"The value of accepting a guru is more than we can calculate-​SP

"You should know that the value of accepting a bona fide spiritual master is more

than we can calculate."

SP letter  to Ravendra Gupta

 

The disciple's duty is to be ready always to serve the spiritual master, at any cost."

LA lecture 6/23/72

 

 

 

The disciples duty is to be ready always to serve the spiritual master, at any cost."

How to become Spiritual Masters

By: 

Vidura dasa, California

TEXT 130

ei mata yanra ghare kare prabhu bhiksa

sei aiche kahe, tanre karaya ei siksa

 

TRANSLATION

 

At whosoever's house Sri Chaitanya accepted His alms by taking prasada, He would convert the dwellers to His sankirtana movement and advise them just as He advised the brahmana named Kurma.

 

PURPORT

 

The cult of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is explained here very nicely. One who surrenders to Him and is ready to follow Him with heart and soul does not need to change his location. Nor is it necessary for one to change status. One may remain a householder, a medical practitioner, an engineer or whatever. It doesn't matter. One only has to follow the instruction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and instruct relatives and friends in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. One has to learn humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and in that way one's life will be spiritually successful. One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, "I am a first-class devotee." Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of material life.

 

There are many sahajiyas who decry the activities of the six Gosvamis - Srila Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha dasa, Bhatta Raghunatha, Jiva and Gopala Bhatta Gosvamis - who are the personal associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and who enlightened society by writing books on devotional service. Similarly, Narottama dasa Thakura and other great acharyas like Madhvacharya, Ramanujacharya and others accepted many thousands of disciples to induce them to render devotional service. However, there is a class of sahajiyas who think that these activities are opposed to the principles of devotional service. Indeed, they consider such activities simply another phase of materialism. Thus opposing the principles of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they commit offenses at His lotus feet. They should better consider His instructions and, instead of seeking to be considered humble and meek, should refrain from criticizing the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who engage in preaching. To protect His preachers, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given much clear advice in these verses of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita.

 

Note: Srila Prabhupada makes it clear and simple how to make our lives spiritually successful. All that is required is surrender to the spiritual master with readiness, heart and soul. We do not need to change our location or status. Whatever position we are in, what matters is that we humbly follow the actual instruction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu under the guiding instructions of His representative, HDG Srila Prabhupada, chant Hare Krishna, and instruct others in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as so very authoritatively and conveniently presented by HDG Srila Prabhupada.

 

Srila Prabhupada also warns us of the dangers to avoid in the process of making our lives spiritually successful. He says we should not artificially try to be a very advanced devotee, thinking of ourselves as first-class devotees. We must be humble and meek, as Srila Prabhupada says. It is significant that Srila Prabhupada adds that it is better to not accept any disciples in this regard. Srila Prabhupada says in the Nectar of Devotion Text 5:

 

“...the advanced uttama-adhikari Vaishnava devotee should be accepted as a spiritual master. ...one should not imitate the behavior of an advanced devotee or maha-bhagavata without being self-realized, for by such imitation one will eventually become degraded. ...One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari.”

 

In His Chaitanya-charitamrita Purport Srila Prabhupada further explains the method by which we should become purified of material contamination. That is, we should simply chant Hare Krishna at home and preach the principles of Lord Chaitanya as presented by Srila Prabhupada and in that way become spiritual masters. We are all already spiritual masters as long as we stick to that simple method, and if we continue to act as spiritual masters in this way, as authorized by Lord Chaitanya, we will eventually become freed from the contamination of material life and our lives will be spiritually successful. There is a nice quote by Srila Prabhupada in this regard:

 

“So how everyone can become a spiritual master? To become a spiritual master is not easy job. One must be very learned scholar and must have full realization of the self and everything. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given us a little formula, that if you strictly follow the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if you preach the purpose of Bhagavad-gita, then you become guru.” (Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh)

 

Srila Prabhupada is a personal associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and like other such exalted personalities in our line, He has written many books on devotional service which have enlightened society. Srila Prabhupada, like the above mentioned great personalities and predecessor acharyas, accepted many thousands of disciples to induce them to render devotional service. Unfortunately, there are many envious people in the dress of Vaishnavas who have tried to minimize the activities of the maha-bhagavata pure devotees and personal associates of Lord Chaitanya. Srila Prabhupada warns us, for example, of how many of His god brothers have done the same to him, not understanding the essential principles of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada advises that these men take better note of the instructions of Lord Chaitanya, and instead of putting on a false display of devotion, they should refrain from criticizing the great personalities who have actually dedicated their lives to preaching the mission of Lord Chaitanya, and who have actually induced many thousands of fallen souls to take to devotional service. Srila Prabhupada says in the Nectar of Devotion Text 5:

 

“Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given some practical hints to the effect that an uttama-adhikari Vaishnava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaishnavism.”

 

If we simply follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada without any addition or alteration, chant Hare Krishna and help others to do the same, with humility and sincerity - avoiding those who are envious - we can make our lives very successful and go back home, back to Godhead. This is the simple method taught by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and HDG Srila Prabhupada. Lord Chaitanya has therefore given so many nice instructions in these verses in order to protect His dear most preachers such as Srila Prabhupada. Lord Chaitanya helps preachers such as ourselves by so mercifully sending His personal associate Srila Prabhupada, who has also so mercifully elaborated in these verses in order for us to properly understand the principles of Lord Chaitanya and to protect us from the most dangerous elements of society.

 

This is the mercy of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. 

 

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Srila Prabhupada is Shastra

By: Praghosa dasa

Srila Prabhupada condemned any so-called painting of Lord Krishna - where He was portrayed as "alone" with no devotee present. One of Krishna's features (expressed in the Nectar of Devotion) is that He is PERPETUALLY ACCOMPANIED by at least one devotee at all times. The Devotee is the Boss - not even Krishna is the Boss. The Love of His pure devotee - perfectly personified in Sri Radha and HER servants - IS THE BOSS OF KRISHNA. THIS IS THE VERDICT OF BONAFIDE SHASTRA.

The "shastra" is not the Lord of the above-mentioned 3 features of the Lord's Reality. The "shastra" is NOT DICTATOR.

 

Just like one can read all about the step-by-step biological "occurrences" - incorporating principles of attraction, then selection by the female and then coupling by the parties - then insemination - then growth and finally the birth of a child - in one of many many books that are available that detail down to the minutest discussion of chromosomes etc etc etc - BUT - none of this "INFORMATION" ON ITS OWN HAS ONE THING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL PROCREATION OF A LIVING HUMAN BEING. The child is a result NOT of the information on the process - but of the process and its actuators themselves.

 

The shastra merely illustrates the reality of Lord Krishna and His devotees and THEIR LOVING EXCHANGES. Within all of that - the Spiritual World and the Material World - are given full and elaborate exposure.

