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Elevation to Krṣṇa Consciousness
the blazing fire is immediately extinguished. As a cloud collects water from the ocean, similarly the spiritual master collects water from Krṣṇa's ocean of mercy and pours it over the blazing fire of material existence. Thus one who bestows or distributes the merciful rain of Krṣṇa is called a spiritual master or  guru .
In Vedic literatures it is said that in order to understand the transcendental science of Krṣṇa consciousness, we must try to acquire knowledge of how to extinguish this blazing fire of problems. Scientists, philosophers and other educated men are trying very hard to extinguish it, but the result seems to be bigger and bigger bombs. The  karmīs  or fruitive laborers are working with heart and soul, day and night, to extinguish this fire or to diminish the miserable condition of material existence by dint of hard labor. The  jñānīs  or philosophers are also trying, but they have become disgusted and so proclaim, "This world is false." Thinking this, they try to merge into the existence of the Supreme and in this way extinguish the fire. This is like the jackel who tries to pick some grapes from a vine, and when he fails, says, "Oh, these grapes are sour anyway." The  yogīs  or meditators try to gain superior mystic power by becoming greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest, lighter than the lightest, and heavier than the heaviest, but this is just so much child's play. With any material body—whether it be great or small, light or heavy—the problems of material existence still remain. In this way one may progress from one stage to another, coming from