The Cre e pe r of De v otion G rows
The Expert Spiritual Master Can Look in the Heart of Any Living Entity An expert gardener is able to know the characteristic quality of a seed just by looking at it; he will know what kind of tree will grow from it, what kind of water is needed, and how much sunlight it should have. He can also expertly nourish that seed so that one day it will become a healthy tree. Similarly, the expert spiritual master can look in the heart of any living entity not only the heart of his disciple, but of every living entity in any species and he can tell what type of seed of bhakti is there and what kind of relationship he has with Kåñëa. The spiritual master can also nurture that relationship and actually give the perfection of kåñëaprema by his guidance. Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja: [addressing Sundara Gopal däsa] Give the gist of what was said in two or four lines. Sundara Gopal däsa: Taking birth within the millions of species since time immemorial, the living entity may become extremely fortunate to come into contact with a pure devotee. For this, he must have performed some sukåti, such as celebrating Janmäñöamé or other good activities. When this sukåti matures in his heart, he will come to the pure devotee and have natural faith to hear the hari-kathä that is coming from his lotus mouth. The potential to serve Kåñëa in a particular relationship is dormant within the heart of every jéva, and when the living entity listens to hari-kathä from a pure devotee, the seed of bhakti may enter his heart. He may develop kåñëa-sevä-väsanä, the tendency to serve Çré Kåñëa. Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja: What is the result of that väsanä (desire)? Sundara Gopal dasa: The result is that bhakti creeper will begin to flourish. 21
