[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on July 2nd, 1997, in Holland, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 21]
Srila Gurudeva: A devotee, living in this world, who has been initiated into the krsna-mantra, gopala-mantra, visnu-mantra and all other mantras, that devotee becomes a pure devotee and his body becomes transcendental.
diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama
sei deha kare tara cid-ananda-maya
aprakrta-dehe tanra carana bhajaya
-Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 4.192-3
[At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krsna accepts him to be as good as Himself. When the devotee’s body is thus transformed into spiritual existence, the devotee, in that transcendental body, renders service to the lotus feet of the Lord.]
Gradually, by doing so, a bhakta will become qualified if he is initiated by any perfect guru. By practicing and practicing bhakti-yoga, he will go through the stages of nistha, ruci, asakti and bhava. When bhava will come, gradually this body will go, and his siddha-deha will come. That siddha-deha is transcendental. Now it is covered by this physical body, but we have that thing. It will come by the help of svarupa-sakti, by bhakti. Because siddha-deha and devotion is the essence of hladini and samvit.
This siddha-deha will eventually come. Once it comes, his body becomes transcendental. At the time of diksa, if diksa is properly given to him and he takes properly to the process and does atma-nivedanam, at that time, then we should think, “He is my gurudeva,” or, “This devotee is transcendental.” If that person is using anything, then that item is also transcendental. For example, our Gurudeva is transcendental and so are his wooden sandals. I was in the market, bought them myself by paying something, and Gurudeva was using them. Now we cannot use those sandals, because they become transcendental. We should serve those sandals like Gurudeva.
If any Vaisnava like this, siksa-guru or any Vaisnava, anything he uses, is like transcendental. His remnants are also transcendental. How did it become transcendental? There was some fruit in the market. I bought it, cut it into pieces and offered it to Krsna. That fruit from the market has now become transcendental by offering it to Krsna? Yes. By mantra, Krsna will accept it and it will be transcendental. Then its effect will be so high that it can give krsna-prema.
maha-prasade govinde nama-brahmani vaisnave
svalpa-punya-vatam rajan visvaso naiva jayate
-Skanda Purana
[Those who have very few pious activities to their credit can never develop faith in maha-prasada, in Sri Govinda, in the holy name of the Lord, or in the Vaisnavas.]
All these things are transcendental. We should know all these things and try to give proper respect to them.