Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.9.31
Mukti· LiberationLearn Everywhere, Remain Faithful to Your Guru
“Although the Absolute Truth is one without a second, the sages have described Him in many different ways. Therefore one may not be able to acquire very firm or complete knowledge from one spiritual master.”
What the purport teaches
- The Absolute Truth is one, though sages describe Him in different ways. Merely hearing from many authorities does not give the highest perfection; one should take shelter of one bona fide spiritual master who fully knows Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- A disciple should not receive the guru’s teachings mechanically or keep them as theory. Thoughtfully observing the world helps one realize those teachings in practice without going against them.
- Good examples strengthen devotional service, while bad examples warn us against danger. In this sense, ordinary things can give spiritual instruction and deepen our worship of the spiritual master, who is nondifferent from Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Try this today
Notice one good or bad example around you today, and write one sentence about how it reinforces a teaching you have received.
Ask yourself
How could observing the world help me put a spiritual teaching into practice rather than leave it as theory?
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.