krishna/articles/article/168

Spiritual master’s qualification is he’s trying his best to deliver the soul from these clutches of maya.

That is a great service. Therefore he is very dear.

One who is chanting or executing devotional service for his personal benefit and one who is trying to deliver others for others’ benefit, there is difference.
- Delhi, September 2, 1976.

Hanuman was ordered to bring some medicine from some mountain. He was a monkey, he was animal, he did not know how to pick it up – “Take the whole mountain.

Execute the order. And then Ramachandra and Lakshmana, They’ll find out what is that medicine.”

This is Vaishnava. In one’s own capacity he should give the best service to the Lord.
- Aligarh, October 9, 1076.

Saturday, December 16, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
Letter to Jadurani

I understand that there are only three persons at Boston, but each of you can work for 300 persons, so it is not the numerical strength that works, but it is Krishna Consciousness that works. A Krishna Conscious person is never tired of working and the symptoms I can see in you as you want to be overloaded with work.

This is the test of how one is advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Nobody becomes tired but wants to work more and more. Your God-brother Satsvarupa also told me the same thing that he may be overloaded with typewriting work. Similarly, Govinda dasi and Gaurasundara also want to be overloaded with work.

So your examples are great encouragement for an old man like me. I have got the same spirit of being overloaded with Krishna Conscious work, but physically I am not as strong as you are all young boys and girls. You can pray to Krishna that I may get your strength to serve the cause of Krishna Consciousness.

Thursday, December 14, 1967
San Francisco, Calif.
Letter to Rayarama

I may inform you that you cannot be fool as you have humbly expressed yourself. Better to remain an ever fool before the spiritual master. But if a disciple is actually fool it reflects on the spiritual master. To think of becoming a fool is the real qualification for a bonafide disciple.

As soon as one thinks that he has become the wiser man than the spiritual master one is surely doomed. We should remain everlastingly a fool before the spiritual master. Not artificially but feelingly and then we can make real progress.

Even my spiritual master a great scholar remained a so called fool before His spiritual master who was outwardly an illiterate village fellow. So in the Absolute world the fool is also the master and the master is also a fool in reciprocal exchange of dealings. Lord Caitanya also accepted Himself a great fool before His spiritual master and all of us must follow the transcendental process.