pamho, hare krishna,
Chapter 4: Transcendental Knowledge
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
REPLIES:
Devotee #1: During December Marathon Book Stall at railway platform in Mumbai:
I asked absurd inquiries are condemned. (The purport says both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned).
One should not ask what are the prices of vegetables.
He gave me the example of train in front of us where an elderly lady was trying to get into the train but was unable to, is this civilization ?
He gave me another example of flood lights being used at cricket stadiums, so many rupees are wasted, can't it be directed towards bringing water resources to drought-stricken villages in Maharashtra ? Can't the cricket authorities understand this ?
Aren't the Western people also jivatmas ? Don't they have suffering ?
He also gave me the example of Abhimanyu who learnt how to enter the Chakravyuha in his mother's womb. Prahlad Maharaj got Vishnu Bhakti in the womb of mother.
Devotee #2: Mira Road Temple:
You can ask as many questions as you want.
Absurd inquiries means you should not ask whether God/Bhagavan exists or not.
Replies
Only serious inquires to really know something from guru should be asked to increase knowledge and to grow spiritually.
Those question should be asked also in submissive way to a teacher or guru. Other question for the sake of testing guru whether he is fit to be ur teacher or not this all should be avoided. Guru is a person who removes ignorance in you. Guru once he is in that place He is respected as Krishna Himself. Even if he has short comings within Him He is still respected. Even If u are more knowledgeable then ur guru also He is is respected becoz of his position. He is equal to Lord Himself.
Jai Sri Krishna.
Thanks Bharat ji for a great reply. It was useful. To add to this beautiful reply of Bharat prabhu ji.
useless inquires which are done to test the knowledge of guru is not good. Avoid the idea of testing guru by asking several inquires simply to test the knowledge of guru.
Hare Krishna.
Hare Krsna
What are qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master
1. He is connected to Krsna
The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of
disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual
master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the
original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey
the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. (BG 4.34 purport)
2. He knows the science of Krsna consciousness
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya
“It does not matter whether a person is a vipra [learned scholar in Vedic wisdom], or is born in a lower family, or is in the renounced order of life – if he is a master in the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is the perfect and bona fide spiritual master.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 8.128) So without being a master in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no one is a bona fide spiritual master. (BG 2.8 Purport)
In essence these are the two primary qualifications. There are other characteristics which are favorable in identifying a person having such qualifications. These characteristics are not independent of the 2 primary qualifications listed above.
3. He can guide the disciple expertly
Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (BG 2.41)
4. He is an Uttama adhikari
Indeed, the advanced uttama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava devotee should be accepted as a spiritual master. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaiṣṇavism. One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikārī.(Nectar Of Instruction 5)
What to inquire from Spiritual Master ?
All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. (BG Purport 2.7)
The inquiry should be with regards to solve the fundamental problems of life that affects every living entity namely - Birth, oldage, disease and death.
Hare Krsna
What is the question?
Exactly, What is the question or the point ?