Seen through the Ears
In the months following Gaura Pūrṇimā, many brahmacārīs traveled on preaching engagements. Śrīla Gurudeva stayed at Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha with some of the younger brahmacārīs and a few elder Vaiṣṇavas. Gurudeva was enthusiastic and took responsibility for many services. He remained with Ācārya Kesarī and diligently followed his instructions. However, Gurudeva did not wait to be given instructions before performing needful tasks. Pure disciples do not think, “I will wait for an order from my spiritual master, and only then will I serve.” Considering Guru and Vaiṣṇavas to be his family, Gurudeva had a natural service tendency and thought, “How can I help? What needs to be done?” Then, by the mercy of Ācārya Kesarī, he received inspiration on how to carry on his duties.
Ācārya Kesarī was busy with publications and preaching. In the evenings, he spoke hari-kathā. On his instruction, Śrīla Gurudeva sang morning and evening kīrtana in the temple hall. His sweet voice touched the hearts of those who heard him. After kīrtana, Gurudeva sat and attentively listened to hari-kathā. Ācārya Kesarī spoke on varied subjects, focusing especially on the glories of the Guru-varga and his own divine master, Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Śrīla Gurudeva faithfully assimilated the teachings.
For some days no one was giving class after morning bhajanas, so Gurudeva began speaking after kīrtana. Ācārya Kesarī was pleased to see the enthusiasm of his disciple, and told him, “O Gaura Nārāyaṇa, continue giving class. You will thus receive the benefits of both hearing and chanting about the Lord. You can speak in the mornings on the Caitanya–Bhāgavata.”
Although Gurudeva had only been living in the temple for a few months, he read and provided insightful purports from the Caitanya–Bhāgavata daily. One day he spoke about the special contribution of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. A few elder disciples of Prabhupāda living in the āśrama heard Gurudeva speaking about their divine master as if he knew him personally. They disputed his remarks saying, “We have seen Prabhupāda with our own eyes and knew him very well. You never met or even saw him, so how do you speak so audaciously, as though you are very familiar with his character?”
“I have seen him,” Gurudeva boldly replied.
“This new boy is insolent,” Prabhupāda’s disciples said amongst themselves. “He only recently joined the temple and now is claiming to have seen our Prabhupāda.”
They went and complained to Ācārya Kesarī, “O Keśava Mahārāja, this new boy Gaura Nārāyaṇa is saying that he has seen Śrīla Prabhupāda and thus knows his glories. He is arrogant and does not follow proper Vaiṣṇava etiquette.”
“Call him here,” Ācārya Kesarī responded.
When Gurudeva arrived, Ācārya Kesarī asked him, “They are saying that you claim to have seen Śrīla Prabhupāda. Have you?”
“Yes, I have seen him,”
“How have you done so?”
“Many of Prabhupāda’s disciples only saw him with their eyes,” Gurudeva said, “But this is not the best way to perceive divine personalities. I have seen him with my ears through the medium of your merciful speech. Hence, I have seen Prabhupāda through your eyes and your heart.”
Ācārya Kesarī was surprised to hear this and told Gurudeva to continue.
Gurudeva said, “Prabhupāda, the entire disciplic succession, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are all present in your heart. When you spoke about Prabhupāda, I made a place for your words in my heart. Now Prabhupāda is always present there along with you.”
Ācārya Kesarī’s heart melted. With a choked voice he said, “I am very happy that you have truly heard the glories of Hari, Guru and Vaiṣṇavas. The Bhāgavatam gives evidence that the ears are the best way to perceive transcendental personalities.
tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.9.11
[O my Lord, Your devotees see You through the ears by the process of proper hearing. You take Your seat in the pure lotus-like hearts of such devotees.]
Ācāryadeva continued, “Spiritual reality is not accurately perceived with one’s mundane vision. Many people saw Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī as he wandered about naked. They mocked him by clapping, laughing, and throwing rocks at him; but the young Śukadeva Gosvāmī remained completely oblivious, being fully absorbed in the Absolute Truth. When he spoke the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for seven days and nights without stopping, all the great sages listened intently. By the method of aural reception, they were able to understand the nature and qualities of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Still, many of the sages could not realize all the truths of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because they were not surrendered to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Only Sūta Gosvāmī, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, and a few others perfectly realized the highest truth of loving devotion to Kṛṣṇa.” Ācārya Kesarī addressed Śrīla Gurudeva, “Continue reading and speaking from the Caitanya-Bhāgavata. I am pleased with your sincere endeavor.”
Through his faith, Śrīla Gurudeva exhibited the potency of the spiritual master’s speech and demonstrated that to comprehend transcendental topics one must hear from a self-realized saint. When a disciple hears the words of Śrī Guru and saintly devotees with full faith and attention, the import of their words will be revealed in his heart and will cut asunder the knots of material attachment.
Disciples who lack faith in Śrī Guru and neglect his speech can never cross the miserable ocean of birth and death, for they remain attached to temporary mundane relationships, which are like pieces of straw coincidentally meeting for a short time in the ocean. Therefore, disciples must consider if the words of Śrī Guru are their true wealth.
The intelligent disciple will place the statements of Śrī Guru in his heart, understanding what a great jewel he has obtained. This self-effulgent jewel will cast its divine light, removing the darkness that has kept the embodied soul in ignorance for millions of lives. Such treasure of hari-kathā can only be obtained by the grace of a pure devotee.
[Excerpted from the Bhakta Bandhav Publication “Sri Guru Darsana“]
