Syamasundara dasa: The mind is aware that there is an ultimate reality, a thing in itself, a noumenon, which produces each phenomenon. But because the mind is not equipped to sense this ultimate reality, the mind must forever remain agnostic.
Srila Prabhupada: Why agnostic? He should go to higher authorities. If we hear a sound on the roof, we may speculate that the sound is this or that, but with our imperfect senses we cannot ascertain what made the sound. But if someone is actually on the roof, he can tell us, "The sound was made by this." Why should we remain satisfied with an agnostic position? We should satisfy ourselves by asking, "Is there someone on the roof?" If someone says, "Yes, I am here," then we can ask him what made the sound. Therefore the Vedas enjoin: tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet ( Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12). In order to understand what is beyond the senses, we must approach a spiritual master who can impart information. When we actually want to understand transcendental subjects, we must approach a guru. And what is a guru?
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuhsreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
"Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. A spiritual master must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters." (Bhag. 11.3.21) A guru is one who is well versed in the Vedic literatures, sruti. And how can we understand that he is? Brahmany upasamasrayam. One who knows the Vedas forgets everything material and concerns himself only with spirit soul.
(Dialectic Spiritualism: A Vedic View of Western Philosophy - Chapter VII: German Idealism - Immanuel Kant - By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
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