 

But the exposure of this temporary world - or the spiritual world - DOES NOT DICTATE FOR A SECOND WHAT THE ETERNAL DEVOTEE OF LORD KRISHNA CAN OR CANNOT DO IN HIS LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS ETERNAL LORD KRISHNA!!

 

NOT FOR A SECOND. AND - WHAT IS MORE - THE SHASTRA - TO BE PRECISE - CAN AND DOES ONLY SUPPORT THIS PREMISE.

 

KRISHNA IS NOT BOUND BY THE SHASTRA. NOT FOR A SECOND. THE SHASTRA IS SHASTRA - IF AND ONLY IF - IT ASSERTS THIS INDEPENDENCE OF LORD KRISHNA AND HIS ETERNAL PURE SERVANTS.

 

The shastra thus elaborates and describes the fully free and liberated devotee. This is in fact the meaning of liberated devotee. He is NOT BOUND BY THE LIMITED CAPACITY OF THE MUNDANE MIND in its understanding of his "freedom". Just as Sri Prahlada was incapable of being "poisoned" by his father or killed by anyone - despite the fact that all known science(shastra) would DICTATE that the known body of information on poison and its EFFECTS cannot be avoided by anyone.

 

These men - who faithlessly rail AGAINST the power and authority of Srila Prabhupada - employing THEIR SO-CALLED faith or trust IN "SHASTRA" - literally cannot see the forest through the trees!

 

Srila Prabhupada - THE ETERNAL ASSOCIATE OF LORD KRISHNA - A DIVINE RESIDENT OF KRISHNA LOKA - IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF ALL THAT IS TO BE FOUND - EXPRESSED, REVEALED OR PROMOTED - IN ANY SO-CALLED SHASTRA!

 

HE IS THE SHASTRA. THE SHASTRA IS ONLY RELEVANT IF IT AUTHENTICATES THE REALITY OF THE FULL INDEPENDENCE OF THE LORD AND HIS PURE LOVING DEVOTEES!!

 

IF THE SHASTRA IS PRESENTED AS BEING SUPERIOR OR DIFFERENT FROM THE PURE ASSOCIATE OF THE DIVINE COUPLE - IT IS TO BE REJECTED FASTER THAN AN UNCHASTE WOMAN! FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET! FASTER THAN A CUP OF TURNED DHAL!!

 

THESE MEN - LIKE THE JEWS OF THE ANCIENT ISRAEL - REJECTED CHRIST - BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT HE WAS PREACHING THE VERY PURPOSE OF THEIR "SCRIPTURES" - LOVE - PURE LOVE FOR GOD! HE PREACHED THAT ALLLLL SHOULD JUST IMMEDIATELY SURRENDER THEIR WHOLE LIFE TO LEARNING TO LOVE GOD - AND LOVE AND SERVE HIS DEVOTEES! THE JEWS SAID "WHAT ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE? HE IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY OUR SCRIPTURE!'

 

FOR DARING TO THREATEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF AND '"FAITH" IN THEIR SCRIPTURES - THEY FIRST BEAT HIM TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE - MOCKINGLY CROWNED HIM WITH THORNS - OBLIGED HIM TO CARRY HIS OWN CROSS - THEN THREW HIM TO THE GROUND - AND POUNDED NAILS INTO HIS HANDS AND FEET AND THEN SUSPENDED THIS "OFFENDER" IN THE AIR - BETWEEN TWO CRIMINALS - FOR THE GRAVE SIN OF CHALLENGING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF "SHASTRA"!!!

 

Reliance upon the "shastra" to deny the loving relationship between the Pure Spiritual Master and Lord Krishna - and the actual submission of the Divine Couple to the  "dictation" of this PERFECTLY PURE AND COMPLETE love that comprises the heart of  the Pure Devotee for the Divine Couple - and the "effect" this dictation has upon the conduct of the Lord Himself - belies a complete ignorance of what is DEVOTEE, WHAT IS GURU, WHAT IS SADHU AND MOST IMPORTANTLY - WHAT IS SHASTRA.

 

These men prove first off that they do not know what they were given. Subsequently, they lack the natural gratitude that would result in such recognition.

 

Srila Prabhupada did not claim to be authority. He just delivered the Holy Name - purely - and those who "got it" - knew - without any "PROOF" from shastra or anyone else - that this Chanting of the Holy Name, dancing and feasting on prasadam was simply better than anything they had ever had in their short and insiginficant lives!! Just as Mahaprabhu feigned simplicity and ignorance - "My spiritual master considered Me as a fool...." We were all IN FACT FOOLS. Yet like Mahaprabhu - "I don't understand this mantra my guru has given me. I laugh... I cry.... I dance.... there is no apparent cause but still I do this.... Most amaziing!!!!" - we also took to Srila Prabhupada's service with no other "ASSURANCE" OF HIS SO -CALLED "SHASTRIC BONAFIDES" THAN OUR OWN PROFOUND EXPERIENCE!

 

THAT was our actual confirmation!

 

As Srila Prabhupada used to say when preaching to crowds - "So kindly chant and dance and take prasadam with us, and you will become fully Krishna Conscious. And for anyone a little philosophically inclined ...we also have over 40 books - 400 pages - to satisfy your philosophical inquiries!"

 

The shastra is to be studied then - in the spirit of a submissive and grateful individual - who has been duly rescued from the pit of ignorance and hell - realizes it fully - and seeks to be able to more fully explain to all others THE AUTHORITY OF THE PURE DEVOTEE to meet the simple regulations of the shastra IN EXACTLY AND PRECISELY AS HE HAS BEEN TOLD TO DO BY LORD KRISHNA AND HIS ETERNAL CONSORT SRIMATI RADHARANI.

 

THIS IS THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF SHASTRA.

 

ANTHING LESS THAN THIS - IS "LESS THAN ADORABLE" AT BEST AND ATHEISTIC AND DEMONIC AT THE VERY WORST.

 

WE DON'T ESTIMATE THE AUTHORITY OF SRILA PRABHUPADA - IN ANY WAY - AGAINST WHAT WE THINK WE FIND IN THE SHASTRA.

 

MEN LIKE Krishna Kirti HAVE BEEN SPOON-FED ATHEISM IN THE GUISE OF DEVOTION - BY A VERY CONFUSED GROUP OF MUNDANE WRANGLERS AND ATHEISTS.

 

THEY WANT KRISHNA - WITHOUT HIS PURE DEVOTEE.

 

LIKE THE PAINTINGS THAT WERE REJECTED BY HIS DIVINE GRACE,  FOR THEIR DEPICTING KRISHNA WITHOUT HIS PURE DEVOTEE AND ITS REVELATION OF PURE DEVOTION - THIS MISPREPRESENTATION OF LORD KRISHNA AND HIS "SHASTRA" (HIS REVELATION OF DEVOTEES AND THEIR DEVOTION) HAS NO PLACE IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.

