Elevation to Krsna Consciousness - Original 1973 ... - Prabhupada

1Choosing Human andAnimal Livesom ajiiiina- timiriindasya jiiiiniiiijana-saliikayiicakur unmllitam yena tasmai sr""i-gurave nama[l"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritualmaster, who has opened my eyes, blinded by thedarkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge."It is customary with this verse to offer obeisancesto the spiritual master who enlightens his disciplesin the matter of transcendental knowledge. The Vedicprocess does not involve research work. In mundanescholarship, we have to show our academic learningby some research, but the Vedic process is different.In the Vedic process the research work is alreadydone; it is complete, and it is simply handed downby disciplic succession from teacher to student. Thereis no question of research work because the instrumentsand the means with which one conducts suchresearch work are blunt and imperfect.At this stage of our material existence, we are conditionedby many laws of nature. All conditionedsouls are subject to four defects due to the imperfectionof their senses. One defect is that the conditionedsoul is certain to commit mistakes. There is no manwho does not commit mistakes. In India, for instance,Mahatma Gandhi was supposed to be a very greatpersonality, but he also committed mistakes. Five