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Our spiritual teaching work, spreading the Esoteric Teaching, is often a thankless task. We have to say that anyone who is not a devotee, who is not following the Esoteric Teaching, is an animalistic fool. It is very harsh, but we have to say it. As soon as we see that someone is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he’s a fool.

Why do we say this? Are we misanthropic? Do we hate everyone? No, we are not anyone’s enemy; we have to say it because it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, and we are simply repeating His message. We are actually everyone’s friend, because we may be the only one who can offer them the Absolute Truth.

A Master Teacher’s duty is simply to repeat the message of Kṛṣṇa. The representative of Kṛṣṇa simply repeats what Kṛṣṇa says without addition, subtraction, evasion or diplomacy. Kṛṣṇa’s words are the Absolute Truth because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you simply repeat His words with firm conviction, you will also become a Master Teacher.

Kṛṣṇa says, “Give up all kinds of dharma and simply surrender unto Me.” [Bhagavad-gita 18.66]. So one who has accepted this order is Kṛṣṇa’s representative. Just like Arjuna said [Bhagavad-gita 10.14], sarvam etam rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava: “O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.” He does not criticize, does not quarrel with Kṛṣṇa.

A bhakta knows that “I am insignificant, a small spark of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is an individual person. I am also an individual person. But when we consider His power and my power, I am most insignificant.” This is the correct understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa addressed Arjuna as bhakto ’si.

So this is the mystery of Bhagavad-gita, and this is the mystery of the Esoteric Teaching. Understanding the mystery of God is not possible without becoming a devotee, a bhakta. And Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gita how one can know Him:

bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram

“One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” [Bhagavad-gita 18.55]

Kṛṣṇa says, “Only by devotional service.” He did not say, “By jnana, the highest knowledge” or “By the highest yoga process” or “By becoming a very great karmi, fruitive worker, one can understand Me.” No: He has said, “Only by devotional service.” The path of the Esoteric Teaching is like that:

tarko ’pratisthah srutayo vibhinna
nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam
mahajano yena gatah sa panthah

“Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the sastras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahajanas, the great souls, advocate.”

This is a verse spoken by Maharaja Yudhisthira, dharma personified [Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.117].

Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: a Vaiṣṇava, a student of the Esoteric Teaching, should follow his previous mahajana, his authoritative Master Teaching in the line of disciplic succession. That is the Esoteric Teaching, the path of Vedic wisdom, the Absolute Truth. We don’t manufacture anything. We simply accept the behavior and the message of the previous Master Teachers.

So this is the path of the Esoteric Teaching, to follow the previous Master Teacher. This is Vaisnavism; this is Vedic wisdom. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: by logic you may defeat a neophyte devotee, but sastra says by becoming a big logician, you cannot understand transcendental knowledge. Transcendental knowledge you have to understand by submission:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” [Bhagavad-gita 4.34]

First of all surrender. Tad viddhi. If you want to know this transcendental science, then you must fully surrender. This is first qualification. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya. First surrender; then if you cannot understand, you inquire. Otherwise you have no right to question from a Vaiṣṇava.

So we should be very careful to accept only a qualified spiritual teacher. If we actually are interested in understanding God, it is not so easy. In the Bhagavad-gita you will find. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bhagavad-gita 7.3]. Out of many thousands of persons—manusyanam sahasresu—kascid yatati siddhaye: one person may become interested how to make his life successful.

Because the people in general do not know what it means to have a successful life. They simply know how to work, day and night for sense gratification. Simply eating to get strength of the senses, and then enjoying sense gratification. But this human life is not meant for that purpose, it is meant for cultivation of spiritual advancement. Therefore it is said in the Esoteric Teaching that a person without God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is no better than the dogs and hogs.

So Vedic civilization means to apply our intelligence and effort to self-realization, God realization, the Esoteric Teaching. Without this quest for spiritual realization, there is no human civilization. They are simply polished animals engaged in sense gratification. Anyone who is following the principles of Vedic spiritual life is worshiping Lord Visnu with his body, mind and words, because the whole human life is meant for worshiping Visnu.

The present materialistic civilization does not understand this. They do not know that the aim of human life is to attain God, to attain our perfect spiritual body. The aim of human life is to become a Vaiṣṇava, a servant of Visnu. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita the name Hrsikesa is used, for He is the guide. Arjuna was strictly following the Vaiṣṇava principles, and therefore he inquired from Hrsikesa because he knows, “Hrsikesa will guide me.”

This is bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 19.170]. This is the simple definition of bhakti. When you engage your senses only for the service of Kṛṣṇa, then you become perfect devotee. Your human life is perfect.

You simply see Kṛṣṇa nicely decorated in the temple. That is bhakti. You simply prepare foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. You simply chant the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. In this way we can utilize all the senses. We can utilize our hands in collecting flowers, in cleansing the temple. Simply engage your senses, hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Engage your senses for the service of Kṛṣṇa; then you become perfect.

Next: God is Transcendental