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for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus, there is still a balance of 427,000years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the sankirtana movement inaugurated bySri Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga totake to the Krishna consciousness movement, chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and thus bedelivered from the clutches of material existence and return home, back to Godhead." (SrimadBhagavatam 8.5.23, Purport)C) Srila Prabhupada Is an Eternal Associate of Lord Caitanya.His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) is a nitya-siddha Vaisnava(eternally liberated devotee of Krishna) sent by Lord Caitanya and Krishna to revive the mission ofnama-sankirtana and save the world from the dangerous atheistic doctrines of impersonalism(nirvisesa) and voidism (sunyavada). All his activities are eternal and purely transcendental. In fact,the Vedic literature, Lord Caitanya, and predecessor acaryas have predicted this great personality,Srila Prabhupada, who fulfilled these predictions by founding the global Krishna consciousnessmovement and Hare Krishna Society single-handedly. Thus he is worshiped by Gaudiya Vaisnavaswith the name "Srila Prabhupada" (the master at whose feet all others bow). Srila Prabhupada'sform (vapu) and instructions (vani) offer the full mercy of Lord Caitanya to all conditioned souls forthe duration of the ten-thousand-year era of Lord Caitanya."In the Vedic literatures it is recommended that in Kali-yuga people engage in glorifying the Lordby chanting the holy name of Krishna (kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet)."(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.12.34, Purport)"Kirtanad eva krsnasya, mukta-sangah param vrajet:simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, one can be freed from the contamination of Kali-yugaand, in his original spiritual body, can return home, back to Godhead. When Krishna appeared, Hegave His orders, and when Krishna Himself appeared as a devotee, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Heshowed us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali-yuga. That is the path of the Hare Krishnamovement." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.5.23, Purport)"The Kali-santarana Upanisad states, 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—these sixteen names composed of thirty-twosyllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga.' In all the Vedas it is seenthat to cross the ocean of nescience, there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name." (SriCaitanya-caritamrta, Adi 7.76, Purport)"So, my dear boys and girls, about six years ago I came to your country single-handed, with thispair of cymbals. Now you are so many chanting Hare Krishna. That is my success. It was theprediction of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu: prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracarahoibe mora noma. Lord Caitanya desired that 'In all the towns—in as many towns and villages asthere are on the surface of the globe—My name will be broadcast.' He is Krishna Himself—svayamkrsna, krsna caitanya-namine — simply changing His name as Krishna Caitanya. So His predictionwill never go in vain. That's a fact. So my plan was that T shall go to America. If I can convincethe younger generation of America, they will take it up.' If you kindly take this Krishnaconsciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved."(Lecture, May 18,1972, Los Angeles)"He [Bhaktivinoda Thakura] sent his first book in 1896. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the origin ofthis movement. But he simply thought of it. And he was expecting some others willing to take upthe work. Well, somebody says that I am the same man. And 1 was born in 1896." (Conversation,March 13, 1975, Tehran)"Thakura Bhaktivinoda. in 1896 he sent Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message to McGill University.That book you have seen. The letter was there. Now, after so many years, a servant of that disciplic

succession has come here again to preach. So these things are significant." (Lecture, March 18,1967, San Francisco)'Soon there will appear a personality who will preach the holy name all over the world." (Predictionof Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the nineteenth century, as cited in Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas, Introduction, Prabhupada-approved 1974 edition.)"Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Krishna to fulfill His desire and withoutbeing specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of thewhole world. Only an empowered personality can distribute the holy name of the Lord and enjoinall fallen souls to worship Krishna. By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the heartsof the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world. Not onlythat, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Krishna's effulgence throughout the world. Such anacarya or spiritual master should be considered nondifferent from Krishna—that is, he should beconsidered the incarnation of Lord Krishna's potency. Such a personality is krsnalingita-vigraha—that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Such a person is .the guru or spiritual master for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the mahabhagavata stage." (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Anubhasya, cited in Sri Caitanyacaritamrta, Madhya 25.9, Purport)"By the grace of Lord Sri Krishna, we had the chance of being born in a Vaisnava family, and in ourchildhood we imitated the worship of Lord Krishna by imitating our father. Our spiritual master,who also took his birth in a Vaisnava family, got all inspirations from his great Vaisnava father,Thakura Bhaktivinoda. There is always symmetry between the early lives of all great devotees ofthe Lord. Such maha-bhagavatas are called nitya-siddhas, souls liberated from birth." (SrimadBhagavatam 2.3.15, Purport)"The Krishna consciousness movement is spreading to enlighten people about their real position,their original relationship with Krishna. One requires Krishna's special power in order to be able todo this. The Lord empowers a special devotee to teach people their constitutional position." (SriCaitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 19.114, Purport)D) By Accepting that Lord Caitanya's Personal Associates Are EternallyTranscendental, One Is Promoted to Lord Krishna's Abode.One is promoted to the transcendental abode of Lord Krishna, Sri Goloka Dhama, simply byaccepting that Lord Caitanya's confidential associates are nitya-siddlias, eternally perfect persons,whose births and pastimes in this world are completely transcendental and meant for the benefit ofall conditioned souls in the universe.sri caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantakarauvande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau:"Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in thematerial universe." (Sri Sri Sad-gosvamy-astaka, Prayers to the Six Gosvamis, by SrinivasaAcarya)"The nitya-siddha never forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By theorder of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the nitya-siddlia remains within this material worldlike an ordinary man, but the only business of the nitya-siddlia is to broadcast the glories of theLord. All nitya-siddlws within this material world may appear to toil like ordinary men, but theynever forget their position as servants of the Lord." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 5.113,Purport)". the conditioned soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feetcannot free himself—he must be helped by a person who is unbound. Because the bound cannot

