scott@informatik.hu-berlin.de (Matthew Scott) wrote: >madhudvisa@krishna.org (Madhudvisa dasa ) writes: >>Yes. But they never actually get the truth... If you find a proper >>spiritual authority you can get the absolute truth immediately... >in particular spiritual matters perhaps. I don't believe that there >are spiritual authorities that have all of physics in their understanding. >That's not their purpose anyway. Physics is about the material world. Spiritual knowledge is about getting out of the material world, going back home, back to Godhead. They are two different things altogether. But the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India don't only contain spiritual knowledge. All knowledge is there material and spiritual. But generally if you wanted to find out about astronomy you would go to one expert in the Joyti-shastra, he could tell you about that. It is not the main thing for a spiritual master to be talking about... But the same process applies in physics. If you could find a perfect authority who actually knows what is going on in the universe he could give you the correct answers immediately. Everyone would agree this is the best way of acquiring knowledge. If there were 100 students in a lecture-theatre and there was a noise coming from the roof all 100 students could come up with a theory to explain the cause of the noise, but they may all be wrong -- even if one of them was right how could you decide who it was? However, if there was someone on the roof who saw what happened clearly his version would be the most perfect... >>"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. >>Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The >>self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen >>the truth." (Bhagavad-gita 4,34) >> >And how am I supposed to know that what they say really is true? >How am I supposed to know if one really is a spiritual master and not >a quack? or not just a theistically well educated? This is a very good question. Nowadays there are so many "gurus" in the business to make money, to get followers, to become famous, etc. It is very difficult to find the real thing. Ultimately we get the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master by the mercy of Krishna. Krishna is within our hearts and He knows what we want... So He can arrange for us to meet a bona fide spiritual master. brahmananda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krishna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija "According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. By the mercy of both Krishna and the spiritual master, one such person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service." (Lord Caitannya to Rupa Gosvami) Thank you. Hare Krishna! Madhudvisa dasa (madhudvisa@krishna.org) http://www.krishna.org All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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