Qualifying for Guru's Guidance
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yashodakumar.bvgQualifying for Guru's Guidance
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yashodakumar.bvgBy Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja
I am not qualified, but when my Guru Maharaja gives me a task I should make myself
qualified, otherwise I will lose what I have. Krishna is like a brightly burning effulgent
sun. If you do not deserve, if you don’t qualify yourself, how can you remain before this
blazing sun? You’ll be burned to ashes. First, qualify yourself.
You should be serious, “How can I be qualified enough to carry out what my guru
maharaja has given to me and in this way deserve Krishna?” This is most important. But
you never try for it. You are never conscious of it. You think, “Oh, I am now a very great
paramahamsa.” Instead, you should cry, “How can I become qualified and worthy?
Otherwise I will not be able to keep what my guru has given me.”
There is a story about a crow that once saw a ripe bitter melon plant. Although it tastes
bitter, it is very nice. The crow wanted to have it. He went to the plant, “Please, I want to
take this ripened fruit.”
The plant said, “You can’t have it.”
“Why?”
“It requires much work to produce such a fruit. The gardener has prepared the ground and
planted the seed. With watering it gradually germinated. This creeper developed, then
flowered. Fruits came and ripened. How can you expect to get these things all of a
sudden? First you must prepare the ground with a plow and make it nice. Then make a
fence, clean and root out the weeds and put the seed. Water it regularly and the seed will
germinate. Then there will be flowers, and then you will get the ripened fruit. Otherwise
how can you get it?”
“All right, all right. What do I have to do?”
“You should first plow the ground for sowing the seed.”
“So a plow is required. How can I get a plow?”
The plow is wooden and has an iron part that is required to make furrows in the ground.
The blacksmith puts the iron in the fire, makes it red hot, and then beats it with a big
hammer.
The crow went to the blacksmith, “Please give me that iron so I can take it to the
carpenter, make a plow, and plow the land.” The blacksmith had the iron in the fire. It
was red hot. He said, “Are you qualified to take this burning iron?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Can you take it now? It will burn you if you are not worthy.”
He said, “Yes, please give it to me. I am all right.”
The blacksmith gave him the iron and the crow was burnt to ashes - finished.
You are not worthy. You are not qualified enough. How can you take this thing? First,
qualify yourself. Make yourself worthy. Guru is giving you Hari - Krishna, but you
should take care of him or else the reverse effect will be there. There are aparadhas to
watch for and regulative principles to be maintained. Associate with sadhus chant the
holy name, hear Srimad Bhagavatam - engage yourself 24 hours a day in the loving
service of the Lord under the guidance of a bona-fide sadhu vaisnava guru. It is a razor-
edged path, very sharp. If there is the slightest negligence you will fall down from the
path. Guru has said all these things and you should follow, accept it as it is and make
yourself worthy. But you are not doing anything. You are not following the instruction of
guru. You are thinking, “Oh, now I have gotten everything.” If you think like that then
you will lose whatever you have gained.
Devotee: Some devotees say that now that Srila Prabhupada has left they don’t know how
to get his mercy and they are not sure what to do. In reply you said that if someone is
really eager their guru can appear in different forms to help. Can you explain?
Gour Govinda Swami: This is a most important question. You can see your guru if you
have developed the right vision. Prahlad Maharaja saw the Supreme Lord in a stone
pillar. But his father saw only the stone. You can see your guru if you are really eager to
see him. “Yes, my guru is here. He is speaking to me.” If you are really thirsty you will
cry for water and run, “Where is water? Where is water?” This is real eagerness. In the
same way, if you are eager for your guru’s instruction then you will be able to see how he
is there. He will give you instructions. He will definitely impart knowledge.
Devotee: In the form of sadhu and sastra?
Gour Govinda Swami: Just like sastra is always there and sadhu is always there,
similarly, guru is always there. He is eternal. But you are not eager. You have no thirst,
so how can you get water? You are not eager for water, so how can you get water? “Oh, I
have gotten. I have no thirst.” This mentality is very dangerous. You think yourself so
great. You are puffed up. You are not humble at all. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (adi
17.31), Mahaprabhu says:
trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih
This is a very important thing. Kaviraj Goswami says, make a garland of this verse, put it
around your neck, and do hari-bhajana. Otherwise you are not doing hari-bhajana at all.
You are not feeling lower than the grass, you are not more tolerant than a tree, you are
not free of false pride, and you are not giving respect to all. So how will you do hari-
bhajana? But you say, “Oh I am doing hari-bhajana. I am doing. I am doing.” This is not
bhajana.
– From a darsana in Bhubaneswar. 14 November 1991.
