Q: Is it proper to consider the spiritual master as God or the supreme enjoyer?
A: The spiritual master is not the supreme enjoyer like Krisna. In other words, he is not Gopinatha, the beloved lord of the gopis. The spiritual master is the servitor God. In that sense, he is as good as God, most dear to God, and the Lord’s topmost devotee. The spiritual master is the predominated God; he is not the predominating God like Krsna or the original predominated God, like Sri Radha.
The spiritual master is nondifferent from Gauranga. That is, he is simultaneously one and different from Sri Gauranga. He is the manifestation of Sri Gauranga. He is the predominated Absolute Truth. If we attempt to merge him with the existence of the predominating Absolute Truth and thereby destroy the identity of the predominating Absolute Truth, we will be guilty of the offense of impersonalism. Such thinking is purely impersonalism, atheism. Sastra states, yadyapi amara guru—caitanyera dasa, tathapi janiye ami tanharaprakasa. “Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I know him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.44)tate krsna bhaje, kare gurura sevana, maya-jala chute, paya krsnera carana: “If the conditioned soul engages in the Lord’s service and simultaneously carries out his spiritual master’s orders, serving him, he can become free of Maya’s clutches and become eligible for shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet.” (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 22.25)
Under the shelter, guidance, and order of the spiritual master who is dear to Krsna, we should worship Krsna. This is the sastric verdict.
Amrita Vani of Gaudiya Gosthipati Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada
