“Prabhu, I want you to be my mentor,” a devotee asked me as I walked down the ashram stairs. Surrounded by many devotees in a busy corridor, I replied: “This requires serious discussion, let us speak later.” I left him with that.
Later I was in the temple garden reflecting on the request from the devotee; “should I be a mentor? What does it mean to be one? Do I need training for that?”
I reflected on how Srila Prabhupada always ended his letters with a famous line, “your ever well-wisher.” What does that mean? How can we become well-wishers to others?
Many devotees shared their experiences with Srila Prabhupada and how they felt their hearts scanned when Srila Prabhupada looked at them. They shared how Srila Prabhupada would give them perfect answers and instructions as if he could read their minds and see into their hearts. Many of my friends shared similar experiences with their spiritual masters.
How is it that the spiritual master can understand the heart of a disciple?
When a child is crying, the mother perfectly knows what the child needs, although the child cannot speak. Because of genuine love, the mother knows how to serve the child.
The secret is pure unmotivated devotion – bhakti.
When the spiritual master accepts the disciple, he agrees to take responsibility for that individual and decides to bring them to higher levels of advancement.
Because the guru has unconditional love for a disciple, Krishna reveals to him the necessary information so that he can help the devotee advance spiritually.
“Do you know everything?” a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada. “I only know what Krishna reveals to me”, Srila Prabhupada replied.
To the degree that our love for others is pure and unmotivated, to that degree, we receive the necessary information to help those under our care.
Mother Kulangana was once asked by a young devotee, “what is the best way to serve the spiritual master?” She replied, “if you love someone, you will know how to serve them.”
Because Srila Prabhupada was genuinely compassionate and loving for all the living entities, Krishna empowered him to deliver many conditioned souls.
Strict followers of Srila Prabhupada can do the same if they remain chaste to their spiritual master and practise compassion and love for others.
Bhakti yoga is a powerful, mystical, and uncomplicated method for quick spiritual advancement. It is the easiest method for self-realisation in this age.
I invite you to try an experiment. Choose a person, a friend or someone you know outside your immediate family, and without telling them, practise genuine love towards them without any other motive. If you practise this for an extended period, you will very quickly learn how to serve them, what advice to give them, and most importantly, you will be able to help them advance spiritually.
By practising unconditional bhakti towards others, we automatically become situated in our original constitutional position, a perfect Dāsa, a servant of the servant.
Ananta Gopal das
16.5.2023
Bhakti Wisdom 