Prabhupāda Says: By nature’s own way the complete system of material activities is a source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone.
Similarly, the world situation is such’ that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the purport of this verse.
[Bhagavad Gita 2.7]
A bona fide Spiritual Master – dīkṣā / śikṣā guru is a maha bhagavata devotee of the Lord who initiates, gives divya jñāna, to the disciple as he is qualified by dint of his spiritual realization because he has seen Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.
This is the only bona fide manner in which a person can obtain dīkṣā initiation.
His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda is such a bona fide spiritual master who is capable of giving dīkṣā initiation. If one is sincere he will approach Śrīla Prabhupāda in his vani form in order to take spiritual instruction and by doing so one has the opportunity to accept him as your spiritual inspiration and dīkṣā guru / śikṣā guru by studying his books and literature and by dedicating one’s life to serving him by strictly following his instructions.
Śrīla Prabhupāda is the abode of all our Vaiṣṇava gurus in the form of the vartma pradaksaya guru, the dīkṣā guru and the śikṣā guru as mankind in this age of the kali yuga has been given His Divine Grace’s teachings and instructions in the form of his books, lectures, tapes and video recordings all of which comprise his vani form.
We may meet Śrīla Prabhupāda in his vani form on the street where we hear about him from one of his devotees or we purchase one of his books and by hearing / reading about him we accept him as our vartma pradaksaya guru and we begin our spiritual lives in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy where doubt and confusion abound.
Let us take shelter of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktisiddhanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda and teach others to do so in this age of quarrel and push on with Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtan Mission.