3) The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master

Teachings
*He speaks only of Krsna and matters related to Him (Bg 2.54 +p)
*He never presents anything not to be found in Vedic literature (Iso 13p,
 1st para)
*He never contradicts sadhus (saintly persons) or scriptures (sastra) (Bg
 10.3p last para)
*He does not manufacture rules against the principles of the revealed
 scriptures (Bg 3.21p/Bg 4.34p)
*He is able to answer any question on spiritual life without hesitation,
 having understood all Vedic knowledge (Bg 15.19 +p, 3rd para/Bg 2.7p 1st
 para)
*He never says "I am God" (Bg 5.16p)
*He must be a master of the science of Krsna (Bg 2.8p 1st para)

Realization
*He must be fixed in the Absolute Truth (Iso Intro 11th para)
*He must have the symptoms of one on the transcendental platform (Bg
 18.51-53 +p, 54 +p 2nd para/Bg 14.22-25 +p, 2nd para/Bg 2.55-57, 58 +p/Bg
 5.20 +p, 21 +p)
*He must be 100% Krsna Conscious (Bg 2.8p 1st para)
*He should have attained the platform of uttama adhikari (NOI 5)
*He knows the science of Krsna (Bg 2.8p 1st para)

Disciplic Succession
*He comes in the disciplic succession (Bg 4.34p)
*And therefore does not deviate from instruction imparted millions of
 years ago (Bg 4.42p last part)
*He must have heard the Vedic knowledge from the right source (Iso Intro
 11th para)
*The importance of the disciplic succession ... (Bg 18.75 +p)

Character
*He must be a perfect devotee (PQPA page 27-28)
*He must be fully in control of the six pushing senses (agents) (NOI 1)
*He strictly practices what he preaches (Bg 3.21 +p)
*He is an "acarya", one who teaches by example (Bg 3.20 +p)
*because even Krsna Himself acted to set an example (Bg 3.22,23 +p)
*He is by nature very kind and compassionate to the disciple and
 tirelessly instructs him (Bg 4.34p end/Bg 18.72 +p)

Ability to liberate others
*Krsna or His bona fide representative are the only persons who can
 release a conditioned soul from bondage (Bg 7.14p 3rd para)
*The spiritual master knows the nature of his students and is thus able to
 guide them to act in Krsna Consciousness (Bg 2.41 3rd para)
*He can change the materially conditioned nature of a person, gradually
 elevating him to the perfectional stage (Bg 17.2p)

Activities
*He is always glorifying Krsna (Bg 9.13 +14)
*He never tries to imitate the Lord but always follows in His footsteps
 (Bg 3.24p)

If...
a teacher (guru) loses his sense of discrimination and engages in
abominable actions he can be abandoned (Bg 2.5p)

4) The Qualification of a Disciple

*One must be awakened to one's position of suffering in the material world
 and one must desire to find the ultimate solution (Bg Intro page 7 or 6
 Macmillan version)
*One must have a firm respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Bg
 Intro page 7 or 6 Macmillan version)
*One must have faith in the guru and Krsna (Bg 6.47p 5th para)
*One must be submissive (Bg 4.34 +p/Bg Intro page 6-7 or 6 Mac)
*One must be fully obedient (NOI 4 page 46)
*One must be humble (Bg 13.8-12p 5th para)
*One must have a serving mood (Bg 13.8-12p 5th para)
*One must be anxious to satisfy the guru (Bg 4.34p)
*One should consider the order of the guru as one's prime duty in life (Bg
 18.67p, last 2 lines/Bg 2.41p 3rd para/Bg 2.53p last line/Bg 3.35p 1st
 part)
*One must respect the guru as God (PQPA pages 26-27/Bg 5.16p)
*One must serve the other disciples of one's guru
"Regarding serving your Godbrothers, this is a very good practice. The
spiritual master is never without his followers so to serve the spiritual
master also means to be the servant of his disciples. When you want to
serve the king, you must also serve his minister, secretary and everyone
who serves him. And to serve his servants may please him more than to
serve the king personally. So the spiritual master is not alone. He is
always with his entourage. We are not impersonalists. We take care of
every part of the whole, as much as one should take care of his hat as
well as his shoes. Both are equally important for the upkeep of the body.
I hope you will understand this rightly." (Letter to a disciple, from
Srila Prabhupada in 1969)