May world wake up to your purity

By Rebel Dasa:

On must approach a spiritual master! In this age of Kali the living entities are so fallen that they can’t distinguish between spirit and matter, reality or illusion, beneficial or unbeneficial, what to speak of recognizing the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord.

tad vidhi pranipatena / pariprasnena sevaya / upadeksyanti te jnanam /  jnaninas tattva-darshinah

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The selfrealized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”(Bhagava Gita 4.34) Arjuna approaches Krishna and accepts him as his spiritual master, and learns the Gita from him within one, one and half hour. Krishna being parama koruna, supreme merciful, and knowing that we are not of the quality of Arjuna, has given His Grace.

Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet / samit- panih srotriyam bhrama-nistham

"In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute truth." (Mukunda Upanishad 1.2.12)

In previous Yugas approaching a spiritual master was required, however in this Yuga Krishna sends this spiritual master to us. That is Krishna’s supreme mercy, His Divine Grace. No longer we have to be qualified, no, the spiritual master is sent by Krishna. "I want you to go to the earth and write books, approach these fallen souls, in every town and village, and give the holy name, the prime benediction for humanity at large."

Yasya prasadad, bhagavad prasado, by the mercy of Krishna one gets Guru. So Krishna sends His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to us, those who no longer can recognize what is a Guru. He comes in person, by his books, his instructions, his temples, Ratha yatra, recordings, videos, and his followers. The Guru has already come, but most failed to recognize him and are been encouraged to seek further.

In Kali yuga His Divine Grace approaches us, such great fortune is unparalleled in the entire creation!!!
Just see Prabhupada approaching on the Ratha Chariot in every town and village. Jaya Srila Prabhupada, may the world wake up to see your purity.

The Acarya is the spiritual master of the entire world and must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's mercy. PART 3

by Jaya Radhe Byard

"Unless one becomes under the control of ācārya, he has no perfect knowledge."
Bhagavad-gita 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975
http://bhagavad-gitaasitis.com/?g=157064

"The word ācārya means "teacher."The special function of such a teacher is to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious. A bona fide teacher following in the footsteps of Advaita Ācārya has no other business than to spread the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. The real qualification of an ācārya is that he presents himself as a servant of the Supreme. Such a bona fide ācārya can never support the demoniac activities of atheistic men who present themselves as God. It is the main business of an ācārya to defy such imposters posing as God before the innocent public."-Srila Prabhupada purportAdi 6.28
http://caitanya-caritamrta.com/?g=86290

"Whenever an ācārya comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion, as enunciated in Bhagavad-gītā. Religion means abiding by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religious principles begin from the time one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the ācārya’s duty to spread a bona fide religious system and induce everyone to bow down before the Supreme Lord. One executes the religious principles by rendering devotional service, specifically the nine items like hearing, chanting and remembering. Unfortunately, when the ācārya disappears, rogues and nondevotees take advantage and immediately begin to introduce unauthorized principles in the name of so-called svāmīs, yogīs, philanthropists, welfare workers and so on. Actually, human life is meant for executing the orders of the Supreme Lord, and this is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.34): “Engage your mind always in thinking of Me and become My devotee. Offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”

The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord and to bow down before Him. The ācārya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master. At the present moment practically the entire world is afraid of rogues and nondevotees; therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started to save the world from irreligious principles. "-Srila Prabhupada SB 4.28.48
http://srimad-bhagavatam.com/?g=40374

"Ācārya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Kṛṣṇa has given. That is ācārya. Not ācārya, everyone becomes ācārya. "In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret it in their own way. That is not ācārya. Ācārya means, as Kṛṣṇa says, that "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā..." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān [Bg. 4.1]. "I spoke to the sun-god millions and millions of years ago."

"One who is speaking exactly like Arjuna, he's ācārya. Not that one is speaking nonsense according to his own opinion. What is he? What is his value? We are all defective. We cannot give our opinion. That is the disagreement with our preaching and others." We are preaching that nobody can give opinion on the Bhagavad-gītā if he does not come in the disciplic succession as it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Otherwise it is naṣṭaḥ. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. It is lost. So kāma, this kāma, lusty. "I am very learned scholar. I can give my opinion on the Bhagavad-gītā. I can translate it in a different way. I can screw out some meaning by jugglery of words, grammatical jugglery."Bhagavad-gita Lectures
◦ Bg 4: Lectures
▪ Bhagavad-gita 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974
http://bhagavad-gitaasitis.com/?g=157330

"The Vedic injunction is that no one can have full knowledge without being under the guidance of an ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who has accepted an ācārya knows what is what."

"When a bona fide student approaches a bona fide spiritual master, he submissively prays to the spiritual master, "My dear lord, kindly accept me as your student and train me in such a way that I will be able to give up all other kinds of processes for self-realization and simply engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service."

"Those who are actually pure devotees are celebrated as mahātmās, or great sages, personalities perfect in knowledge. They always think of the Supreme Lord and His lotus feet, and thus they become automatically liberated. Devotees who are always situated in that position become electrified by the inconceivable potencies of the Lord, and thus they themselves become the source of liberation for their followers and devotees. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is fully electrified spiritually, and therefore anyone who touches or takes shelter of such a pure devotee becomes similarly electrified with spiritual potencies."

"The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this principle. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākur has sung, "My dear Lord, let me be engaged in Your transcendental loving service, as indicated by the previous ācāryas, and let me live in the association of pure devotees. That is my desire, life after life." In other words a devotee does not much care whether or not he is liberated, but he is anxious only for devotional service. Devotional service means that one does not do anything independently of the sanction of the ācāryas. The actions of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are directed by the previous ācāryas…"

"A person who tries to understand Kṛṣṇa with full knowledge and devotion by following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas conversant with the scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is praiseworthy. Such a devotee can understand that all conditions of life, favorable and unfavorable, are created by the supreme will of the Lord."

" Such a position can be maintained only by following in the footsteps of the ācāryas. Because a pure devotee follows in the footsteps of the ācāryas, any action he performs to discharge devotional service is to be understood to be on the transcendental platform. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore instructs us that an ācārya is above criticism. A neophyte devotee should not consider himself to be on the same plane as the ācārya. It should be accepted that the ācāryas are on the same platform as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, neither Kṛṣṇa nor His representative ācārya should be subject to any adverse criticism by the neophyte devotees."

