Caitya-guru - the Spiritual Master Within - an essential subject

Caitya guru is one who gives conscience, knowledge and guidance from within. The logic behind this statement is that God (Lord Krishna) is seated within every living entity as the Supersoul, right next to our souls. The more we follow scriptural injunctions and take to the Vedic way of life, the more our soul is relieved from the pangs of material nature, and the more we become dearer to Krishna. Krishna has stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that He guides his devotees according to their surrender to Him; therefore, the more we become dear to Krishna, the more we get guidance from Him. In material terms, what we sometimes feel as our instincts (inner feelings) are actually the Supersoul within, guiding us to take decisions. Furthermore, if we are very sincere, Lord Krishna sends a spiritual master to guide us externally, in order for our devotional service to increase exponentially.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Caitya-guru - the Spiritual Master Within category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 8 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books


vanipedia.org 		By the mercy of the Lord, a devotee develops all the good qualities of God, for a devotee can never remain in the darkness of ignorance. A father is always anxious to impart knowledge and experience to his son, but the son can choose whether to accept such instructions. A submissive devotee becomes automatically enlightened in all the intricacies of knowledge because the Lord, from within, dissipates his ignorance with the self-illumined lamp of wisdom. (Mukunda mālā-stotra, Text 1)



vanipedia.org 		The karmīs never agree to accept anything not directly perceived, and the jñānīs put forth only hypotheses. However, the Vaiṣṇavas, the unalloyed devotees of the Lord, do not follow the process of acquiring knowledge by direct sense perception or mental speculation. Because they are servants of the Supreme Lord, devotees receive knowledge directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He speaks it in the Bhagavad-gītā, or sometimes as He imparts it from within as the caittya-guru. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.66)



vanipedia.org 		One kṣetra-vit, or knower of the body, namely the Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is directing the individual soul. When we rightly take the direction of the Supersoul, our life becomes successful. He is directing from within and from without. From within He is directing as caitya-guru, or the spiritual master sitting within the heart. Indirectly He is also helping the living entity by manifesting Himself as the spiritual master outside. In both ways the Lord is giving directions to the living entity so that he may finish up his material activities and come back home, back to Godhead. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.37)



vanipedia.org 		Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that unless one is very highly elevated in loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot see Him as He is. Nonetheless, if one sticks to the principles enunciated by the spiritual master, somehow or other he is in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since the Lord is in the heart, He can advise a sincere disciple from within. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.51)



vanipedia.org 		One should not take any responsibility on his own but should be a soul surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who will then give him dictation as the caittya-guru, or the spiritual master within. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased to guide a devotee from within and without. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 8.79)



vanipedia.org 		The Lord is the Supersoul, spiritual master and worshipable Deity of all conditioned souls. Not only is Kṛṣṇa the supreme worshipful Deity for all living entities, but He is also the guru, or caittya-guru, the Supersoul, who always gives the living entity good counsel. Unfortunately the living entity neglects the Supreme Person's instructions. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.119)



vanipedia.org 		The mind must admit some superior dictation and follow it. The effect of controlling the mind is that one automatically follows the dictation of the Paramātmā, or Supersoul. Because this transcendental position is at once achieved by one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the devotee of the Lord is unaffected by the dualities of material existence, namely distress and happiness, cold and heat, etc. This state is practical samādhi, or absorption in the Supreme. (Bhagavad-gītā 6.7)



vanipedia.org 		The Lord is situated in everyone's heart, giving dictation according to the attitude of the servant. However, the Lord gives different dictation to the nondevotees and devotees. The nondevotees challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the Lord dictates in such a way that the nondevotees forget the Lord's service, life after life, and are punished by the laws of nature. But when a devotee very sincerely wants to render service to the Lord, the Lord dictates in a different way. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.12)


Caitya-guru - the Spiritual Master Within - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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