Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
There was a devotee who had a very pious and pure-hearted son. He was very devoted to his guru. He was not yet initiated. He was very absorbed in thoughts of his guru. But his father felt that his son should have more of a relationship with Srila Prabhupada as well. Not to minimize the value of the personal Spiritual Master at all. But he just thought that the son should have more of a relationship with Srila Prabhupda also. So he convinced his son to start reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and listening to Prabhupada’s tapes and the son did it and he began to feel his relationship to Srila Prabhupada develop or awaken. Srila Prabhupada would come in his dreams and give him instructions.
We cannot replace our personal spiritual master. His presence is very important.Otherwise, you will think why do we even need a spiritual master, we can just read Srila Prabhupada’s books. But there is a reason. Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.18) that by serving the book Bhagavat or the person Bhagavat one gets the same result. So, once a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “Yes ! One gets the same result ! But still is there some difference, I mean, is one better than the other?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “The personal Bhagavat is better because he can catch you by the ear.”
So we need that, we need that personal guidance; otherwise we can read the books and have imaginary ideas. Of course, if we are sincere and in the proper mood, that would not happen but because we are conditioned souls and we are prone to make mistakes, we can have an artificial idea of what the books mean or what it means to follow the books. So we need someone to catch us by the ear and set us right.
- His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj
(In his lecture in Vrindavan, during Kartik yatra 2011 24th October, 2011
As cited in page No. 37 and 38 of the book ‘Kartik Yatra 2011).
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