5) The Parampara System

*explained... (PQPA pages 28-30/Bg 4.1-3)
*If one hears Bhagavad Gita from a pure soul in disciplic succession he
 surpasses all studies of Vedic visdom and all scriptures of the world (Bg
 1.1p 1st para)
*the humble realized devotee recognises that all credit goes through the
 parampara to Lord Krsna (Bg Preface, 2nd +3rd paras)
*List of the members of our disciplic succession (Bg Intro Page 34, or 29
 Macmillan version)
*How the Vedic knowledge comes to us out of motherly affection (Iso Intro
 7th and 8th paras)

6) Initiation

*Qualifications for described (NOI 5 pages 51-53)
*Establishes one's relationship with Krsna (NOD Intro 11th para)
*An essential step towards love of God (Bg 4.10p 2nd para)
*When one is seen to be actually serious (NOI 5 page 50)
*An example of preparation for, and acceptance of, initiation (PQPA pages
 97-99)

WEEK 2
PAST AND PRESENT ACARYAS (Verse to learn, Bg 3.21)

(1) Srila Vyasadev
*son of Parasara Muni and Satyavati (Bg 15.17p last line of last para
 [Mac], or Bg 15.18p end)
*a great devotee of the Lord and a powerful incarnation (Bg 18.77p)
*disciple of Narada Muni (Bg 18.75p 2nd para)
*How he gave us the Vedic literatures (Bg Intro p.27 or 34 Mac)
*the Srimad Bhagavatam is Vyasadev's own natural commentary on the
 Vedanta-Sutra (the "final stalk of knowledge"--Bg 18.13p) (Bg 15.15p 1st
 para)
*Spiritual master of Sanjaya (Bg 18.75 +p)
*the appearance day of the guru is called "Vyasa puja" (puja means
 worship) because he represents Vyasadev (Bg 18.75 1st para)
*the spiritual master's seat in the temple is called the "Vyasasana"
 (asana means seat) for the same reason
*father of Dhrtarastra, Pandu and Vidura, and also Sukadev Gosvami

(2) Narada Muni
*the greatest devotee in the universe (Bg 10.26p)
*the direct disciple of Krsna (Bg 18.75p 2nd para)
*His entry into devotional service (Bg 9.2p 7th and 8th paras)
*More about him... (SB 1.9.7 2nd para)
*"Nara"--the Supreme Lord, "da"--one who can give

(3) Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadev Gosvami
*Son of Abhimanyu, who was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra
*How the Srimad Bhagavatam came to be spoken (SB 1.18.25 +p 26-50 and SB
 1.1.1-40)
*Sukadev Gosvami was the son of Vyasadev and he heard the Bhagavatam from
 his father whilst he was in the womb of his mother

(4) The Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana
Read and discuss the "Prayers to the Six Gosvamis" by Srinivasa Acarya
(Blue Song Book, pages 19-22)

(5) Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur
Read "A Glimpse into the life of Thakura Bhaktivinoda (Blue song book,
Intro. pages xii-xviii and Hare Krsna Hare Krsna pages 120-124)

(6) Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji
Read and discuss the "Srila Gaurakisora Pranati" (Blue Song Book pages
6-7)

(7)Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Read Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol. 1 Ch. 3, pages 37-47 and Ch. 4 pages
61-78, and "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna" pages 124-126)

(8) Srila Prabhupada
Read "Prabhupada" and section about "the Author" at the end of the Gita
and learn the dates of the principal events in his life.

(9) Jayananda prabhu
Read printed sheets about him and see BTG Vol 12/6 pages 10-14&17.

