# Attaining Perfection ## 1. When does a living entity attain auspiciousness? Only when one takes shelter at the lotus feet of the spiritual master and accepts Kṛṣṇa’s service as one’s life and soul does the Absolute Truth come within one’s control. ## 2. How will one attain perfection in one lifetime? One can certainly attain perfection in one lifetime by sincerely worshiping the Lord under the guru’s guidance and giving up one’s independence. ## 3. How can one know the Supreme Lord? One should faithfully hear hari-kathā from the spiritual master’s mouth. There is no way to understand God other than to fully surrender at the guru’s lotus feet. Only those who fully surrender are able to know the Supreme Lord. ## 4. What current of thought allows one to attain auspiciousness? If we see the material world as if we were the Lord’s servants, we will no longer feel distress. By sincerely worshiping the Lord and by fully surrendering to Him while giving up our independence, we will certainly attain Him in this lifetime. We have to hear about the Lord from those persons who can introduce us to Him and who are engaged in His service twenty-four hours a day. Then our perfection is certain. The Lord’s devotees see through devotion-filled eyes the form of Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa in their hearts. If we associate with such devotees and receive their mercy, we will also come to see the Lord in our heart. We should not waste any more time, but should be constantly eager to serve the Lord in the association of devotees. If we remain ever in the association of the devotees, our propensity to serve the Lord will only increase. The Supreme Lord fulfills all the desires of His surrendered devotees. He never disappoints them. It is said that Kṛṣṇa fulfills the desires of all those who beg for His service. We should also know that only the Supreme Lord is capable of protecting us by giving us shelter. No one else has that power. If we can learn to firmly believe this fact, we will find ourselves becoming fearless, anxiety-free, happy, and successful. If we trust that the all-auspicious Lord Kṛṣṇa is our only benefactor, we will certainly achieve auspiciousness. It is impossible to express the incredible fortune given to those who fully surrender at the Lord’s lotus feet. ## 5. How will we be liberated from material existence? Without the Supreme Lord’s mercy, no one can be delivered from material existence. The moment we forget that we are His eternal servants, we begin to serve Maya. The only way to become liberated from this formidable material existence is to approach the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas, inquire from them submissively, and hear kṛṣṇa-kathā from them with a service attitude. By hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā with devotion, the propensities we have to enjoy matter will be destroyed. ## 6. How can we be benefited? Kṛṣṇa is my eternal Lord and I am His eternal servant: if somehow or other this knowledge is attained, then all inauspiciousness is burnt to ashes and all auspiciousness captured. ## 7. What is the path of auspiciousness? To surrender to the Supreme Lord in happiness and distress is the only path of auspiciousness. Kṛṣṇa will certainly protect us. If we give up this security and try to protect ourselves, we are doomed. Our fortune lies in fully depending on Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, we will have to suffer misery birth after birth. The affectionate Lord takes all responsibility for His surrendered devotees. ## 8. What is the path of back to Godhead? To simply depend on Kṛṣṇa’s mercy while remaining inclined toward His service under the spiritual master’s guidance is the path of back to Godhead. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam verse that begins tat te ’nu kampām proves this. The path back to Godhead is made possible by serving the transparent spiritual master. The path of pure devotional service is the path back to Godhead. ## 9. Can one gain benefit by simply putting on a sannyāsīs dress? One cannot gain anything simply by wearing the garb of a sannyāsī. One can become a real sannyāsī by becoming a staunch follower of his guru and by making the guru’s service his life and soul. One should become such a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī by becoming attached to both the spiritual master and the holy name. But those who indulge in bad association instead of serving Kṛṣṇa under the guru’s guidance will certainly be ruined. They will never know the Supreme Personality of Godhead or attain His service. One can cheat people by dressing as a sādhu, but the omniscient Lord, who gives the fruit of karma, will never leave such cheaters alone. Those who engage in bad association while dressed as sādhus are chopping at their own legs with an ax. ## 10. How can we attain auspiciousness? As long as we remain attached to family life or house, we are in trouble, but if we follow and serve the spiritual master, who constantly serves Kṛṣṇa, we will no longer have any problem. There is no way to make our lives auspicious except to follow the Lord’s devotees. Service to the spiritual master, who is most dear to the Supreme Lord, is more beneficial than service to the Supreme Lord Himself. Our progress lies in serving the spiritual master, because by such service the fallen living entities are delivered. Those who want actual benefit must serve the spiritual master and the devotees with love and devotion. What does it mean to serve them? Guru and the Vaiṣṇavas engage in no other activity but Kṛṣṇa’s service. If we are to serve them, we should assist them in their service to the Supreme Lord and happily follow their orders without reservation. Subordination to the spiritual master is required at all stages of life. To try to personally serve Kṛṣṇa with pride and without the guru’s guidance simply causes disturbance. By denying or disobeying the spiritual master, one certainly brings about his own ruination. “I am serving Hariḥ.”: to think this is a symptom of pride. False pride is the first and main cause of falldown. By finding fault with guru and the Vaiṣṇavas, one’s ruination is inevitable. Without service to guru, the living entities cannot find benefit. Becoming interested in one’s own happiness brings misfortune on a living entity. Unless one is an unalloyed devotee he cannot serve Kṛṣṇa, and without serving guru one cannot become an unalloyed devotee. There is no other way for the conditioned souls to become delivered except to serve the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas. ## 11. Why are we unable to realize the Supreme Lord? How will the living entities, who are Kṛṣṇa’s servants, realize the Lord unless they constantly serve and associate with the guru and the Vaiṣṇavas? If we are busy in worldly or family activities, how will we understand the Lord of the universe? Under the control of sinful desires, we have presently developed a bad mentality; we think we have great duties to perform in this world. This is because we are averse to the original fountainhead. Just as by stepping in quicksand one’s legs are sucked down, so we have stepped into the quicksand of dependence on material