-Srila Prabhupada purport KB 2-32 / Prayers by the Personified Vedas
http://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=156140

"So guru is the representative of God. Therefore the sastra says, the authority says, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair. Guru is as good as God. Here, in this Vyasa-puja day, we are teaching or they are doing, offering respect to guru. That means they are learning how to offer respect to God. It is not personal affair; it is required. Because they are trying to be God conscious, they must learn how to offer respect to God or God's representative. That is required."-Srila Prabhupada
"What Is Guru"
22 Aug 73 , London
http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Lectures/060.html

“The spiritual master, or ācārya, is always situated in the spiritual status of life. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him. According to the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, therefore, after the disappearance of an ācārya, his body is never burnt to ashes, for it is a spiritual body. The spiritual body is always unaffected by material conditions."-Srila Prabhupada purport SB 10.4.20
http://srimad-bhagavatam.com/?g=76774

The Acarya is the spiritual master of the entire world and must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's mercy. PART 2

The Acarya is the spiritual master of the entire world and must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's mercy. PART 2

by Jaya Radhe Byard

"The true ācārya, the spiritual master of the entire world, must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's mercy..."-Antya 7.12 http://caitanya-caritamrta.com/?g=144102

"There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me, and all others."-The Science of Self Realization

The guru, or ācāryadeva, as we learn from the bona fide scriptures, delivers the message of the absolute world, the transcendental abode of the Absolute Personality, where everything nondifferentially serves the Absolute Truth. We have heard so many times: mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (“Traverse the trail which your previous ācārya has passed”), but we have hardly tried to understand the real purport of this śloka. If we scrutinizingly study this proposition, we understand that the mahājana is one, and the royal road to the transcendental world is also one. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) it is said:  “In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.”-The Science of Self Realization

"The Ācāryadeva for whom we have assembled tonight to offer our humble homage is not the guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many differing exponents of the truth. On the contrary, he is the Jagad-guru, or the guru of all of us; the only difference is that some obey him wholeheartedly, while others do not obey him directly."-The Science of Self Realization

"In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.17.27) it is said: “One should understand the spiritual master to be as good as I am,” said the Blessed Lord. “Nobody should be jealous of the spiritual master or think of him as an ordinary man, because the spiritual master is the sum total of all demigods.” That is, the ācārya has been identified with God Himself. He has nothing to do with the affairs of this mundane world. He does not descend here to meddle with the affairs of temporary necessities, but to deliver the fallen, conditioned souls—the souls, or entities, who have come here to the material world with a motive of enjoyment by the mind and the five organs of sense perception. He appears before us to reveal the light of the Vedas and to bestow upon us the blessings of full-fledged freedom, after which we should hanker at every step of our life’s journey."-The Science of Self Realization

"The knowledge that we receive from our Gurudeva is not different from that imparted by God Himself and the succession of the ācāryas in the preceptorial line of Brahmā. We adore this auspicious day as Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā-tithi, because the Ācārya is the living representative of Vyāsadeva, the divine compiler of the Vedas, the Purāṇas, the Bhagavad-gītā, the Mahābhārata, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."-The Science of Self Realization 

"...we should surrender ourselves today at the feet of the representative of Śrī Vyāsadeva for the elimination of all our differences bred by our unsubmissive attitude."-The Science of Self Realization

"To receive the transcendental knowledge we must completely surrender ourselves to the real ācārya in a spirit of ardent inquiry and service. Actual performance of service to the Absolute under the guidance of the ācārya is the only vehicle by which we can assimilate the transcendental knowledge." -The Science of Self Realization

"All of us should hear him patiently. If we listen to the transcendental sound without unnecessary opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. The Ācārya’s Message is to take us back to our original home, back to God. Let me repeat, therefore, that we should hear him patiently, follow him in the measure of our conviction, and bow down at his lotus feet for releasing us from our present causeless unwillingness for serving the Absolute and all souls." -The Science of Self Realization

"Sitting at the feet of the Ācāryadeva, let us try to understand from this transcendental source of knowledge what we are, what is this universe, what is God, and what is our relationship with Him. The message of Lord Caitanya is the message for the living entities and the message of the living world." -The Science of Self Realization

The Science of Self Realization
SSR 2: Choosing a Spiritual Master
The Absolute Necessity of a Spiritual Master
http://scienceofselfrealization.com/?g=156346

"Unless one hears from a bona fide ācārya, who is never disturbed by the changes of the material world, one cannot have the real key to transcendental knowledge. The bona fide spiritual master, who has also heard the śruti-mantras, or Vedic knowledge, from his undisturbed ācārya, never presents anything that is not mentioned in the Vedic literature."-Iso 13

Unless one has received knowledge from the bona fide spiritual master who is in the recognized line of disciplic succession, one cannot have the real thing as it is. Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.2): "This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost."-Iso 13

"When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, the bhakti-yoga principles defined in the Bhagavad-gītā had become distorted; therefore the Lord had to reestablish the disciplic system…."-Iso 13

"The conviction that Kṛṣṇa is all in all is established when one hears the transcendental message from the undisturbed ācārya with faith and love. One who has no faith in or love for Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot be convinced of this simple truth. Those who are faithless are described in the Bhagavad-gītā(9.11) as mūḍhas-fools or asses. It is said that the mūḍhas deride the Personality of Godhead because they do not have complete knowledge from the undisturbed ācārya. One who is disturbed by the whirlpool of material energy is not qualified to become an ācārya."-Srila Prabhupada
Sri Isopanisad - 1974 Edition
Iso 13
http://isopanisad.org/?g=156632

"Spiritual master is identical with Kṛṣṇa because he gives true knowledge. Therefore he is as good as God. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata **. A spiritual master is considered directly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sākṣād. Sākṣād means directly. Why? Because he is jñāna-prada. He gives knowledge, real knowledge. That is the qualification of spiritual master. Nobody can become spiritual master if he has no knowledge. If he's a speculator, he cannot become a spiritual master. He must give the right knowledge. Then he is bona fide spiritual master. Otherwise he's a bogus. Jñāna-prada. And without real knowledge, our life is useless."-Srila Prabhupada
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976
http://srimad-bhagavatam.com/?g=159034

"Therefore the Absolute Truth is present in the spiritual master. The Supreme Personality of Godhead gives real knowledge to the entire world, and the spiritual master, as the representative of the Supreme Godhead, carries the message throughout the world. Therefore, on the absolute platform, there is no difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead."-Srila Prabhupada Purport SB 7.15.27

"...therefore our proposition is you take direction from Krsna and His representative. That's all. That will help you. Try to understand this point. Our system, parampara system, is that I am just like disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I don't say that I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following the instruction of Bhaktisiddhanta, I'm liberated. This is the distinction between conditioned and liberated. When one is under the direction of a liberated person... The same thing: electricity. The copper is not electricity, but when it is charged with electricity, if it is touched, that is electricity. And similarly, this parampara system, the electricity is going. If you cut the parampara system, then there is no electricity."-Srila Prabhupada
Morning Walk
January 4, 1977, Bombay
http://prabhupadavani.org/BA_scripts/1-100/770104MW-BOMBAY.html

"Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything." (S.B 4.20.25 purport)

"...one should "observe," or systematically see. This means that one must follow the previous ācāryas, the perfected teachers. Anupaśyati is the exact Sanskrit word used in this connection. Anu means "to follow," and paśyati means "to observe." Thus the word anupaśyati means that one should not see things as he does with the naked eye but should follow the previous ācāryas. Due to material defects, the naked eye cannot see anything properly. One cannot see properly unless one has heard from a superior source, and the highest source is the Vedic wisdom, which is spoken by the Lord Himself."-Srila Prabhupada
Sri Isopanisad - 1974 Edition Iso 6
http://isopanisad.org/?g=156569

"The ācārya can give you hints that "You can be saved in this way." But the execution of the duties, that is in your hand. If you perform the spiritual duties rightly, then you are saved. Otherwise, even ācārya gives you instruction, if you don't follow, so how he can save you? He can save you by instruction, by his mercy, as much as possible. But you have to take it in your hands seriously."
-Srila Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973
http://bhagavad-gitaasitis.com/?g=156998

Cooperate, Keeping the Acharya in the Center

By:                                                                                                                                                  Gadadhar dasa 

Srila Prabhupada describes below his vision as to how he wants to structure and operate (Materially and Spiritually) ISKCON. This letter is dated February 1967. Thus we have to understand that HDG Srila Prabhupada was very clear in the beginning days of ISKCON about the model he wanted to use for the future development and operation of ISKCON.

 

Srila Prabhupada: "I wish that each and every branch shall keep their separate identity and cooperate keeping the acharya in the center. On this principle we can open any number of branches all over the world. The Rama Krishna mission works on this principle and thus as an organization they have done wonderfully." 

(Letter, February 11, 1967)

 

The main points are:

 

(1) Keep identity of each branch separate (avoid centralization)

(2) cooperate keeping the acharya in the center

(3) Using (1) and (2) as criteria, open as many branches as possible all over the world

(4) Gives example of the organization model followed by Rama Krishna Mission to support his points.

 

Which "Acarya" are we going to keep in the center? (Founder-Acarya HDG Srila Prabhupada)

 

How long will that "Acarya" stay in the center? (Forever. If you have a problem with that, then jump in the lake, have a good bath, come out, leave behind ISKCON danda and dress, and start walking with your kaupin, find your roti, kapada, and makan as and where you please, and start your own center.)

 

Is having the Murti of Srila Prabhupada in each temple and having daily Guru Puja not enough? (No, Srila Prabhupada's Murti is not there for some lip service. Nor is it there to help "bait and switch operators" exploit the innocent. Stop cashing in on the name of Srila Prabhuapada.)

 

What does "cooperate keeping the acharya in the center" mean? (It definitely does not mean that in each temple there are hundreds of rubber-stamped gurus and guru candidates competing for glorification, disciples, dakshina, sundaris, and land for their dead body to have a samadhi on. Stop competing with the "Acharya" and focus on Srila Prabhupada and his message of distributing Krishna Consciousness by distributing Prasadam, Hari Nama, and his Books.)

 

I don't like your talk. I am entitled to my father's property and use it as I like, and he also asked me to be a Big Guru and make millions of disciples.

 

(Man! You have gone insane! Sir, read below and regain your sanity.)

 

Srila Prabhupada:"I am the Spiritual Master of this institution, and ALL the members of the Society, they're supposed to be MY disciples. They follow the rules and regulations which I ask them to follow, and they are INITIATED BY ME spiritually." 

(Srila Prabhupada Radio Interview, 12 March 1968, San Francisco)

 

Srila Prabhupada: "He [Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja] never recommended anyone to be acharya of the Gaudiya Math…. If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acharya, he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acharya. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp.

(Srila Prabhupada, letter to Rupanuga das, April 28, 1974)

 

Srila Prabhupada: "Don't be allured by cheap disciples. Go on steadfastly to render service first. If you immediately become guru, then the service activities will be stopped; and as there are so many cheap gurus and cheap disciples, without any substantial knowledge, and manufacturing new sampradayas, and with service activities stopped, and all spiritual progress choked up."

(SP Letter (VI 1987), August 17, 1968)

 

Srila Prabhupada: "We haven't got to manufacture. To manufacture ideas is troublesome. Why should we take the trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my…., that is DANGEROUS. …That you are singing every day, "what our guru has said, that is our life and soul." …As soon as this POISON will come -suppress guru and I become Brahman- everything FINISHED. Spiritual life is finished. Gaudiya Matha finished, …VIOLATED the orders of Guru Maharaja.

 

…And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. …Our mission is to serve bhakta visesa and live with devotees. NOT THAT YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF GURU. THAT IS NONSENSE, VERY DANGEROUS. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become AMBITIOUS to TAKE THE PLACE of GURU-gurusuh nara matih. That is MATERIAL DISEASE." 

(April 1977, Bombay)

 

But I am a GBC and my father gave me the responsibility to manage. (Sure Sir! Read below and follow the advice of our father, but remember you are the servant and not the owner.)

 

Srila Prabhupada: "GBC does not mean to control a center. GBC means to see that the activities of a center go on nicely. I do not know why Tamala is exercising his absolute authority. That is not the business of GBC. The president, treasurer and secretary are responsible for managing the center. GBC is to see that things are going nicely but not to exert absolute authority. That is not in the power of GBC. Tamala should not do like that.

 

The GBC men cannot impose anything on the men of a center without consulting all of the GBC members first. A GBC member cannot go beyond the jurisdiction of his power. We are in the experimental stage but in the next meeting of the GBC members they should form a constitution how the GBC members manage the whole affair. But it is a fact that the local president is not under the control of the GBC. Yes, for improvement of situations such as this I must be informed of everything."

(Letter to Giriraja, London 12 August, 1971)

 

Srila Prabhupada: "This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This is what I want."

(To Madhudvisa, August 4, 1975)

 

Thus you can see above that Srila Prabhupada:

 

(1) Knocked down centralization 

(2) Knocked down over ambitious disciples who wanted to be Guru

(3) Knocked down ruthless GBCs like Tamal Krishna Goswami

(4) Wanted his Murti in each temple and his daily Vyasa Puja

(5) Wanted reading, learning, and preaching from his books

(6) Rules and regulations given by him are to be followed

(7) His name as Founder-Acarya on temple sign boards and property documents

 

Without keeping Acharya in the center, cooperation in not possible.

 

Pretense of lip service may help in cheating the innocent, but it will not work. Remember the words of HDG Srila Prabhupada: "you can cheat, but it will not be effective" and "what is use of producing a rascal Guru?"

