Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 54

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.3.21) the Yogesvara explains:
"Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realised the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters."

In the Mundaka Upanisad (1.2.12) it is said:
"To learn the transcendental subject matter one must approach a spiritual master. In doing so, he should carry fuel to burn in sacrifice. The symptom of such a spiritual master is that he is expert in understanding the Vedic conclusion, and therefore he constantly engages in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Chandogya Upanisad (6.14.2) it is also said:
"One who approaches a bona fide spiritual master can understand everything about spiritual realisation."

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This second mantra of the yogic scripture Sri Ishopanishad refers to karma yoga, or devotional service:
A person may desire to live for hundreds of years if he works according to this truth because that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. And there is no alternative to this way for man.

~Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra Two


Siddhaswarupananda - Jagad Guru Speaks


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In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.18-38-39) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"One who is detached from sense gratification, knowing its result to be miserable and who desires spiritual perfection, but who has not seriously analysed the process for obtaining Me, should approach a bona fide and learned spiritual master.

"Until a devotee has clearly realised spiritual knowledge, he should continue with great faith and respect and without envy to render personal service to the guru, who is non different from Me."

It is also said:
"As a bee greedy for honey flies from flower to flower, so a man greedy for transcendental knowledge goes from teacher to teacher."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.36) the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly."

It is also said:
"Far past the bliss of Brahman is the nest of two birds of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's transcendental pastimes, two birds that are not different from each other. That nest is placed on the branches of the kalpa-druma tree of Lord Caitanya. The shade of that tree brings relief from the sufferings of repeated birth and death. To fulfil the devotees' desires, that Caitanya tree has appeared in this world."

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 53

Sutra 49
Now that Lord Caitanya, the teacher of all, has appeared in this world, there is no need for any other teacher.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Here someone may ask: How is it possible to understand this knowledge of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead without first taking shelter of a spiritual master?
To answer this question, the author speaks this sutra. He says: Now that Lord Caitanya, the teacher of all saintly Vaisnavas who know the spiritual truth, has appeared in this world, there is no need for any other teacher. That is the meaning. In the Gopala-tapani Upanisad it is said:
"It was Krsna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past. I, who desire liberation, surrender to Lord Krsna, who enlightens the intelligence with transcendental knowledge."

In Bhagavad-gita (10.11) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."

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Everyone is engaged in action. The law of karma means that there are reactions to every action and that a person must endure the reactions to his actions.


Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda


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In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.17.27) Lord Krsna explains:
"One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way."

In the Narada-pancaratra, Guru-mahatmya, it is said:
"The spiritual master teaches the truth of spiritual mantras and the process of worshipping the Lord. It is because of his teaching of mantras and worship that devotional service to Lord Krsna is possible.

"O sage, at the highest place in the spiritual world is a thousand-petal lotus flower. In a spiritual form, the spiritual master resides there eternally."

In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa it is said:
"By the mercy of Lord Krsna, by the association of devotees, and by hearing the glories of devotional service, one desires to engage in devotional service. At that time one finds a spiritual master and dutifully worships him.'

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.20.17) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"When one wants to cross a large ocean he requires a strong boat. It is said that this human form of life is a good boat by which one can cross the ocean of nescience. In the human form of life one can obtain the guidance of a good navigator, the spiritual master. One also gets a favourable wind by the mercy of Krsna, and that wind is the instructions of Krsna. The human body is the boat, the instructions of Lord Krsna are the favourable winds, and the spiritual master is the navigator. The spiritual master knows well how to adjust the sails to catch the winds favourably and steer the boat to its destination. If, however, one does not take advantage of this opportunity, one wastes the human form of life. Wasting time and life in this way is the same as committing suicide."