phenomena and are being pulled down. Instead of becoming inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa, we spend our time influenced by sinful desires. Lord Viṣṇu’s illusory energy has conditioned us to think that we are enjoyers and expert karmīs. Be careful. Accept guidance at every step. Be extremely careful. It is vital that we are controlled by the spiritual master at every step. Serving the devotees is more beneficial to us than serving the Lord. The living entities can receive more mercy by associating with devotees than from trying to associate directly with the Lord. The place where the spiritual master or a devotee resides is more favorable for the pure worship of Hari than the place where the Supreme Lord resides. Understand the purport of the phrase, “Wherever there are Vaiṣṇavas, that is Vṛndāvana.” If instead we are indifferent toward guru-sevā, it means we have failed to become servants. It means we are proud and entangled in material thought. There is no greater topic of discussion in the theistic world than the topic of how to serve the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā-Govinda. Always hear hari-kathā. Do not become materialists, bereft of the transcendental Lord’s service. Pay close attention to the worship of Hari. We have already passed so many lifetimes engaged in other activities. Be always cautious to attain the goal of life. Always carefully serve the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa with love and devotion and you will certainly realize the Supreme Lord. ## 12. How can we attain eternal benefit? The auspicious desire of the Lord’s devotees is that the living entities not always remain in a suffering condition. Let them achieve eternal fortune. To achieve that eternal fortune, they must take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master’s lotus feet, a devotee most dear to Kṛṣṇa. They should serve that devotee with firm faith and devotion, because the spiritual master is nondifferent from Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. By taking shelter of the guru’s lotus feet they will attain Nandanandana’s service. It is important that these people hear kṛṣṇa-kathā from the guru’s lotus mouth. If they can make the dust from their spiritual master’s lotus feet their only asset, they will attain pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, the enchanter of the whole world. Therefore the spiritual master’s lotus feet are eternally worshipable. The transcendental spiritual master is not of this world. He is not temporary, nor is he a lump of flesh and blood. He is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss like the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master is the Supreme Lord in human form. He is not an ordinary human being. Those who consider the spiritual master or Śrī Gaurāṅga material products simply prove the self-serving nature of their service. Such service is not unalloyed but a business exchange. Until a living entity fully surrenders to the lotus feet of the most worshipable spiritual master, he cannot see the Supreme Lord. Those who are unaware that the spiritual master is fully transcendental, that he is as good as the Lord, and that he is dear to Kṛṣṇa are completely unqualified to enter the spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of service to Kṛṣṇa. Only by the guru’s mercy can we approach the transcendental Absolute Truth and attain the shelter and darśana of Śrī Caitanyadeva. Only then can we become glorious and successful. If we are attracted to material forms, we will not be able to attain the spiritual master’s darśana. Simply by engaging in the worshipable guru’s service, and thus the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, without duplicity, we will achieve good fortune. We pray: ādadānastrinaṁ dantair idaṁ yāce puna puna śrīmad guru padāmbhoja dhuli syān janma janmani Holding a straw between my teeth, I repeatedly pray that I do not want anything else, I do not want religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, or liberation. I simply want to become a particle of dust at the lotus feet of my spiritual master. Under his guidance, I want to engage in the Lord’s service in the same way he has constantly served the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa belongs to me. If I do not serve him He will feel distressed. If we develop such a mood we will certainly attain kṛṣṇa-prema. This good fortune is achieved only by lovingly serving the spiritual master. ## 13. What is the duty of a householder? If we endeavor for personal happiness we will become attached to matter. By using all our energy for Kṛṣṇa’s service, however, we will find fortune. Householder devotees should always be prepared to help or serve those who have come to worship Kṛṣṇa constantly, having given up wife, children, and relatives. Then only will such householders find benefit and their material attachments slackening. Householder Vaiṣṇavas should work hard to serve Hari, just as they work to satisfy their families. They should maintain their families as in service to the Lord. Vaiṣṇavas are not interested in feeding poisonous snakes with milk and bananas but in devotional service. Therefore they leave their families if they realize that family life has become unfavorable for their devotional service. As soon as I want to enjoy or lord it over others, Maya controls me. The only auspicious activity for the present-day troublesome society is to liberate oneself from foolishness in the form of family life and to enter into Kṛṣṇa’s family. Only by taking shelter of the guru’s lotus feet without duplicity can one be delivered from material life. One cannot be delivered by any other means. Can the spiritual master, by whose mercy one can be delivered from material existence be merely a nondevotee, sense enjoyer, karmī, liar, covered atheist, impersonalist, or mystic yogī? Can any one become a real spiritual master unless he has devoted himself to the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Whether one is a householder or a sannyāsī, it is his principal duty to serve the pure spiritual master. When the hari-kathā emanating from the lotus mouth of the spiritual master enters into the service-inclined ears, then the darkness of ignorance is vanquished. At that time one’s eyes become purified, and through those purified eyes one is able to see Kṛṣṇa. What has caused my ruination is my desire to become master. If I want to enjoy material life and I run after sense gratification, and if I become busy in family life, then the threefold miseries of material existence are inevitable. Therefore instead of listening to one’s mind or the words of mental speculators, one should always hear the instructions of those who constantly serve the Supreme Lord. ## 14. Who is fortunate? The fortunate among human beings are of two types, those with good fortune and those with bad fortune. Those with good fortune try to worship Hari and eventually attain His devotional service in this lifetime. Such persons do not need to wait for another birth. If one takes shelter of Śrī Caitanyadeva without deviation, he will attain all perfection in this lifetime. If in spite of attaining the path