Sept 29 1976 Vrndavana

Doctor: Why do you tape record?

Hari-śauri: Everything Prabhupāda speaks we tape record and then everyone in the world can listen.

Doctor: Someone said that the word om is given to sannyāsīs and it...

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa does not say.

Doctor: It’s not so.

Prabhupāda: “Someone,” we don’t take authority. “Someone.” There are so many “someones.” We don’t care for them. What Kṛṣṇa says we accept. That’s all.Doctor: But this Kaṭha-Upaniṣad praises om.etad ālambanaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ etad ālambanaṁ param etad ālambanaṁ jñātvā brahma-loke mahīyatePrabhupāda: Yes, Upaniṣad is giving lesson, counter part of this material world. Because… Just like you are stressing on oṁkāra because you do not give much importance to Kṛṣṇa.In the material world, Kṛṣṇa, they think Kṛṣṇa is one of the historical persons. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. So Upaniṣad is teaching us in an indirect way about the importance of Kṛṣṇa. Upa-niṣat. To bring you nearby. Because you have got so many material conceptions, if we say that “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” you may not like it. Therefore… Oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa. So you are giving lesson on oṁkāra. Although Kṛṣṇa and oṁkāra is not different, but you’ll not like Kṛṣṇa. In your present position you’ll not like Kṛṣṇa’s name.Doctor: Why?Prabhupāda: No. Therefore you are stressing…Doctor: No, I have read all this and I am trying to reconcile.Prabhupāda: So that is for the neophytes.

Doctor: The reconciliation is there. Om is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is om.

Prabhupāda: So if Kṛṣṇa is… If you are convinced, then where is the objection of Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Doctor: No, no.

Prabhupāda: Why should you bring so many objections?

Doctor: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a fact.

Doctor: Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Prabhupāda: But because I do not like, therefore Upaniṣads give another chance, that “Chant oṁkāra.” That is the way. Because unless one is completely purified, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 7.28]Kṛṣṇa bhajana is possible when one is completely free from all kinds of sinful activities. So not every one is freed from sinful activities. Therefore the indirect way. Otherwise, Upaniṣad is Veda.

Doctor: Based on Vedas. Right.

Prabhupāda: Based. Kṛṣṇa says vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. By studying Vedas, Upaniṣads, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, that means your study is not complete. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After studying this indirect information of Kṛṣṇa, when one is actually a learned, wise man, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. That is very rarely found. This is fact. So if one is intelligent, that if only the most intelligent person, after many, many births one has to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, why not do it immediately? Why shall I wait for many, many births? That is intelligence.

Doctor: Śrī-kṛṣṇas tu śaraṇaṁ mama.

Prabhupāda: Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. That is intelligence. But that intelligence is not possible for ordinary persons. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. One who gets this intelligence, such kind of mahātmā, is very, very rarely found. To take it immediately, ah, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. That is very difficult.manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ [Bg. 7.3]It is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa or to accept Kṛṣṇa as all in all. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. But if you take it, you are fortunate.

Doctor: And the only way to attain is reciting the name.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Do that. Therefore the temple is there. Everyone may come and see Kṛṣṇa and think of Him. What is the difficulty? But he’ll not come. He has concluded Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra. God is nirākāra.

Doctor: Then Kṛṣṇa will not come.

Prabhupāda: Well now, Kṛṣṇa… You… Whatever you think, that is your business, but Kṛṣṇa is there everywhere.

Feb 12 1974

Dear Ravendra Gupta,Please accept my blessings. I have only recently received your letter of February 6, 1974, due to travelling.I am very glad to hear you are following my instructions by chanting 16 rounds daily. In order to chant offenselessly, so that the chanting will have the greatest effect, one must avoid the four sinful activities. You have asked “How serious would it be for me if I should miss the golden opportunity to become your initiated disciple?” You should know that the value of accepting a bona fide spiritual master is more than we can calculate. It is not a mere formality. Of course everyone is encouraged to chant Hare Krishna, but until one gives up sinful activities and becomes determined to serve Krishna through His representative then the firm fixing up of devotional service will not take hold, and there is every chance that one will fall prey to all sorts of material desires and have to come back again in the next life—and one cannot guarantee that he will be born in the form of life he may desire.I know you have been attending our temple in Boston sometimes, and that you wish to be a sincere devotee of Krishna. So go on faithfully with you chanting and pray to Krishna to give you strength for advancing in His service. It is a fact, however that we must become free of all material desire before going back to Godhead, and this can only be achieved by following the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master.

Some Conclusions–We can see from the above conversation Prabhupada was having with the good Doctor that the man was confused and misled about Om and Krsna.Without the blessings of a bonafide guru one cannot get the blessings of God-Krsna, so important is this link and connection. 
“Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness” quote from TLC

We have to select a guru by whose order we wont make mistakes

March 2 1966 NY—Now, to take such guidance means the spiritual master should also be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide? …Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you’ll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.
Hare Krsna

damaghosa das