Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.24.50
Mukti· LiberationChoose Guidance That Leads to Kṛṣṇa
“As a blind man, being unable to see, accepts another blind man as his leader, people who do not know the goal of life accept someone as a guru who is a rascal and a fool. But we are interested in self-realization. Therefore we accept You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as our spiritual master, for You are able to see in all directions and are omniscient like the sun.”
What the purport teaches
- Those who do not know life’s goal may accept a guru because of clever words or displays of magic. This is compared to a blind person following another blind person.
- Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of unlimited gold mines. Producing a little gold is therefore no sound reason to accept someone as guru.
- The Supreme Lord or His representative can be guru. A genuine guru follows Kṛṣṇa’s instructions and teaches surrender to Him for freedom from material bondage.
Try this today
Write down this criterion for spiritual guidance: Does it follow Kṛṣṇa’s instructions and lead me to surrender to Him?
Ask yourself
Do I judge spiritual guidance by impressive displays or by whether it teaches surrender to Kṛṣṇa?
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.