 

How can you have Srila Prabhupada in the center when in each temple, there are hundreds of rubber-stamped gurus and guru candidates competing for glorification, disciples, dakshina, sundaris, and land for their dead body to have a samadhi on?

 

How can you have Srila Prabhupada's books in the center when you have disciples of hundreds of rubber-stamped gurus peddling tapes, videos, and books of their own Gurus?

 

Let us not turn Srila Prabhupada's Temples into grave yards of kanistha-adhikaris, cheaters, and liars, as it has already started to happen. Read "Jayadvaita Swami's Omissions" and "Several Grievances Against the Members of the GBC".

 

So let us water the root and not the branches and leaves. Let one moon shine the torchlight of knowledge over the Universe.

 

Cooperate, keeping the Acharya in the center.

That is the only choice. 

ISKCON leader contradicts ISKCON Founder-Acarya!

HH Bhakti Caru Swami, ISKCON GBC voted in Guru:

"Later on, someone came up with the theory that Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to give initiation on his behalf as ritvik acaryas, and that all the initiates would be Srila Prabhupada's disciples. As a matter of fact, Srila Prabhupada was very much against this concept. At one point he mentioned this was the flaw of Christianity. Christianity does not accept the system of a present Guru. They think Jesus is the only one and no one is coming to give initiation, or no one is coming as acarya. Therefore, there is no system of continuation of spiritual knowledge..."
(Spiritual Connections,Vol. 13, Jan-Apr 1996, p.6)

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of ISKCON and living Guru:

Girl devotee:	Is Jesus in the parampara?
Srila Prabhupada:	He says, "there is God. I am son of God". That is parampara.

(Bhagavad gita Lectures 1975) 

Tamal Krishna:	Can a Christian in this age, without a Spiritual Master, but by reading the Bible, and following Jesus's words, reach the...
Srila Prabhupada:	When you read the Bible, you follow the Spiritual Master. How can you say without? As soon as you read the Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ. That means that you are following the Spiritual Master.
Tamal Krishna:	I was referring to a living Spiritual Master.
Srila Prabhupada:	Spiritual Master is not question of...Spiritual Master is eternal...[...] As you say that "by reading bible", when you read Bible that means you are following the Spiritual Master represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ.

(Morning Walk, Seattle, 2.10.68.)

Srila Prabhupada: Actually, one who is guided by Jesus will certainly get liberation.
(Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, chapter 9)
Srila Prabhupada: "This is called Guru parampara, disciplic succession..This is our process. We are getting knowledge from Krsna, the most perfect. Or you get knowledge from Jesus Christ, that is also perfect, because source is perfect."
(Conversation, Germany 19.6.74)
"You must follow one acarya, like Christians, they follow Christ, acarya. [...] You must follow some acarya ... Evam parampara praptam."
(Room Conversation, Melbourne, May 20th, 1975)

Tattva-darsinah

BY: MAHESH RAJA

Many millions of people especially in India go to temples to see the Deity -- that is also seeing God. But that seeing and a Maha-Bhagavata (Spiritual Master) seeing is different. The dual compound word Tattva-darsinah is used in relationship to the bonafide Spiritual Master -- who factually SEES Krsna.

Maha-Bhagavata actually sees nothing but Krsna. And Krsna reciprocates with him. A conditioned soul can see the Deity but the Deity does not talk with him. An uttama adhikari, the bonafide Guru, can see and talk with the Deity. He FACTUALLY SEES KRSNA. He experiences Krsna always. Within an atom, within his heart, everywhere he sees Krsna. He sees nothing but Krsna 24 hrs. This is the Prema stage.

Fake GBC voted conditioned soul bogus "gurus" in ISKCON and Gaudiya Math conditioned soul "gurus" are not realized to have direct perception. Srila Prabhupada, the bonafide Guru, could speak with anyone and challenge anyone and defeat them -- Krishna was speaking and controlling his speech thru him -- this is so obvious. He was seeing Krsna personally at every moment and he had no fear to speak with anyone, unlike the bogus self made gurus.

Below are just a few examples how a Maha Bhagavata (Spiritual Master) sees:

He was therefore tattva-darsi, a seer of the truth, **because he personally saw** how the Supreme Absolute Truth appeared as his son.

SB 10.3.14
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Vasudeva begot the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet he was in full knowledge of how the Supreme Lord appears and disappears. He was therefore tattva-darsi, a seer of the truth, **because he personally saw** how the Supreme Absolute Truth appeared as his son."

when he **sees** the Lord personally, face to face,
SB 8.6.9
The Vedic mantras say: yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. When the devotee **sees** the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his meditation, or when he **sees** the Lord personally, face to face, he becomes aware of everything within this universe. Indeed, nothing is unknown to him. Everything within this material world is fully manifested to a devotee who has** seen** the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavad-gita (4.34) therefore advises:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized **soul** can impart knowledge unto you because **he** has seen the truth."
Lord Brahma is one of these self-realized authorities (svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh). One must therefore accept the disciplic succession from Lord Brahma, and then one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead **in fullness**. Here the word visva-murtau indicates that everything exists in the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who is able to worship Him can see everything in Him and see Him in everything.
Pratyaksvagamam means direct perception----Krsna is directly experienced:
Bg 9.2
raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
The great devotees relished the taste of unceasing devotional service of the Lord, hearing, chanting, etc., and by developing the same taste, Narada wanted also to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Thus by associating with the sages, he developed a great desire for devotional service. Therefore, he quotes from the Vedanta-sutra (prakasas ca karmany abhyasat): if one is engaged simply in the acts of devotional service, **everything is revealed to him automatically**, and he can understand. This is called **pratyaksa**, **directly perceived**.
"The word tattva-darsi refers to one who has** perfectly realized** the Supreme personality of Godhead."
SB 5.15.4
The word anusasmara is very significant. God consciousness is not imaginary or concocted. The devotee who is pure and advanced realizes God as He is. Maharaja Pratiha did so, and due to his **direct realization of Lord Visnu**, he propagated self-realization and became a preacher. A real preacher cannot be bogus; he must first of all realize Lord Visnu as He is. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.34), upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah: "one who has seen the truth can impart knowledge." The word tattva-darsi refers to one who has** perfectly realized** the Supreme personality of Godhead. Such a person can become a guru and propound Vaisnava philosophy all over the world.
Factually, the spiritually developed person is able to have the television of the kingdom of God always reflected within his heart.
SB 2.9.35 P Answers by Citing the Lord' s Version
"Therefore, although He is present in every atom, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may not be visible to the dry speculators; still the mystery is unfolded before the eyes of the pure devotees because their eyes are anointed with love of Godhead. And this love of Godhead can be attained only by the practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord, and nothing else. The vision of the devotees is not ordinary; it is purified by the process of devotional service. In other words, as the universal elements are both within and without, similarly the Lord's name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, etc., as they are described in the revealed scriptures or as performed in the Vaikunthalokas, far, far beyond the material cosmic manifestation, are factually being televised in the heart of the devotee. The man with a poor fund of knowledge cannot understand, although by material science one can see things far away by means of television. Factually, the spiritually developed person is able to have the television of the kingdom of God always reflected within his heart. That is the mystery of knowledge of the Personality of Godhead."
When one is on the platform of love of Godhead (prema pumartho mahan) he sees the Supreme Lord at every moment.
SB 6.16.51 P King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord
"The science of devotional service has been instructed by Narada and Angira to Citraketu. Now, because of Citraketu's devotional service, he has seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By performing devotional service, one advances step by step, and when one is on the platform of love of Godhead (prema pumartho mahan) he sees the Supreme Lord at every moment. "
"The devotee who has anointed his eyes with the ointment of love of Godhead always sees the beautiful blackish form of Krsna within his heart."
DWT 7 Seeing God within
"The perfect yogi is one who has prema, pure love for Krsna. As the Brahma-samhita (5.38) states, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti: "The devotee who has anointed his eyes with the ointment of love of Godhead always sees the beautiful blackish form of Krsna within his heart. " We cannot imagine how beautiful Krsna is. It is said that Krsna's body is more beautiful than millions of Cupids (kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham [Bs. 5.30]). Cupid is very beautiful, but even if you place millions of Cupids together, their beauty cannot compare with Krsna's. These things cannot be understood unless one's eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead.
We cannot understand God with our present blunt material senses, which are simply after material gratification. With them how can we perceive Krsna, who is completely spiritual? It is not possible. Therefore we must purify the senses through the process of bhakti:
atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah
"No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him" (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234). "
premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: only those who have smeared their eyes with the ointment of love of Godhead can see everywhere the Supreme Lord face to face;
SB 4.12.11 P Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead
"Not only did Dhruva Maharaja perform many sacrifices, but he carried on his transcendental occupation of engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. The ordinary karmis, who want to enjoy the results of fruitive activities, are concerned only with sacrifices and ritualistic ceremonies as enjoined in the Vedic sastras. Although Dhruva Maharaja performed many sacrifices in order to be an exemplary king, he was constantly engaged in devotional service. The Lord always protects His surrendered devotee. A devotee can see that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita (isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati). Ordinary persons cannot understand how the Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, but a devotee can actually see Him. Not only can the devotee see Him outwardly, but he can see, with spiritual vision, that everything is resting in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as described in Bhagavad-gita (mat-sthani sarva-bhutani). That is the vision of a maha-bhagavata. He sees everything others see, but instead of seeing merely the trees, the mountains, the cities or the sky, he sees only his worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything because everything is resting in Him only. This is the vision of the maha-bhagavata. In summary, a maha-bhagavata, a highly elevated pure devotee, sees the Lord everywhere, as well as within the heart of everyone. This is possible for devotees who have developed elevated devotional service to the Lord. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.38), premanjana-cchurita-bhakti- vilocanena: only those who have smeared their eyes with the ointment of love of Godhead can see everywhere the Supreme Lord face to face; it is not possible by imagination or so-called meditation."

Important Prabhupada quotes on Telling facts,Judging and Testing and Faultfinding

Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straightforward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth. [BG.10.4-5]

 Of course to call a thief a thief is not faultfinding.[BG.16.1-3]

 Prabhupāda: No, judgment is there everywhere. Unless there is judgment, how you can discriminate, “This is spiritual; this is material”? Judgment must be there for intelligent person. Otherwise how you can distinguish? We are distinguishing every moment–”This is good. This is bad”–in the relative world. So there is judgment. So God–the supreme judge. So as soon as there is question of judgment, then what is our position? There must be good and bad, so that if we have lived a very nice, good life, then by the judgment of God we get better position. And if we have not done so, then you get degraded position. Therefore, for human being it is very sanguine to understand how we are going to be judged by the Supreme. So if we are following the rules and regulation given by God, then the judgment will be better. And if we are not following the laws, the judgment will not be in favor. This is natural to conclude. Then we have to judge what is sin, what is piety, how to be pious, how one becomes sinful. So many things will come. [Room Conversation with Yoga Student March 14, 1975, Iran]

Allen Ginsberg: What is the difference between holy man and spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: No difference, but one has to test whether he is holy man. Then you have to, he has to corroborate with the statement of the scripture. Spiritual master is to be tested whether he is holy man, and whether there is corroboration in the statement of the scriptures. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete koriyā aikya. Just like the law court, the experienced lawyer’s speaking and giving evidence. Sādhu-śāstra, and the judge is giving judgement, “Here is a statement, here is this lawbook.” He has (indistinct). He also testing, the judge is also testing how the lawyer is speaking, and how it is corroborates to the lawbook. So similarly everything has to be tested in that way. The scripture should be consulted, and we should have to see whether it is corroborated. So we should not accept any man as spiritual master or holy man if he does not corroborate with the statement of the scripture. So we should not accept any man as spiritual master or holy man if he does not corroborate with the statement of the scripture. He’s at once rejected. [Conversation Allen Greensburg: May 11, 1969]

“Spiritual Master must be bona fide representative of Krishna”

Montreal, Quebec, August 7, 1968: My Dear Nathan Baruch, please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your letter. I received your letter a couple of days ago, but could not reply you due to the mail strike. It is expected that the mail strike will end by tomorrow, as it is announced about their settlement, but still I am not certain. I am therefore replying your letter by posting at Boston. Hope you will receive it duly.

Your letter is very encouraging, and I think in future your enthusiasm and energy can very suitably be engaged in the transcendental loving service of Krishna. Everyone of us has got a certain amount of good energy derived from Krishna, and when that energy is employed under the expert direction of Spiritual Master, one’s life becomes successful. That is the secret of Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master must be bona fide representative of Krishna, by disciplic succession, receiving orders from the superior, and the disciple must agree to abide by the orders of the Spiritual Master. This is the simple method of spiritual advancement; if you remember this principle it will be very nice.
If you can carve Radha Krishna Murti very nicely, it will be a great service to the society. There is a quality of wood, which is very hard and strong and black and heavy; in India we call it iron wood. I think it is called ebony here. If you can carve Krishna from this ebony wood, and Radharani from another wood, one which is very hard, and of golden color, and from this same golden wood, Lord Caitanya (all of Them 24″ in height, and Radharani a little less) then you can begin this work immediately.
I’m so glad to learn that you are eager to serve Krishna in every way possible. This mentality is very rare, and I guess that you must have been engaged in Krishna’s service in your previous life. To begin eager to serve Krishna is the greatest achievement after many many duration of pious life. So I entrust you to begin this work immediately. And concentrate your energy making this art perfection.
So far Radha Krishna Murtis are concerned, you have many pictures in San Francisco, and you can do accordingly, and so far Caitanya Mahaprabhu Murti is concerned, I am giving you a rough diagram herewith. (Murari has got one diagram drawn by Gaurasundara under my supervision which you can also see.)
So far Sankirtana is concerned, that should be continued in all circumstances. Chanting of Hare Krishna, Sankirtana is our life and soul. Side by side, if possible, then you can attempt for the ISKCON restaurant and Krishna Prasadam distribution, but this I think is secondary.
I can understand from your letter that you have varied energies, and you want to employ all of them into the service of Krishna. Please try to do as above mentioned, and it will be a great pleasure for me and a delight for all others.
Hope you are well and I shall be glad to hear from you by return of post. Please convey my blessings to all the disciples and inform Krishna das that I have received one letter from his good mother, and I shall reply it within a day or two.
I am very much obliged to Krishna das’s mother for her kind letter to me, and hope she is well and happy.
Your ever will-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

