The Importance of Receiving the Guru (MP3 Audio Arrival Address Los Angeles)

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Spiritual master is the official collector. This is the Vedic system, to receive knowledge through the transparent medium, guru, and to receive Guru means the honor goes to Krishna. So this is necessary. This is not an artificial thing, but spiritually it is necessary.

Prabhupada: So I thank you very much for your kind reception. It is necessary.

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

This is the process, Vedic process, to receive the transcendental knowledge through theparampara system, and the reception or honor given to the spiritual master, it goes to Krishna. Spiritual master is the official collector. Just like in government there is collector. He receives the money, taxes, from the citizens, not for his personal use but for the government. Similarly, this is the Vedic system, to receive knowledge through the transparent medium, guru, and to receive… Guru means the honor goes to Krsna. So this is necessary. This is not an artificial thing, but spiritually it is necessary. Therefore we hold Vyasa-puja day.

So I am very glad to see that you are maintaining the temple standard as good as I saw when I left. That is my satisfaction. And keep this, I mean to say, situation, atmosphere, always, and follow the regulative principles, chant sixteen rounds. You’ll remain always happy, because although we are in Los Angeles, we have nothing to do with the material atmosphere of Los Angeles. Therefore a devotee who lives with Krsna or in Krsna consciousness, he does not live in the material world. He always live in the spiritual world. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Mam cavyabhicarini-bhakti-yogena yah sevate: “Anyone who is engaged in bhakti-yoga with Krsna,” sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate,“such person is always above these material modes of nature.” Our difficulty or miserable condition of life is due to being under the material laws of nature. So it is very simple method, and you are all intelligent boys and girls in the Western country, and I am very, happy that you have taken it seriously. And continue this. You’ll never be unhappy. And not only here but also, as Krsna said, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, if you simply practice these four principle–always think of Krsna, man-mana, or become Krsna’s devotees and offer Krsna obeisances and worship Krsna–these four… We are teaching these four principle in the temple, how to worship Krsna how to serve Krsna, how to become Krsna’s devotee, and how to think of Krsna twenty-four hours. And if we do this, there is guarantee. Krsna says, mam eva esyasi asamsaya: “Without any doubt, you will come to Me. You will go back to home, back to Godhead.”

So do not be slackened. And it is not difficult. Su-sukham kartum avyayam. This devotional service is so nice. It is… To execute the devotional is also very pleasing. Su-sukham kartum avyayam. And whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. In the material world, suppose you have got some money. So that is not permanent. But anything, material possession, that is not permanent. Especially after death, everything is finished–another new chapter. That we do not know. But devotional service, it is guaranteed. It is permanent asset, even you cannot finish in this life. But that does not mean you should be neglectful. Try to finish the completely to become Krsna conscious in this life. Do not keep in abeyance. That is not intelligence. But even if it is not finished, then the next life a human life is guaranteed, and you begin where you ended. These are the sastric… So execute this devotional service very sincerely, seriously. Even there is little inconvenience, tolerate it. There is no inconvenience. But if you think it is inconvenience–that is our mental concoction–still, you should not be neglectful in the discharging your duties in devotional service.

So those who are engaged in Deity worship, those who are engaged in sankirtana party, those who are engaged in distributing books, those who are engaged in the office for keeping accounts–and all of them in devotional service–not a single moment waste.Kirtaniyah sada harih. And whenever you have got time, read books. Now we have got volumes of books. Again we have got another five volumes of books. All are now immediately published. So you have got enough to study. And those who are grhasthas, children, we have got our Dallas. As soon as the children is fit, three to four years, you can send to Dallas. They are taking very much care. And if your children are educated Sanskrit and English, and reads all our books, he is more than any university M.A., Ph.D., more than. The M.A., Ph.D. of the ordinary university will not be able to be compared with that. So rest assured that education, culture, happiness, satisfaction, and next, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. (end)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada