The Spiritual Master

The Vedas tell us that if one wants to make advancement in spiritual life it is imperative to accept a spiritual master.1 In any discipline we need a teacher. Book learning is not sufficient. For example, a surgeon must study under an expert experienced surgeon. He cannot confine his learning to books. One who does not accept a bonafide spiritual master as his guide is sure to be bewildered in his attempts at self-realization.

One must be extremely careful in choosing a spiritual master, as there are many pretenders who simply wish to cheat innocent persons.

There are standards mentioned in the Vedic literature that one should use when picking one's eternal guide:
1. The spiritual master must come in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession from God Himself
2. The spiritual master must be a perfect disciple of his spiritual master; a first class servant rendering humble service
3. The spiritual master must be fixed in the regulative principles and practices of Krishna consciousness, never falling down
4. The spiritual master must have heard nicely from his spiritual master so that he is simply repeating in his own words the teachings given to him.

The spiritual master teaches by example as well as precept. By observing his behaviour, the prospective disciple can verify that the spiritual master is not deviating from the teachings that he received from his own spiritual master and is, in turn, passing along to his disciples. In this way, the disciple can understand how to apply the teachings to his own life.
1. MundakaUpanisad 1.2.12