of auspiciousness, however, a person accepts bad association, he may fall down. Best to remain ever free from the attraction for wealth, women, and fame. By repeatedly hearing hari-kathā, all one’s mundane thoughts will be vanquished. Śrī Caitanyadeva’s topics, teachings, and instructions are so great and sublime that nothing can stand before them. The servants of Śrī Caitanyadeva’s topics, which belittle religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation are actually the most magnanimous. One should at least impartially consider how intelligent, thoughtful, and helpful Gaura’s devotees are! May Śrī Caitanyadeva’s mercy protect us all from the evil motive that inspires us to lord it over others and allow them to serve us. ## 15. Who is qualified to return to the spiritual world? Only those who sincerely follow in the footsteps of their spiritual master, who is nondifferent from Śrī Rūpa, will attain the Lord’s mercy and come to love Kṛṣṇa. ## 16. What is the difference between attaining perfection in chanting mantras and attaining perfection in devotional service? When one perfects his chanting of mantras he becomes liberated. From there, one can attain pure devotional service. Prior to attaining pure devotional service, however, one stands on the platform of either sādhana-kriyā or bhajana-kriyā. First one becomes liberated, and then his material bondage is destroyed. Then only is one qualified to become Kṛṣṇa’s servant. One who practices devotional service becomes liberated when he perfects his chanting of mantras. At that time, his mundane ego has no more influence, he becomes free of material desire, and he attains the good fortune of serving the Supreme Lord for His pleasure. That is called pure devotional service. Perfection in mantra-chanting awards liberation, and perfection in devotional service awards one love of God. A devotee at prema is therefore obviously a perfected devotee, a mahā-bhāgavata. It is important to note, however, that although perfection in chanting mantras awards liberation, one can attain liberation simply by chanting nāmābhāsa. Kṛṣṇa’s holy names are the object worship for liberated persons. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 7.73 states: kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord. ## 17. Who will attain perfection? Only those who follow the disciplic succession will attain perfection. Dry argument has no basis. Vedic knowledge received through aural reception is eternal and conclusive. Only those who glorify Hari and His qualities, names, and forms throughout the day and night can attain perfection. ## 18. What is our topmost duty? This human form of life is temporary and rare, so one should give up everything, including atheism, offensiveness, and useless activity and engage his mind in worshiping Hari. We have received this human form of life after many lifetimes. This is why it is rare. Even though the human body, like any body, is temporary, it allows us to make spiritual advancement. Only the intelligent will give up all other activities and, without wasting a moment, try to achieve the ultimate goal of life as long as they have breath. To achieve the ultimate goal of life one must take shelter at the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. A bona fide spiritual master does not speak in favor of adverse tastes but about kṛṣṇa-bhajana, our only and most important duty. Worldly people attract me by speaking about things for which I find taste. They appear to be my friends. However, only that person who does not wish to show me envy, who is honestly distressed upon seeing my distress, and who feels pain upon seeing my agony, is my well-wishing spiritual master. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has instructed us to take complete shelter of such a spiritual master. ## 19. How can we attain freedom? There is no way to attain freedom or peace other than to take shelter at the Supreme Lord’s lotus feet. Surrender, under the guru’s guidance, is the proper use of our independence. Surrender is complete independence or real independence because it leaves us free to act according to our eternal constitutional position. ## 20. Is the path leading to the ultimate goal of life full of impediments? Persons who want immediate happiness may seem to face no inconvenience at present, whereas persons who want ultimate fortune may face difficulties. Aspiring devotees should accept the difficulties. To accept such difficulties is called tolerance. ## 21. Please explain the Bhagavad-gītā verse that begins sarva dharmān parityajya. Lord Kṛṣṇa said in Bhagavad-gītā that one should give up all varieties of religion and surrender unto Him. That same Lord also said that by giving up one’s own occupational duty and taking up another’s, one could not achieve benefit. It is better, He said, to die engaged in one’s svadharma than to engage in the practices of another’s dharma. Where is the consistency between these two statements? Human beings cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by mundane knowledge or exercising their own intelligence or expertise. We can know Him only by His mercy. If we discuss Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s and pastimes we will be able to solve what appears to be a contradiction in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statements. Caitanyadeva appeared in this world to preach kṛṣṇa-kathā and to show the world Kṛṣṇa’s magnanimous pastimes. He taught that we should hear His teachings with full attention. After accepting sannyāsa Mahāprabhu lived at the house of Chandraśekhara Ācārya in Kāśī. At that time Śrī Sanātana Prabhu, or Sākara Malik, the prime minister in the king of Bengal’s royal assembly, was also present. He asked Mahāprabhu: ’ke āmi’, ’kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya’ ihā nāhi jāni ’kemane hita haya’ Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited? (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 20.102) Mahāprabhu replied: jīvera ’svarūpa’ haya kṛṣṇera ’nitya-dāsa’, kṛṣṇera ’tatasthā-śakti’ ’bhedābheda-prakāśa’ sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra ’śakti’ haya It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 20.108-109) kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha, ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore, the illusory energy [Maya] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 20.117) sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya, sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of Maya, who gives him up. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 20.120) tāte kṛṣṇa bhaje, kare gurura sevana, māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves him, he can get out of the clutches of Maya and become eligible for shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 22.25) The living entities are Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servants, and Kṛṣṇa is their eternal master. We are not these bodies but spirit souls, parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict of scripture. When we forget this, however, and consider the body and mind as the self, we suffer various inconveniences. We come to identify ourselves with the family and country in which we were born. We proudly consider ourselves brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or sudras, mlecchas, males, females, and so on. As our bodies grow, we also learn to consider ourselves children, adults, or old men. Accepting the body as the self, we proudly identify ourselves as Indian, Bengali, British, Hindu, Muslim, Marwari, Punjabi, or Bihari. We are proud to think of ourselves as brahmacāris, gṛhastas or sannyāsīs. These are the varieties of religion, and from there, we create or imagine religious principles. Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks Bhagavad-gītā. In it He states that the spirit soul is eternal and unchangeable and that the material body is temporary and subject to change. Those who think the spirit soul changes when the material body undergoes change are fools. The phrase sarva dharmān refers to all the varieties of religions that come when one considers the material body the self, including the religion based on the four varṇas and āśramas. In fact, it refers to all kinds of religion within the fourteen worlds that are not related to serving Kṛṣṇa. The merciful Lord instructs that we should give up the temporary physical and mental activities and completely forget about bodily concept of life. He wants us to serve the Supersoul. But the conditioned souls cannot accept this simple instruction. In the next line the Supreme Lord said, aham tvam sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayisyāmī: “I will deliver you from all sinful reactions.” The living entities cannot imagine that giving up temporary religious principles does not incur sin. Alas! It is an offense not to follow eternal religious principles, but the conditioned souls who are indifferent to these principles consider not performing some temporary religious principles sinful— not only sinful but they imagine that by avoiding these temporary principles they will never find deliverance. Therefore the Lord said, māśucaḥ, “Do not worry.” Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally came to give us instruction about how to serve Him. Are we following His instructions? Are we serious about His order? If we do not follow His orders or the orders contained in scripture, if we simply float along on our own imagination, consider prohibited activity as duty and neglecting the spiritual master’s teachings, then who can be blamed for our failures? ## 22. How can one go back to Godhead? Lord Hari is the only self-manifest object and an ocean of mercy. When we are inclined to serve Him, He mercifully reveals Himself to us—His name, form, qualities, and pastimes. Material enjoyers are overwhelmed by the pride of considering themselves the cause of their own activities, but that pride blinds them from seeing the Supreme Lord. If one wishes to realize the Lord in his pure heart, he must hear about Kṛṣṇa attentively. Mundane experience cannot help one realize the supreme consciousness. Spirit is realized only through spiritual cultivation and seen only through spiritual eyes. Only servants can see the object of their service. The worshipable Lord mercifully manifests Himself before His worshiper. Therefore, first we practice introspection, then comes the external vision. ## 23. Should one act as one’s own spiritual doctor? Despite seeing the materialists undergo much distress, it is to be understood that those entering material life regardless must have strong desires for sense gratification. Otherwise they would not have taken the risk. Parents are available in every birth, but auspicious instruction may not. Instead of acting as one’s own spiritual doctor, therefore, one should accept the treatment of an experienced devotee-physician. ## 24. How do we achieve auspiciousness? It is our duty to seek the association of sincere devotees. If our hearts are filled with laziness, duplicity, or material desire, we will receive a spiritual master according to our interest in spiritual life. We can only attain the ultimate goal by taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master who is dear to Kṛṣṇa and who chants Kṛṣṇa’s holy names. If one is fortunate, then by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy one will certainly meet such a bona fide spiritual master. Those with no character can neither chant the holy name nor recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only the Lord’s devotees are qualified to recite scripture and chant the holy name. Hari’s pure name does not emanate from people without good character, who are full of material desire and pride. Whatever those persons say is poisonous and illusioned. That is why it is improper to hear hari-kathā from just anybody. Hearing from improper persons will create inauspiciousness rather than auspiciousness. Therefore one should firmly abandon the association of those who have rejected their spiritual master and who are averse to their guru’s service. By associating with such people one will certainly be ruined. Hari-kathā should be heard from those devoted to their spiritual master. When we hear from the proper source, we ourselves will become fixed at guru and Kṛṣṇa’s feet and in chanting the holy name. We will also find the determination and strength to surrender to the Lord. By hearing about Kṛṣṇa from akiñcana devotees, and under the influence of their association, we will realize that devotional service is our only shelter. At that time impersonalism, fruitive activities, mental speculation, and mystic perfection will all appear insignificant. The ultimate fortune is to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Whether we are educated or uneducated, strong or weak, if we take shelter of the Supreme Lord we will attain the goal of our life. The Lord’s devotees appear in this world to benefit ordinary living entities. They are not bound by any mundane duties and are not compelled to appear in the material world. Yet they come. Their only business is to make everyone Kṛṣṇa conscious by diverting their godless propensities. ## 25. When can one take shelter of Vraja? When one considers his spiritual master nondifferent from Gadādhara Paṇḍita, his journey to Vraja is confirmed. When one thinks otherwise he is in trouble. It is the duty of the intelligent to follow the mahājanas. To think one can attain perfection by one’s own endeavor is a material conception. To think this leads only toward material existence and not to Vraja. ## 26. What is the most essential factor of the living entities? Forgetting their original constitutional position, the people of this world consider religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation the ultimate goal of life. The fifth objective, however, kṛṣṇa-prema, dwarfs these other objectives. Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva distributed kṛṣṇa-prema. Although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, it is He who gives kṛṣṇa-prema. There is no instructor superior to Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva. ## 27. Why do some people consider Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes obscene? One should hear, chant, and remember Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes as they are discussed by the Lord’s associates, the crest jewels among self-controlled personalities. If one does so, one will be liberated from sinful reactions and material existence, attain eternal peace, obtain love of God, and become free from material desire. The insignificant brains of worldly moralists, however, cannot imagine how authentic and worshipable Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are for all their morality! The loving pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are not like the mundane lusty activities between Romeo and Juliet or any other hero and heroine in this world, even when those activities are exchanged between an ideal man and an ideal woman. In the mundane sphere, desire is manifest only in the form of a propensity, but in the transcendental kingdom it has form. Desire for personal sense gratification is called lust, whereas the desire to please Kṛṣṇa is called love. Lust is darkness and love is as brilliant as the sun. Transcendental lust or love is a personification of the desire to fulfill Kṛṣṇa’s wishes. It is not a product of the material senses. The material senses constantly agitate one to experience lust in this world, but in the transcendental abode the beauty of Kṛṣṇa’s spiritual form induces Kṛṣṇa’s lust. The material senses drive worldly lust, but love is driven by Kṛṣṇa. It is an offense, therefore, to think Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are obscene. Kṛṣṇa alone is the supreme enjoyer, supreme Absolute Truth, and supreme spiritual despot. ## 28. Why are we unable to see God? Since Kṛṣṇa is transcendental it is not possible to know or see Him with the knowledge we have gained through our senses. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, not an object for others’ enjoyment. Everyone and everything is fit for Him to enjoy as He likes. That we think differently is because we are envious of Kṛṣṇa. It is this envy that stops us from seeing Kṛṣṇa. The Lord’s illusory energy has two functions, to prevent us from seeing Kṛṣṇa and to remove Kṛṣṇa from our line of vision. Only Kṛṣṇa’s devotees are capable of removing these two influences. In replying to the question of the residents of Kulīna-grāma, Śrīman Mahāprabhu said that the three principal duties of the human being are to serve Kṛṣṇa, to serve the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and to chant Kṛṣṇa’s holy name. Kṛṣṇa is the object of worship, the Lord’s worshipers are the devotees, and the process of worship is devotional service. These three items are eternal. Unless one endeavors to serve the Lord with uninterrupted attention, one cannot realize this. It is not possible to realize the Supreme Lord with mixed endeavor. We are pretentious when we call ourselves Vaiṣṇavas, because actually, we are servants of our own senses. Until the propensity to engage in pure devotional service is awakened in us, we should understand that we do not know much about Kṛṣṇa. That we are struggling with illusion is proof that we have not understood Śrī Gaurasundara’s teachings. Until we realize that service to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees is our only duty, we will continue to be cheated. As soon as we sincerely take shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, we will become free from such a sinful mentality. We will see the Lord only when our eyes are opened by the lotus hands of those who worship the Lord constantly. Service to those personalities who do nothing other than serve the Lord with all their possessions is what gives us the opportunity to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to see Kṛṣṇa ourselves. When by the mercy of our devotee-spiritual master we become fortunate enough to engage in glorifying Hari, then Lord Kṛṣṇa, the personification of saṅkīrtana, will mercifully remove all obstacles from the path of we, the most unqualified persons. He will protect us and give us His darśana. It is through the devotion-filled eyes of our spiritual master that we receive the Lord’s darśana. ## 29. How can one attain eternal perfection? Whenever we either indulge in sense gratification or remain aloof from it, we think we have gained something. But that gain is only temporary. Only service to the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas is eternal and awards eternal benefit. We render service to Viṣṇu by serving the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas. Although due to my previous misdeeds I have become a sense enjoyer in this life, by my spiritual master’s mercy I have come to understand the constitutional nature of the soul. They have freed me from the influence of mental speculation. It is true that I am unqualified, but if I somehow engage in the service of guru and the Vaiṣṇavas, I can also become qualified. There is no other way to become qualified or to attain auspiciousness than to engage in this service. In the beginning we do not know how to serve Lord Viṣṇu. When we make a study, however, we realize that service to Viṣṇu’s devotees is superior to service rendered directly to Viṣṇu. Although we may not get information about Lord Viṣṇu in this world, if we serve those who serve Viṣṇu we will also learn how to serve Him. Don’t be disappointed because you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa through your blunt material senses. The Supreme Lord is the transcendental Absolute Truth. Those who engage in His service are also transcendental. Service to the transcendental Lord is not incomprehensible or unattainable for them. Rather, such service is a direct exchange between these liberated souls and the Lord. ## 30. What is a devotee’s most invaluable asset? Śrī Gaurasundara’s lotus feet are our most invaluable asset. Let topics of Mahāprabhu always be discussed throughout the world! Then all living entities will attain auspiciousness, realizing the transcendental subject matter. Everyone will understand the Absolute Truth and about Śrī Caitanyadeva. All other knowledge is inauspicious. Lord Kṛṣṇa has given us various opportunities and assurances by telling us He will deliver us from all sinful reactions and that those who surrender unto Him can easily overcome His illusory energy. He said, “Just take shelter of Me and you will attain perfection.” He has taken all responsibility for our deliverance. Still we have no faith in His words. Therefore He again appears before us as our spiritual master—in the form of His own servant. He also came as Gaurāṅga and said, “I am only a servant of Kṛṣṇa. If you want to follow My words, follow them and achieve perfection.” Accepting the mood of a devotee, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally appeared in the world as Caitanyadeva and revealed that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supreme object of worship. Simply by taking shelter of His lotus feet and cultivating remembrance of His names, forms, qualities, and pastimes, we will attain ultimate fortune. ## 31. What is our duty? We should give up false ego and take complete shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet if we wish to make our lives successful. When we engage in karma we see ourselves as the enjoyer of the fruits of our action. Thus we