(10) The Meaning of Vyasa Puja (SSR p. 70)
Read the lecture given by Srila Prabhupada in 1936 in Bombay, the other
short essays called "the Meaning of Vyasa Puja" to be found at the
beginning of Srila Prabhupada's and the present spiritual master's Vyasa
Puja books.

WEEK 3
SADHANA BHAKTI (verse 9.26)

*"sadhana"--the means by which one can achieve something (Tape Lon 73-34)
*to perform sadhana bhakti necessitates a radical change in one's values
 (Bg 2.69 +p)
*sadhana bhakti explained (Bg 12.9 +p)
*one should never give up one's initial spirit of carefully following all
 the rules and regulations of bhakti yoga (Bg 18.5 and 6 +p) otherwise one
 is understood to be influenced by the modes of passion or ignorance (Bg
 18.7 and 8 +p's) and liable to fall down (SB 5.8.8 +p)
*the steps of bhakti leading to pure love (Bg 4.10p last para):
 (1) Preliminary faith or desire for self-realization which leads one to
 (2) The association of spiritually advanced persons
 (3) and so one becomes initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and
     begins the process of devotional service (sadhana bhakti) under his
     direction
 (4) then one diminishes all unwanted habits and material attachments
 (5) becomes steady in self-realization due to firm faith
 (6) and acquires a taste for hearing about Krsna
 (7) which leads one further forward to attachment for Krsna Consciousness
 (8) and this is further matured into genuine affection for Krsna, the
     preliminary stage of
 (9) real love of God, the highest perfectional stage of life
*Cleanliness, is essential for making advancement in spiritual life (Bg
 13.8-12p, 6th para)
*the following is a quotation from Srila Prabhupada (Hyderabad 24/8/76):
 "... If one doesn't practice brahminical life he is not to be called a
 'brahmana'. You may be the son of a high court judge but if you do not
 have the qualifications you cannot be called a high court judge... There
 must be an educational institution for training brahmanas especially. One
 is judged by education, quality and training. One of the brahmana's two
 main qualities is 'saucam', cleanliness and truthfulness... In Bombay
 even the poorest man is clean. I have been to a 'Parsee' kitchen. So
 nasty, all the pots are black, nothing is clean. For eating they use
 china--clean or unclean cannot be understood. Even our pots, handled by
 our European devotees, underneath it is black. You should not even be
 able to see a black spot. It is not clean. A single black spot and it is
 not clean. Before taking water, if the water pot is clean, you like
 taking water. In our school days the seats were so clean, you liked to
 sit down. This is Hindu culture. Cleanliness is essential. In English
 also- cleanliness is next to Godliness.
 Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau (Guruvastaka
 verse 3). 'Marjana' means 'cleansing'. The spiritual master is always
 engaged along with his disciples in cleaning the temple of Sri Sri Radha
 and Krsna. Want of cleanliness means laziness. If you are lazy you can't
 keep clean. Let me sleep for the time being. That is the mode of
 ignorance, tamo-guna. We have to conquer over rajo-guna and tamo-guna!"

*General rules of cleanliness (Bg 16.7p 2nd half of the 1st para)

Cleanliness and Other Standards
 (1) Never enter the kitchen or the temple in an unclean state.
 (2) The mouth is a dirty place (being positioned at one end of the
     intestines, it is a place where many germs are found) and therefore
     one should not suck one's fingers or pen, or bite one's nails, etc.
     If one does touch one's mouth, then the hands should be washed. Don't
     lick things like stamps and don't blow out candles, incense sticks,
     etc. Also it is a good practice to learn to pour water/juice into
     your mouth when you drink, then the cup remains clean, not having
     touched one's lips.
 (3) If you make a mess clean it up, especially in the toilet or getting
     into the plane. You have to believe that the aeroplane will take you
     to the other side. You are already doing that, there is no argument.
     So, similarly, you have to believe, you must have faith. And we see
     that many faithful great-acaryas and devotees of the Lord have
     achieved success by this faith. Why shall I not follow them?
     Therefore the Vedic literature says that you have to follow the
     footprints of the great acaryas."

