual master. So because the spiritual master opens the eyes of the ignorant disciple in the matter of transcendental knowledge, the disciple, before speaking has to offer obeisances to the lotus feet of the spiritual master. So it is necessary to offer respect to guru as one offers respect to God. The disciple has to try and please the spiritual master by rendering service and inquiring submissively. Following the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the main duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success. It is also the duty of the disciple to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. So one must dedicate one’s life to the service of the spiritual master. Therefore the disciple's duty is to be ready always to serve the spiritual master, at any cost.

7. What is the unique position of Śrīla Prabhupāda in ISKCON? He is the founder ācāya of ISKCON. This means everyone in the movement has to follow His instructions and his footsteps. He came to establish the movement according to time space and circumstances. He is the preeminent teacher and ultimate authority within the society. As ācārya, his exemplary personal behaviour is the model and norm for all ISKCON devotees. As founder, his personal standards and principles of action, his particular spirit or “mood”, take on a societal shape and form in the organization he created. In ISKCON, Prabhupāda himself remains present, generation after generation, as the single prominent śikṣā-guru immanent in the life of each and every ISKCON devotee – a perpetual, indwelling active guiding and directing presence. He is thus the soul of ISKCON.

8. Why do you accept Lord Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? It is stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.3.28): kṛṣṇas tu bhgavān svayam. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śāstra is the basis and what is stated in the śāstra must be accepted without any doubt. govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ says Lord Brahmā in the Brahma-saṁhitā, so it is stated there too that Govinda, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The vedic scriptures and the vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, lately Lord Caitanya, all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so did Śrīla Prabhupāda and all His bona fide disciples. So the śāstra accepts, the sādhu accepts and the guru accepts, so we have to accept also. This is the way. I don’t have much realisation, but I can accept.

9. Why do we follow the four regulative principles? The human life is meant for regulative principles. No regulative principle means animal life. Regulative principles are meant for everyone, all varṇas and āśramas of the human society. Following these principles will bring one to the sattva-guṇa, the level of goodness, on which one can practice spiritual life. While we are under the influence of the lover modes of nature (rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa) we are disturbed by our senses thus we can not practice spiritual life properly. In the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says: “A person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.” (Bhg. 2.64) This freedom is called vairāgya, or renouncement of material desires. One who engages in devotional service to the Lord according to regulative principles is automatically freed from material desires, and in that pure state of mind one can realize the Personality of Godhead.

10. Why do we chant Hare Krsna? harer nāma harer nāma / harer nāmaiva kevalam / kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva /nāsty eva gatir anyathā – “In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.” Kṛṣṇa says: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (Bhg 18.65). “Always think of Me." If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then we're remembering Kṛṣṇa and we remain man-mayā. So bhakti-mārga, the devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to remember always Kṛṣṇa. We should always remember Kṛṣṇa and we shall never forget. This mantra, the mahā-mantra purifies us, so we’re going to be able to offer service to the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. If the dust of ignorance is moved, one can understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." In this way, one becomes enlightened gradually. So the devotional service begins with the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and side by side trying to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth.

11. What is the position of the GBC Body? The Governing Body Commission (GBC) is the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

12. Explain the difference between the body and the self. The body is material and the self is spiritual. On the other hand there is a transcendental body (svarūpa), which is the self.

This material body cannot be identified with the real self; nor is the mind our real identity, nor our intelligence, nor false ego. Our identity is that of eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Our position is that we're transcendental. Usually, because of ignorance people in the material world are identifying their material body with the real self. This is due – mainly – to the modern education. Real self-realization means to understand that we are the eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – jīvera 'svarūpa' haya / kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa –, and perfection is to develop love or bhakti, loving service in relationship with that Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means one is not identifying himself with this material body. He is identifying himself in his original constitutional position, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Spiritual body consists of spiritual elements, so it is eternal (sat), full of knowledge (cit), and ever happy (ānanda). Material body consists of material elements therefore it is not eternal (asat) it is finite, it is ignorant or without real knowledge (acit) and it is never really happy (nirānanda). It can feel some material happiness, but only temporarily so we cannot say it is real. So everything with the material body is temporary – because the attribute of the material that it is temporary –, but the spiritual self is eternal. Thus the material body can be destroyed, but the self cannot. The material body goes through changes, but the self does not. The material body dies, but the self cannot. So the material body is just a tool by which the self can serve Kṛṣṇa in this material world.

13. What is ISKCON, and why should one remain in ISKCON? The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is the spiritual institution founded by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in July 1966 as a continuation of the brahmā-madhva-gauḍīya sampradāya. ISKCON is authorised by Śrīla Prabhupada, so it can give us full shelter therefore we can practice devotional service in a proper way, with proper knowledge, under proper supervision and in proper circumstances. One should remain in ISKCON to have this full and bona fide shelter, to have the best association which can help one to progress spiritually, and to have a chance to practice devotional service in a proper, bona fide way.

14. Have you read the paper „Harmonizing ISKCON's Lines of Authority”? Yes I have read the paper.

15. What have you understood as the most important points of the „Harmonizing ISKCON's Lines of Authority" paper? The most important points of the above mentioned paper were: a) Whether a devotee is an initiating spiritual master, an instructing spiritual master, a

sannyāsī, a Governing Body Commissioner, a Zonal Secretary, a Regional Secretary, a Temple President, a congregational leader, or anyone else in a position of authority within ISKCON, the authority bestowed upon that devotee is complete only if he or she follows Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instruction to serve in ISKCON under the authority of the full GBC.

b) Since every devotee accepts his or her spiritual inspiration from higher authorities, two lines of authority, with their representatives, exist within ISKCON—one is seen as primarily spiritual, while the other is seen as primarily managerial. Both lines of authority serve their own unique yet interdependent purposes in submission to the

orders of our Founder-Ācārya. Both are authorized by the full GBC to give shelter to devotees under their care. This shelter is given through both instruction and example.

c) The most prominent spiritual authority is one’s initiating or instructing spiritual master. The scriptures clearly say that devotees should obey and be loyal to their spiritual masters. The spiritual masters thus exert authority over their disciples, and in so doing the spiritual masters are able to train and educate their disciples in the development of bhakti. The spiritual masters, therefore, assume a significant role in giving their disciples the spiritual education and inspiration necessary to advance in Krishna consciousness.

d) The disciples should offer respect to their local managers right from the start of the spiritual–master/disciple relationship.

e) Śrīla Prabhupāda established ISKCON as a spiritual institution with a managerial structure. The purpose of this structure is to maintain the standards he established, to offer shelter and spiritual nourishment to the devotees, and to support and increase the sankirtana mission.

16. Have you read GBC Resolution 303/2013: GBC Statement on the Position of Srila Prabhupada? Yes I have read the statement.