are recipients rather than givers. When we cultivate jñāna we are also recipient. But in devotional service, we make the transcendental Personality of Godhead the recipient. Follow the devotional path. Lord Kṛṣṇa is eager to mercifully reveal Himself to us at every moment. Accept His mercy gladly. It is not necessarily our duty to make disciples. Better we become disciples ourselves. Vaiṣṇavas see their guru’s presence in every object. If we treat others as disciples or servants, we will not be able to glorify Hari. Better we serve the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas twenty-four hours a day, even if such service means giving up our service to Kṛṣṇa. We should neither speak nor do anything under the influence of false ego. Doing so makes us culpable. Our only duty is to eternally glorify Hari. If we simply repeat hari-kathā as order-carrier servants of the Lord’s beloved devotee, our guru, then we will bear no responsibility for the good or bad results that may ensue. Postmen deliver letters but are not responsible for the contents of the mail. Whether or not we are qualified, we are duty-bound to repeat the spiritual master’s words with great faith. Why should this be a problem? As our guru’s servants, we are confident that we will attain supreme fortune through our service. Serving and associating with Maya leaves us feeling incomplete and unfortunate, while serving the Complete Whole leaves us satisfied. If we wish to become perfect we must serve the perfect. If we spend time on imperfect things, we will get imperfect results. As long as you live in this world, hear hari-kathā exclusively. Hearing is dependent on someone’s chanting. If we are not fortunate enough to be able to hear in the association of sādhus, we should constantly hear and chant ourselves. ## 32. How can we see the Lord face to face? Lord Kṛṣṇa is the devotee’s personal property. Only the devotees can give or show Kṛṣṇa to others. Please the Lord and achieve all perfection. Meeting the object of service is possible only through service and in no other way. ## 33. Who is sure to attain Kṛṣṇa? One who has firm faith that “Kṛṣṇa will certainly protect me” will surely attain perfection. To be qualified for such protection, we must take complete shelter at the lotus feet of those who are already fully dependent on the Lord and who constantly discuss kṛṣṇa-kathā. These souls deliver other souls. Simply by taking shelter of them, we will be delivered. Only the surrendered souls are saved, not those who maintain their independence, because full surrender attracts Kṛṣṇa’s full mercy. ## 34. When does one achieve pure devotional service and see the Lord face-to-face? When we realize that the spiritual master, who is the personification of the Lord’s service, is nondifferent from Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu, we will actually be allowed to serve the Lord. At that time religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation will appear insignificant. When we realize that guru is a most intimate associate of Śrī Gaurāṅgadeva, then Śrī Rādhā-Govinda’s pastimes will manifest in our purified hearts and we will see the Lord face-to-face. ## 35. What is the path back to Godhead? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.9.11) states: tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti tat-tad-vapu praṇayase sad-anugrahāya O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You. In his commentary on this verse Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī writes, śrutena śravaṇe ikṣitaḥ: one should see the Absolute Truth through the eyes of scripture. This is the path back to Godhead. Similarly, in his commentary Śrī Visvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes that realization of the Lord is possible when one eagerly hears about Him with a pure heart. First one should hear from the spiritual master, and then one will be able to see the Lord. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 3.112 states: bhaktera icchāya kṛṣṇera sarva avatāra: “Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in all His innumerable eternal forms because of the desires of His pure devotees.” In the same commentary Śrīdhara Svāmī explains, “The Lord manifests that particular form in the hearts of a devotee upon whom the devotee meditates.” ## 36. What is the danger of cheating on the devotional path? By sincerely worshiping the Lord while taking complete shelter of the spiritual master and Gaurāṅga, one will easily attain perfection. Cheaters never attain perfection. There is no place for cheating on the devotional path. The propensity to cheat is a grave impediment to devotional service. If while eating we duplicitously eat less for the sake of etiquette, we will not be satisfied and thus will have cheated ourselves. If we try to cheat a blacksmith by mixing the iron we give with some other metal, we ourselves will be cheated. One also cheats himself if he cheats while worshiping Hari. Serve the Lord with simplicity, and carefully follow spiritual master’s orders. ## 37. What is the goal of life? Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the eternal object of everyone’s service. We are all His servants. To serve and love Him is the goal of our life. We have to serve Kṛṣṇa with our spiritual senses. We cannot attain Kṛṣṇa by mental speculation or through the imagination. We must know our relationship with Him with the help of our well-wishers, those devotees whose only aim is to serve Kṛṣṇa. As long as we consider our relatives our well-wishers, we cannot understand transcendental knowledge but will remain in ignorance even after initiation. A Vaiṣṇava thinks that Lord Kṛṣṇa is his supreme well-wisher, worshipable Lord, and best friend. Do not look for material fame in the form of some type of sense gratification, and do not consider strangers your well-wisher. Serve Kṛṣṇa, not first with your flesh and bones, but with your spiritual consciousness through your service-inclined senses. ## 38. What does the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam instruct us to do? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not teach karma-kāṇḍa but focuses on the importance of hearing hari-kathā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes pure devotional service and everything related to it. This bhakti-yoga is the supreme religious principle for the entire humanity. Pure knowledge, pure renunciation, and pure devotional service are one and the same. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not deal with any subject matter that enhances our sense gratification. It considers material happiness and distress two sides of the same coin—striving for material happiness inevitably brings distress. The Bhāgavatam reminds us that the karma-kāṇḍa path sometimes brings good results, but often brings bad ones. Karma-kāṇḍa is not the path of liberated souls By reading literature other than the Bhāgavatam one is compelled to traverse the paths of karma and jñāna so one can enjoy happiness and distress and rotate in the cycle of birth and death. While on that path one may find religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification. When someone on the karma- or jñāna-kāṇḍa path finally desires liberation, he doesn’t worship the Lord. Only Vaiṣṇavas serve the Lord. The path of mystic yoga does not serve the Lord either. One can certainly work for and attain mystic perfections such as animā and laghimā by practicing yoga, but this has nothing to do with devotion. And forget about the salvationist serving the Lord. He wants nothing but respite from his distress. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam assures us that those who have accepted the paths of karma, jñāna, or yoga have accepted the wrong path. Bhakti is the correct path. While karmīs want to enjoy both in this life and the next, those who practice bhakti engage in their eternal function as pure souls. If we can simply regain our original soul understanding, we will have a chance at disassociating ourselves from this world. If we can only regain our spiritual health by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, we will go back to Godhead. ## 39. What does it mean to attain Kṛṣṇa? To attain Kṛṣṇa means to completely disassociate ourselves from the material world. It means to see Kṛṣṇa in our heart after we are liberated. But without love we cannot attain the son of Nanda Mahārāja. ## 40. How can we maintain the fortune we have received? Do not thirst for sense gratification. Do not desire to commit sinful activities. Rather, use your energy to engage in Lord Hari’s service staying far away from the concerns of worldly morality. With such full surrender, you will achieve perfection. Jagāi and Mādhāi did not commit further sinful activities after taking shelter of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu, and we should not either. Only those who understand that hari-bhajana is the ultimate goal can feel the distress of others. By worshiping Hari one achieves eternal life; those who worship Him do not die. While materialists engage constantly with the enemies of lust, anger, and greed, devotees have no such enemies. When one has the natural tendency to worship Hari, one need not control his senses by force. Rather, by sincerely engaging in the Lord’s service, the poisonous teeth of the senses are easily uprooted by the Lord’s mercy. Even the most experienced conditioned souls are interested in sense gratification, even though in their pursuit of happiness they are forced to suffer distress. Devotees, however, do not meet the pendulum swing of happiness and distress in this world. Rather, this world is a place of complete happiness for them because they have no desires. They do not even desire to become an Indra, what to speak of a Brahmā, lord of all the demigods. A materialist would never choose to become an insect in this world, but a devotee would not mind such a birth as long as he could engage in hari-bhajana. Because of such an attitude, even the demigods are made fortunate by the mercy of Lord Caitanya’s devotees. It is important to become self-realized in this life. Otherwise, absorbed in matter at the time of death, we will be forced to take birth again in the material world. If we do not associate with the Lord’s devotees during this life, we will end up forming narrow-minded groups and sects. ## 41. How will we become free of material existence? At present we are fallen and in danger, and in such a condition we are always trying to gratify our senses. The final result of trying to achieve happiness through the material senses is death. If we want to be delivered from this condition, we must worship the Lord under the guidance and shelter of a spiritual master. Taking shelter of the spiritual master and accepting initiation from him are gateways to devotional service. We will proceed on the path by following the mahājanas. As Bali Mahārāja served the Lord by surrendering everything at His lotus feet, we will also remain eternally surrendered by offering everything at the lotus feet of our spiritual master and Lord Gaurāṅga. By serving the spiritual master and the holy name with love and devotion as surrendered souls, we will easily become liberated from material existence. tāte kṛṣṇa bhaje, kare gurura sevana māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves him, can he get out of the clutches of Maya and become eligible for shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet? (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 22.25) prabhu kahe, “vaiṣṇava-sevā, nāma-saṅkīrtana dui kara, śīghra pābe śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa” The Lord replied, “You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Kṛṣṇa and always chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. If you do these two things, you will very soon attain shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 16.70) sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya “If the conditioned soul becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly persons who voluntarily preach scriptural injunctions and help him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of Maya, who gives him up.” (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līla 20.120) ## 42. Which path should be followed? One should give up the path of argument and accept the path of aural reception or disciplic succession. Hear properly and do not try to see things on your own. Otherwise you will cheat yourself. Instead of following the mahājanas, if one tries to see their behavior, one will eventually risk imitating them and inevitably invite trouble. The path of depending on direct perception and material enjoyment lead to godlessness. Hence the need of the descending path. ## 43. How does one worship purely? Perfection of life is attained by engaging in the service of Hari, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas, while remaining in the association of saintly persons. To whimsically make a show of worshiping the Lord cannot be passed as the worship of the Lord. Pure form of worship is to serve the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa under the instruction of the spiritual master for their pleasure. ## 44. How will we achieve complete benefit? Lord Śrī Hari is complete. He is an ocean of mercy. Since He is complete, His mercy is also complete. The complete gives Himself to the incomplete so that the incomplete can achieve Him. Without approaching the complete, one cannot achieve complete benefit. Incomplete or limited happiness cannot satisfy us. Because the Lord is merciful, He has given us the opportunity to hear and chant about Him. Our hearts cannot be purified without hearing and chanting kṛṣṇa-kathā. Lord Kṛṣṇa is all attractive, and by hearing and chanting about the all-attractive Lord we can easily find ourselves attracted to Him by His mercy. That will give us complete benefit. ## 45. How can one attain the Supreme Lord? When the Supreme Lord’s mercy combines with the devotee’s sincere eagerness to serve Him, the jīva easily attains Kṛṣṇa and ends his own material existence. ## 46. What has caused our degradation? Who am I? Unless we try to answer this question we will remain drowned in an ocean of material temptation and misery. Taking advantage of our slightest carelessness, the witch Maya attacks and swallows us. Unless we hear daily about the Supreme