WEEK 4
KRSNA, THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
(Verse to learn Bg 4.9 +read the purport)

*Lord Krsna's Supreme position (Bg 3.22/Bg 4.5+p/Bg 4.6+p/Bg 4.13)
*as God, confirmed by all great sages (Bg 10.12-13/Bg Intro page 3)
*being transcendental to both fallible and infallible beings. He maintains
 everything and is glorified in the Vedas as the greatest personality (Bg
 15.17+18+p's)
*as ultimate goal of the Vedas (Bg 2.46+p/Bg 15.15+p)
*as the cause of everything (Bg 7.16+p/Iso 13p 7th and 8th paras)
*as the maintainer of everything (Bg 7.10+p)
*as the destroyer of everything (Bg 11.32)
*as the essence of everything (Bg 7.9+p)
*as everything (through His different energies) (Bg 9.16-19)
*as everywhere (exemplified by Lord Narasimhadev's presence) (Iso 5p 8th
 para)
*like the sky--in which everything exists (Bg 9.6+p)
*not perceivable through mind and senses (Bg 9.4p 1st para)
*Krsna's inconceivability certifies His supremacy (Iso 5p 1st para)
*no difference between His body and soul (Iso 8+p 1st para)
*no difference between His mind, body and senses (Bg 9.34p 1st para)
*Krsna is perfect and complete (Iso Invocation +p)
*Krsna is purifying whilst always uncontaminated Himself (Iso 8+p last
 para)
*although in one place He is simultaneously all pervading (Iso 4+p 1st
 para)
*He is outside and inside, faraway, but near (Bg 13.16+p)
*because of Krsna's absolute position, His senses are interchangeable (Bg
 9.26+p last para/Bg 11.43p 2nd para)
*Krsna's supremely transcendental position (Bg 4.14+p, 1st part/Bg 7.12+p/Bg
 9.9+p)
*although He directly superintends everything (Bg 9.10+p/Bg 13.15+p)
*the transcendental position of one who is conscious of Krsna's
 transcendental position (Bg 4.13p last para/ Bg 4.14+p, 2nd part/Bg 9.28p
 2nd and 3rd paras)
*Krsna is rarely known (Bg 7.3+p/Bg 9.3+p/Bg 11.53+p)
*He can only be seen and understood by undivided devotional service (Bg
 11.54+p, 1st part of 1st para)
*He is not manifest to fools (Bg 7.25+p)
*Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead and all other forms are
 expansions from Him (Bg 11.54p 4th-7th paras)
*Krsna is equal to all, whilst making an individual arrangement for
 everyone (Bg 5.15+p)


(2) Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan
*explained (Bg 2.2p all but last para/Bg Intro page 14 or 12-13 Mac)
*three different transcendentalists and their respective destinations
 explained (Bg Intro page 25, or 22-23 Mac)

(a) Brahman "spirit"
*meaning of (Bg 8.3+p 1st and 5th paras)
*When Brahman is covered by illusion or "maya" it is called "material",
 otherwise everything is really spiritual or Brahman (Bg 4.24+p)
*Material nature is also sometimes referred to as Brahman (Bg 14.3+p 1st
 para)
*Krsna is the Supreme Brahman (Bg 10.12)
*Krsna is the basis of Brahman (Bg 14.27)
*Brahman realization explained in relationship to Paramatma and Bhagavan
 realization (Bg 14.27p 1st para)
*Brahman vision explained (Bg 13.31+p)

