If we learn to depend on mentors, but then they aren’t available when needed, what can we do?

Answer Podcast

Transcription :

Transcribed by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: If we learn to depend on mentors, but then they aren’t available when needed, what can we do?

Answer: An ideal counsellor is one who progressively make himself redundant. In Gita, Krishna does not decide for Arjuna. However, he provides Arjuna a framework based on which he should take decisions on his own even when Krishna is not around.

Srila Prabhupada also wanted that his disciples be independently thoughtful. He also wanted that his disciples continue with Krishna bhakti even when he is not there. For a mature disciple, the teachings and wisdom of a spiritual master or mentor become internalized based on which he can continue to guide himself in the absence of the spiritual master.

We do not necessarily see the spiritual master just as one person. Rather we see him as external representation of the paramatma. The same Supreme Lord, who is guiding us internally as chaitya guru, is also guiding us as diksha-guru or shiksha-guru or patha-pradarshaka-guru. Absence of a specific physical mentor does not necessarily mean that we do not have a mentor.

Also, we need to understand that every time we may not have to make a right decision. Sometimes, we may have to make a decision right. We may take a decision at times and in case we find some shortfall in that decision we can do course correction. Krishna can help us even in situations when we have made a mistake. For example, when using google maps, in case we take a wrong turn, the google map quickly reroutes us and shows us the other path so that we can make a correction.

End of transcription.