Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.10.12
Mukti· LiberationSincere Contact Kindles Transcendental Knowledge
“The spiritual master can be compared to the lower kindling stick, the disciple to the upper kindling stick, and the instruction given by the guru to the third stick placed in between. The transcendental knowledge communicated from guru to disciple is compared to the fire arising from the contact of these, which burns the darkness of ignorance to ashes, bringing great happiness both to guru and disciple.”
What the purport teaches
- The spiritual master and disciple are compared to kindling sticks, connected by the guru’s instruction. Their contact produces transcendental knowledge, like fire that burns ignorance to ashes.
- The spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa’s representative. Bona fide contact between such a spiritual master and a sincere disciple produces the fire of knowledge.
- Taking shelter of the spiritual master’s lotus feet brings perfect knowledge of one’s original spiritual form. With ignorance removed, one can act for one’s true self-interest, bringing happiness to both guru and disciple.
Try this today
Read this teaching attentively today and write down one instruction you can sincerely apply.
Ask yourself
How sincerely do I receive instruction meant to remove my ignorance?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.