(b) Paramatma--"the Supreme Soul" or the Supersoul residing in everyone's
    heart along with the individual soul.
*Atma means the individual atomic soul (although sometimes the word atma
 or "self" can also refer to the body, mind or even the senses--(Bg 8.1p/Bg
 6.5p beginning)
*Difference between individual soul and Paramatma described (Bg 13.3+p)
*Two functions of the Supersoul (Bg 13.23+p 1st para)
 (i)  Overseer or witness
 (ii) Permitter or sanctioning agent of the living entities innumerable
      desires (see also Bg 18.14+p 2nd and 3rd paras)
*The function of the Supersoul explained (Bg 15.15+p 1st para)
*the source of all light and knowledge etc (Bg 13.18+p)
*the source of all memory, knowledge and forgetfulness (Bg 15.15+p 1st
 para)
*compared to a friendly bird (Bg 2.22p)
*the friend of the conditioned soul (Bg 13.23p 2nd para)
*by the association of a self-realized soul one who is able to see the
 friendly Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies,
 actually sees (Bg 13.28+p)
*the Lord experiences everything from His vantage point as the Supersoul
 (Bg 13.14+p)
*the Supersoul hears everything (PQPA page 30-31)
*the Supersoul is directing the wanderings of all living entities (Bg
 18.61+p)
*and therefore one should surrender to Him (Bg 18.62+p 1st para)
*which is one's best interest (Bg 18.63p 2nd para)
*the Supersoul is one yet all pervading, as perceived by the yogi or
 devotee (Bg 13.17+p/Bg 6.29-31+p's)
*is not eternal in the spiritual world (Bg 7.4p end of 2nd para)

(c) Bhagavan
Bhaga--opulences         explained by Parasara Muni in the Visnu Purana
van--one who possesses   where he categorizes the Lord's opulences into 6
                         main divisions:- (i) wealth (ii) strength (iii)
                         fame (iv) beauty (v) knowledge and (vi)
                         renunciation (Bg 2.2p)
*another meaning of Bhagavan--(Iso 16p 4th para)
*Bhagavad Gita--the song of Bhagavan Sri Krsna
*Bhagavan realization is the only full conception of the Absolute, and
 includes both Brahman and Paramatma realizations (Iso 15p last but one
 para)

(3) Why Krsna descends
*to establish religious principles (Bg 3.23p, 24+p 1st part/Bg 4.7+p)
*to appease His devotees (Bg 4.8+p)
*to attract the jnanis and yogis etc (Iso 15p 3rd and 4th paras)
*Six types of avatars ("one who descends") (Bg 4.8p 2nd and 3rd paras)
*What is an avatar? (Bg 4.9p 2nd para)
*Krsna is the avatari or source of all incarnations (Bg 2.2p 3rd para/Bg 4.9p
 3rd para)

(4) The Six Types of Incarnations (listed Bg 4.8p 3rd para)

The Purusa Avatars
*the 3 Visnu incarnations (Bg 7.4p 1st para/Bg 9.8p 1st para)
*described (Bg 10.20p 2nd and 3rd paras)
*who do all the managing so that Krsna can stay in Vrndavan and enjoy (Iso
 15p 6th para)

Leela (pastime) Avatars
*innumerable, however 10 prominent leela avatars are described in song
 called "Das Avatar Stotra" on pages 97-99 of the Blue Song Book.
*Lord Buddha also mentioned (Bg 4.7p last 1/2 of 1st para)

Guna Avatars (see also Week 6)

Guna means material quality or mode, also rope (Bg 7.14p 2nd para)
 (i)   Brahma--the Lord of the mode of passion, the creator of the structure
               of the universe
 (ii)  Visnu--the Lord of the mode of goodness, the maintainer of the
              universal affairs
 (iii) Siva--the Lord of the mode of ignorance or darkness, the destroyer
             of the universe
*Only Visnu can release the conditioned soul from these ropes of maya (Bg
 7.14p last para)

Manvantara Avatars
*Manu, the father of mankind, hence "man"
*the current Manu is called Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Vivasvan, who
 spoke Bhagavad Gita to his own son and disciple, Maharaja Iksvaku, the
 King of this planet earth 2,005,000 years ago (Bg 4.1+p 3rd and 4th paras)

Yuga Avatars (Incarnations for a particular yuga or age)
Lord Caitanya is the yugavatara for the age of Kali (Bg 4.8p last para)

Saktyavesa Avatars
Directly empowered jivasouls such as Narada who is empowered with the
particular potency of devotional service.