help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krishna, or His bona fiderepresentative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, onecannot be freed from the bondage of material nature." (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.14, Purport)"A nitya-siddlia is one who was never contaminated by the material nature. Nitya-siddlws nevercame into contact with the material nature. All the associates of Lord Caitanya are nitya-siddlws, oreternally perfect. We should understand that as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Himself, istranscendental, similarly His personal associates are also nitya-siddha, or eternally transcendental.Simply by accepting that the associates of Lord Caitanya are eternally free, one is immediatelypromoted to the transcendental abode of Lord Krishna." (Narottama dasa Thakura's Savarana-srigaura-mahima, Purport)"By the grace of Lord Sri Krishna, we had the chance of being born in a Vaisnava family, and in ourchildhood we imitated the worship of Lord Krishna by imitating our father. Our spiritual master,who also took his birth in a Vaisnava family, got all inspirations from his great Vaisnava father,Thakura Bhaktivinoda. There is always symmetry between the early lives of all great devotees ofthe Lord. Such maha-bhagavatas are called nitya-siddhas, souls liberated from birth." (SriniadBhagavatam 2.3.15, Purport)E) Everyone Should Accept Srila Prabhupada as Spiritual Master.As the Vedas underscore, acaryavan puruso veda: to get a bona fide understanding of Lord and Hisinstructions in the scriptures, spiritual seekers must follow a bona fide acarya or spiritual master.Srila Prabhupada affirms this foundational spiritual principle and casts aside the notion that materialspace and time can somehow prevent followers of the spiritual master from associating with him inthe here and now."Sri Jiva Gosvami advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customarysocial and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritualmaster for actual advancement in spiritual understanding." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 1.35,Purport)"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession,who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa-vidhana. Lord Krishnastates in Bhagavad-gita, vyapasrita: one should accept a spiritual master. By this process the entireworld can be converted to Krishna consciousness." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.54, Purport)". acaryavan puruso veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of acaryas knows things asthey are." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.22.24, Purport, citing Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2)". the Christians are following Christ, a great personality. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Youfollow some mahajana, a great personality. You follow an acarya. Like the Christians— theyfollow Christ, an acarya. The Muhammadans—they follow an acarya, Muhammad. That is good.You must follow some acarya. Evam parampara-praptam." (Conversation, May 20, 1975,Melbourne)"Regarding the parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. We have to pick up theprominent acarya and follow from him." (Letter, April 12,1968)"This is called guru-parampara, disciplic succession. This is the perfect process of knowledge.You approach the perfect person and get knowledge, and that is your perfect experience. We aregetting knowledge from Krishna, the most perfect. Or you get knowledge from Jesus Christ. That isalso perfect, because the source is perfect." (Conversation, June 19,1974, Germany)"Actually, one who is guided by Jesus Christ will certainly get liberation." (Perfect Questions,Perfect Answers, Chapter 9)". one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding,

