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Šri Caitanya  caritāmrtā
[[Madhya-lilā Ch 19
the  śravaṇa-kīrtana  process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of  śravaṇa-kīrtana  is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who engaged in the  śravaṇa-kīrtana  process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in  śravaṇa-kīrtana . This is not possible for neophyte devotees
The word  guru-prasāda  indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life's supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called  guru-kṛpā . It is  kṛṣṇa-prasāda , Kṛṣṇa's mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord.
Bhakti-latā-bija  means “the seed of devotional service.” Everything has an original cause, or seed. For any idea, program, plan or device, there is first of all the contemplation of the plan, and that is called  bija , or the seed. The methods, rules and regulations by which one is perfectly trained in devotional service constitute the  bhakti-latā-bija , or seed of devotional service. This  bhakti-latā-bija  is received from the spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Other seeds are called  anyābhilāṣa-bija ,  karma-bija  and  jñāna-bija . If one is not fortunate enough to receive the  bhakti-latā-bija  from the spiritual master, he instead cultivates the seeds of  karma-bija ,  jñāna-bija , or political and social or philanthropic  bija . However,  bhakti-latā-bija  is different from these other  bijas .  Bhakti-latā-bija  can be received only through the mercy of the spiritual master. Therefore one has to satisfy the spiritual master to get  bhakti-latā-bija  ( yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ ).  Bhakti-latā-bija  is the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he gets the  bija , or root cause, of  karma ,  jñāna  and  yoga  without the benefit of devotional service. However, one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the  bhakti-latā-bija . This  bhakti-latā-bija  is received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master’s mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called  śravaṇa-kīrtana —hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting ( kīrtana ). This is explained in  Bhagavadgītā  (2.41):  vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana . One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit to chant or preach the cult of devotional service. One has to water the  bhakti-latā-bija  after receiving instructions from the spiritual master.