Three Standard Ways of Identifying a Genuine Incarnation of the Lord
(see also video called "God's Competitor")

  (i) personal characteristics--particular bodily features, and nature,
      place, time and circumstance of birth--all described in sastra.
 (ii) marginal characteristics--exceptional, superhuman activities, all
      extraordinary and also mentioned in sastra.
(iii) The conclusion of the greatest contemporary personalities of the
      time, such as Arjuna's reference to Narada and Vyasa etc (Bg 10.13)

(5) What is Yajna, or Sacrifice?
*the purpose of the material creation (Bg 3.10+p)
*the ultimate cause of everything (Bg 3.14)
*means Visnu (Bg 3.9p) and He is the actual beneficiary of all yajnas (Bg
 3.11p)
*different kinds of (Bg 3.12+p/Bg 4.28+p)
*transcendental yajnas (bg 3.13+p)
*yajnas for materialists and transcendentalists (Bg 3.16-19 +p's)
*a devotee's saccrifice is the most complete (Bg 4.25+p)
*the necessity of sacrifice for everyone (Bg 4.31+p)
*ultimately the best kind of sacrifice is:- (Bg 4.33+p, 34)
*and so one attains transcendental knowledge (Bg 4.35)
*which destroys one's material life (Bg 4.36+37+p)
*and is the highest attainment (Bg 4.38+p)
*summary study of sacrifice and it's ultimate purpose (Bg 4.42p)

(6) The Demigods
*supplying agents of the Lord (Bg 3.12+p)
*description of nature and function of (Bg 3.11+p/3.14+p, 1st part of 1st
 para)
*there are 33 million demigods to supervise every aspect of universal
 affairs. They include:-
 Brahma, Siva (note: Lord Siva himself recommends one to worship Visnu and
 His servants, PQPA page 95-96), Vayu (air), Indra (the chief of the
 administrative demigods--Bg 8.2p, King of Heaven, and controller of the
 rain--Bg 3.14), Agni (fire), Varuna (water--Bg 3.14p), Durga (the wife of
 Lord Siva and the personification of the material energy (Bg 3.12p 1st
 para), Sarasvati (Goddess of learning, Bg 7.21p 2nd para), Surya (sun,
 present sun god also called Vivasvan, Bg 4.1+p 2nd and 3rd paras),
 Yamaraja (Lord of death), Candra (moon--Bg 3.14p), Mitra (bowel
 movements), Sitala (small pox)

*cannot give one liberation (Bg 7.14p last para)
*why someone approaches the demigods (and why a devotee of Krsna doesn't)
 (Bg 7.20+p)
*Why and how Krsna inspires one to worship them (Bg 7.21+p)
*in actuality it is Krsna alone who satisfies  the desires of the
 worshiper through the agency of the demigod (Bg 7.22+p)
*the result of such worship is only a temporary, paltry, futile gain,
 aspired after by less intelligent people (Bg 7.23+p/Bg Intro page 20-21 or
 18 Mac/Bg 4.12+p/Bg 9.20+21)
*Krsna is the real object of worship (Bg 9.23+p and 24+p) because He is
 the only one capable of actually satisfying the needs of the soul and
 freeing him from birth and death (Bg 9.25+p)
*Srila Prabhupada compares demigod worship to the attempt of a shady
 businessman to bribe a government department, like the police, instead of
 honestly and faithfully paying his taxes to the government (referred to Bg
 9.23p)
*He has also mentioned that the demigods just give benedictions according
 to the level of worship they receive without considering the ultimate
 benefit of the worshiper; as a shopkeeper will sell anyone a knife,
 without consideration of the future result. Lord Krsna, however takes care
 for the actual well-being of His worshipers and may or may not give
 benedictions etc.