through philosophy and logic." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.48, Purport)"These are not ordinary books. It is recorded chanting. Anyone who reads-he is hearing." (Letter,October 19, 1974)Disciple: "I feel so far away from you, you know, when you're not here."Srila Prabhupada: "Oh—that you should not think. There are two conceptions: the physicalconception and the vibration conception. So the physical conception is temporary. The vibrationconception is eternal. Just like we are enjoying or we are relishing the vibration of Krishna'steachings. So by vibration He is present. As soon as we chant Hare Krishna or chant Bliagavad-gitaor Bhagaimta, He is present immediately by His vibration. He's absolute. Therefore, try toremember His words of instruction—you'll not feel separation. You'll feel that He is with you. Sowe should associate by the vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association."(Questions and answers following a lecture, August 18, 1968, Montreal)Disciple: Is there any way for a Christian to—without the help of a spiritual master-to reach thespiritual sky through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?Srila Prabhupada: When you read the Bible, you follow the spiritual master. How can you say"without"? As soon as you read the Bible, that means you are following the instruction of LordJesus Christ—that means you are following the spiritual master. So where is the opportunity ofbeing "without a spiritual master"?Disciple: I.was referring to a living spiritual master.Srila Prabhupada: The spiritual master is not the question of ["living"]. The spiritual master iseternal—the spiritual master is eternal. So your question is "without a spiritual master." Without aspiritual master you cannot be—at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master orthat spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. You say "by reading theBible." When you read the Bible, that means you are following the spiritual master, represented bysome priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So in any case, you have to follow aspiritual master. There cannot be the question "without a spiritual master." Is that clear? (Questionsand answers following a lecture, October 2, 1968, Seattle)"The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes ofdevotees, and the guru must be accepted from the topmost class. When one has attained thetopmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as guru and worshiped exactly like Hari,the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a guru." (SriCaitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 24.330, Purport, citing Padma Purana)F) The Bona Fide Spiritual Master Is Never Limited By MaterialConditions.Wherever Lord Krishna's devotees worship Him, Krishna is present. In the same way, whereversincere followers worship Krishna's great devotees, these Vaisnavas are present. Krishna's greatdevotees live forever in their instructions (vani), in their form (vapu), and in the hearts of theirsincere followers. Srila Prabhupada remains present in innumerable places simultaneously andaccepts the worship of innumerable followers now and at all times, wherever his instructions aresincerely followed."Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places, similarly the spiritual masteralso can be present wherever the disciple wants. A spiritual master is the principle, not the body.Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring."(Letter, May 28, 1968)Disciple: "In some of our temples, such as Vrndavana, the statue [murti] of Your Divine Grace hasbeen installed, and they [your disciples] are offering prasadam [food]. So is it the same [as LordKrishna accepts offerings through His Deity form or picture] that the prasadam is accepted by the

guru?"Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair. 'The guru is nondifferent thanKrishna.' That is accepted by all the sastras. Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya: 'But the guru'sposition is the most confidential servant.' So the guru is the servant God, and Krishna is the masterGod. Both of them are God—servant God and master God." (Conversation, October 27,1975,Nairobi)Reporter: "What will happen to the movement in the United States when you die?"Srila Prabhupada: "I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize."(Interview, July 16,1975, Berkeley, California)"He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die, when thou art living still in sound." (From a poem bySrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.)"About one hundred years ago, Thakura Bhaktivinoda also wanted to beget a child who couldpreach the philosophy and teachings of Lord Caitanya to the fullest extent. By his prayers to theLord, he had as his child Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, who at the present momentis preaching the philosophy of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world through his bona fidedisciples." (Srimad-Blwgavatam 3.22.19, Purport)"Although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of thespiritual master. Vibration— what we have heard from the spiritual master—that is living."(Lecture, January 13,1969, Los Angeles)".the disciple and spiritual master are never separated, because the spiritual master always keepscompany with the disciple, as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritualmaster. This is called the association of vani (words)." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.28.47, Purport)Disciple: "Srila Prabhupada, when you are not present with us, how is it possible to receiveinstructions—for example, on questions that may arise?"Srila Prabhupada: "Well, the answers are there in my books."Disciple: "Other than that—for example, [questions] that we would ask you in [specific dailymatters]. Do you direct us, also, through the heart? Besides the Paramatma?"Srila Prabhupada: "If your heart is pure. Everything depends on purity." (Conversation, May13,1973, Los Angeles)G) Srila Prabhupada's Words are Above Defects.All rituals, procedures, and names established by Srila Prabhupada are transcendentally pure andperfect. (See "Sadhana," next section.) Srila Prabhupada never made mistakes, as do all ordinarymen. Everything Srila Prabhupada says and does is pure and perfect, totally devoid of the fourdefects of conditional life—namely illusion, cheating, imperfect senses, and the tendency to commitmistakes."It is recommended that one honor the spiritual master as being on an equal status with the SupremePersonality of Godhead. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair. This is enjoined in every scripture.Acaryam mam vijaniyat. One should consider the acarya to be as good as the Supreme Personalityof Godhea

Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata, and the Upanisads, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself, and He is worshipable by everyone in this age of disagreement. Everyone can join in His sankirtana movement." (Introduction to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta) yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam, kartaram isam purusam brahma yonim.