The Conversations With Prakasananda 169

engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krishna. The Lord confirms
this in Bhagavad Gita: “Iam the Source of everything, and everything emanates
from Me. Therefore, one who knows Me perfectly well is fully engaged in
My transcendental loving service.” A living entity is eternally related with
Krishna by that relationship of Master and servant, and once that service is
wanting—or, in other words, when one is not situated in Krishna Conscious-
ness—it is to be understood that his study of Vedanta is insufficient. When one
does not understand what is Krishna Consciousness, or is not engaged in
the trascendental loving service of Lord Krishna, it is to be understood that
he is adverse to the study of Vedanta or understanding the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.

The path shown by Lord Chaitanya in the matter of studying Vedanta
philosophy, as explained in this connection, should be followed by all. A
person who is puffed up over his so-called education, has no humility and
therefore does not seek after the protection of a bona fide Spiritual Master,
thinks that he does not require a bona fide Spiritual Master, and, rather by his
own effort, he can achieve the highest perfection. Such persons are not eligible
for the study of Vedanta Sutra. Those who are under the spell of the material
energy, instead of following the instructions of the disciplic succession, try
to manufacture something of their own, and thereby step outside the sphere
of Vedanta study. A bona fide Spiritual Master must always condemn such
independent mental speculators. If the bona fide Spiritual Master directly
points out the foolishness of a disciple, that should not be taken otherwise.
In other words, a person who is completely innocent in the Science of God
is actually not learned. And, more or less, everyone who is not in Krishna
Consciousness is subject to that foolishness.

Sometimes we display our foolishness by accepting somebody who is
barely even educated as our Spiritual Master. That is another sign of our
foolishness. It is our duty to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Whose Lotus Feet are worshipped by all the Vedas. One who does not under-
stand that Supreme Personality of Godhead, and is proud of his false under-
standing of Vedanta, is actually a fool. Mundane attempts at academic knowle-
dge are another foolishness. So long as one cannot understand the cosmic
manifestation as a representation of the three modes of material Nature, one
must be considered in the darkness of inebriety and caught in the duality of
this material world. Actually, a person who is in perfect knowledge of the
Vedanta becomes a servitor of the Supreme Lord, Who is the Maintainer and
Sustainer of the whole cosmic manifestation. So long as one is not transcen-
