Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.5.7
Āśraya· The supreme shelterRespect the Teacher Without Mistaking Him for God
“Yet we are moved to wonder about the existence of someone more powerful than you when we think of your great austerities in perfect discipline, although your good self is so powerful in the matter of creation.”
What the purport teaches
- A spiritual master deserves respect on a par with God, but one who claims to be God Himself should be rejected. A disciple should not accept such a claim blindly.
- Brahmā's wonderful creative acts led Nārada to regard him as supreme. Seeing Brahmā worship a superior authority prompted Nārada to seek clarification.
- The Supreme has no worshipable superior and does not need any process to become God. No one becomes God through transcendental realization.
Try this today
Write down this distinction: a spiritual master is honored as God's representative, not accepted as God Himself.
Ask yourself
Can I combine deep respect for a spiritual teacher with careful discernment about his position?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.