The path of the sages (Mundaka Upaniṣad #08)

Opposite to the karmi, who is mad after sense gratification, is the renounced sage, who has firm faith and fully dedicates himself to the practice of devotional service, purified of all material desires. Such a pure devotee escapes the cycle of birth and death and attains the Lord.After many lives as a karmi, going through the process of performing fruitive activities and being elevated to the celestial planets, just to be tossed back, one starts inquiring about spiritual knowledge. He then approaches a bonafide spiritual master in all humility.Without receiving true spiritual knowledge from a self-realized soul, one will have access to just the superficial meaning of the verses of the scriptures, and will thus never be able to reach the ultimate conclusion. Conversely, by receiving brahma-vidyā, perfect spiritual knowledge, and practicing these instructions, the sincere student can finally attain ultimate perfection. Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas (Caitanya Chandra Dasa) at www.ccdas.net/subscribe