Lord, there is no way to escape her clutches. ## 47. According to Mahāprabhu, what is a human being’s most important duty? First we have to know who we are. Then we will easily know what our duty is. Our duty is to worship the Supreme Lord and attain His mercy. This human form of life is the root of worship. Worship is not possible in other species of life. Whether or not one accepts the fact, we are all the Supreme Lord’s servants and Kṛṣṇa is our eternal master. Service to Kṛṣṇa is our principal duty, our only duty. Forgetting the Lord, we become filled with false ego, identifying ourselves as enjoyers and masters. These designations are all mundane. Our natural spiritual propensities can become maddened by the attempt to enjoy matter. Such is the definition of the mind. The mind is the perverted reflection of the soul, and as such, it is the enjoyer of matter. Taking advantage of the soul’s dormant condition, this mind acts as landlord of the body and continues to enjoy the body’s senses. The mind cheats the soul. Being controlled by pious and impious reactions, it sometimes enjoys heavenly pleasures and sometimes suffers in hell. Thus the mind is the main enemy of the soul and all scriptures recommend that we control the mind. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs: We are devotees of Kṛṣṇa; we are Vaiṣṇavas and therefore related to Kṛṣṇa. We are neither Kṛṣṇa nor Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s opulent form, and Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu’s form of sweetness. Actually there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu. As Kṛṣṇa’s servants we have no engagement other than to serve Him. As soon as we forget that, we fall into Maya. When by the mercy of the devotees the knowledge of our relationship with the Lord is awakened, we will understand that we are eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa and that all objects in this material world are meant for His service. All of us will have to become liberated. The state of liberation is nothing but remaining situated in one’s constitutional position and cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably with all one’s senses. Śrī Caitanyadeva inaugurated the saṅkīrtana movement and delivered the fallen souls of this age. He is the most magnanimous personality. In the verse beginning tṛnād api, He taught that chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy name is our only duty. Those who desire liberation and eternal happiness, as well as those who desire the treasure of love of God, should always chant the Lord’s holy name. The Lord’s name is nondifferent from Him. It is capable of delivering us from material existence and awarding us with love of Kṛṣṇa. One should chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. The attitude espoused in tṛnād api sunicena destroys the misconception that we are God. A chanter always thinks himself a servant of the holy name and considers every object in this world as meant for Kṛṣṇa’s service and enjoyment. Kṛṣṇa’s holy names and Deity forms are nondifferent from Him. The holy name is sat-cit-ānanda, directly the son of Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā. The holy name can speak. The holy name is the Supersoul and omniscient. Kṛṣṇa in His holy name appears in a pure heart before spiritual eyes, on the service-inclined tongue, in the service-inclined ears, and in the senses engaged in satisfying His own senses. We can achieve all perfection by performing saṅkīrtana. Even the reflection of the holy name destroys all sinful reactions and material bondage. At that point the living entity becomes liberated and becomes qualified to chant himself. Kṛṣṇa’s holy name is the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure. The Lord’s devotees serve Him by chanting that name. Chanting destroys all misfortune and purifies our heart so that the Lord will appear there. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The holy name is the reservoir of transcendental pastimes. The holy name is the primeval Lord. The holy name is most independent, the supreme controller of the universes, and the maintainer of all planets. He is the protector of all living entities. The holy name is capable of destroying any amount of blockage. The holy name purifies all hearts no matter how contaminated and destroys all illusion. Our hearts have accumulated contamination from time immemorial, and therefore the Lord’s pure name does not manifest in us, but by constant chanting that contamination is destroyed and the name full of transcendental energy and the source of all happiness will appear. The holy name is complete, perfect, and full of knowledge and bliss. Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental name appears only in a transcendental heart. Those hearts contaminated by the three modes of material nature cannot force the holy name to appear. Kṛṣṇa alone is our worshipable Lord. He is worshiped only by love and devotion and not by a show of opulence. Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, which is the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure, cannot be compared even with the holy name of Rāma. Rāma’s holy name produces one-millionth of a portion of the mellow of nectarean love produced by Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, because although Rāma’s name is perfect, Kṛṣṇa’s name is most perfect and complete. Rāma’s name is a portion of Kṛṣṇa’s name, and an incarnation. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is the source of all existence, knowledge, and bliss. It is the cause of all causes and it accepts the loving service of sincere servants. ## 48. How can one perceive the Absolute Truth? We cannot meet the Absolute Truth here. It is impossible to approach the Absolute Truth with our present temporary senses. What is the alternative? If we are sincere about serving the Supreme Lord, then the Lord will mercifully appear before us and award us the qualification to serve Him by removing the aversion of our senses. ## 49. What is the path of auspiciousness? Service to the Supreme Lord is the only path of auspiciousness. Our every step, breath, and activity should be performed in relation to Kṛṣṇa. We should always walk on the path of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. May we never engage in any activity other than service to Hari, guru, and Vaiṣṇavas. ## 50. To which object is attachment auspicious? Attachment for this world and its inhabitants causes our bondage and distress. Therefore we need to change the direction of our attachment. Instead we have to entangle ourselves with the most attractive personality. Then everything will be all right. ## 51. Why are we not inclined toward the Lord’s service? We have no inclination toward God and no inclination to remedy that situation. Therefore we need an expert doctor. Our inclination toward the Lord will arise if we associate with devotees. Just as a veterinary surgeon tactfully places medicine in an animal’s mouth, similarly the spiritual master and the devotees, who are just like expert doctors, bestow mercy on us. Despite our reluctance they forcibly pour the mellows of devotional service into our mouths.