GBC vs. Srila Prabhupada

Heresies of the Governing Body Commission Rejected
By Vikramasingha das
The Iskcon GBC philosophy on guru-tattva and initiations has evolved over the years. In the late 1970s and early 80s, they conceded, due to the insistence of a few leading members, that eleven individuals had been appointed and empowered by Srila Prabhupada to act as zonal acharyas in Iskcon.
The GBC conceded that these eleven could create their own authority structure called “The Acharya Board”. The GBC agreed that only these eleven could be initiating spiritual masters in Iskcon and, in the future, only they could appoint other spiritual masters, or diksa-gurus, from among their disciples or Godbrother followers.
In the latter part of the 1980s, after few of the “chosen eleven” fell down and went insane, these contentions were overturned under mounting pressure from a so-called guru reform movement. GBC reformists decided that these eleven “Iskcon acharyas” could no longer be zonal autocrats above the authority of the GBC. The GBC resolved that only a majority vote of the GBC body would have authority to sanction and regulate initiating spiritual masters in Iskcon.

They resolved that any devotee sanctioned by the GBC could initiate his own disciples in Srila Prabhupada’s mission, and they recommended that “diksa-gurus” no longer accept elaborate public worship in Iskcon temples and titles and prayers meant for maha-bhagavatas. They thus tried to reduce the power and ritual status of “Iskcon acharyas” while opening the door for all senior preachers “in good standing” to covet the post of “Iskcon guru”. In this way the GBC quelled the “guru reform movement” within Iskcon.
GBC resolutions regarding initiations and guru-tattva have been inconsistent and contradictory. It is hard to find two “Iskcon gurus”, GBC members, or Iskcon devotees with the exact same views on these topics. New devotees often doubt whether the praises they sing to the spiritual master at mangala-arotika and guru-puja should be directed toward their so-called Iskcon guru or to Srila Prabhupada.
Should they hear primarily from Srila Prabhupada, or more from their “living guru”? Should they offer prayers and worship to a picture of their “guru” on the altar before doing Deity worship or offering food? If so, would he even know? Are all prayers to the spiritual master just ritualistic hyperbole that can be applied to any so-called Iskcon (or gaudiya math) “guru”?
Below is summary of the stance of the GBC today and in the recent past, with samples of their clearly implied philosophical ideas that are against the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Immediately after each GBC idea, we have provided the correct understanding of guru-tattva and diksa according the Srila Prabhupada’s books, conversations, letters, and classes. Authorized references are cited at the end.  Throughout Srila Prabhupada’s books there are many dozens of references similar to the few cited below.
GBC: The spiritual master may be a self-made guru who is nominated by his peers or followers and sanctioned by the GBC, an ecclesiastical board. There is no need for a direct, specific order from Srila Prabhupada to become a diksa-guru in Iskcon.
Srila Prabhupada’s siddhanta:“A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (See below references 1, 2 and 10.)
GBC: Srila Prabhupada authorized the GBC to sanction and dismiss diksa-gurus in ISKCON.
SPS: “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.” Prabhupada authorized the GBC to select (or dismiss) representatives (ritviks), who initiate on His behalf. No one can be guru without the direct order of Krishna or His perfect devotee. (See below references 1, 2, 10 and 15.)
GBC: Lord Caitanya gave a blanket order for every devotee to initiate his own disciples.
SPS: Lord Caitanya ordered His followers to become “gurus” by asking everyone they meet to chant Hare Krishna. He never ordered all devotees to initiate their own disciples. Even Lord Caitanya’s eternal associates, like Sri Gadadhara Pandita, refused to initiate disciples without a direct order from Lord Caitanya. Many great devotees never initiated their own disciples. (References 2 and 3.)
GBC: Persons who are not self-realized souls or topmost Vaisnavas can be diksa-gurus if the GBC approves.
SPS: “Only a topmost devotee, a maha-bhagavata, is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (See below reference 4.)
GBC: Spiritual masters must be sanctioned, overseen, regulated and, if necessary, disciplined by the GBC.
SPS: The genuine spiritual master is never to be regulated or disciplined by ecclesiastical boards. (See below reference 5.)
GBC: A spiritual master may sometimes fall down and become demoniac.
SPS: “There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…” – “The bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession since time immemorial.” (See below references 6 and 18.)
GBC: One may ignore, neglect, or reject his spiritual master who falls from grace with the GBC.
SPS: A genuine disciple never rejects his spiritual master. (See reference 7.)
GBC: A student of Krishna consciousness may select any spiritual master, according his or her personal tastes and the ecclesiastical conventions current in Iskcon.
SPS: “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (See below reference 8.)
GBC: There are dozens of gurus in Iskcon and each is entitled to his or her own ideas and opinions.
SPS: “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.” (See reference 9.)
GBC: Iskcon gurus who have fallen down, if rectified, may be reinstated by the GBC.
SPS: “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord.”(See below reference 10.)
GBC: There are various levels of spiritual masters, or diksa-gurus, and not all are uttama-adhikaris.
SPS: “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.” Only such a Vaisnava can impart transcendental knowledge into the heart of a disciple. (See below references 4, 7 and 11.)
GBC: The bona fide spiritual master dies, like all mortal men, and thus becomes useless in the matter of initiating and guiding students of Krishna consciousness.
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal…” — “He lives forever through his divine instructions, and his follower lives with him.” — “He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die!” (See reference 12.)
GBC: One must accept as one’s diksa-guru a man or woman who is living. A posthumous spiritual master, one dead and gone, cannot offer diksa and impart transcendental knowledge.
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal.” — “Although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration—what we have heard from the spiritual master—that is living.” (See references 10 and 12.
GBC: Students of Krishna consciousness whose spiritual masters have fallen from grace with the GBC may shop around for another Iskcon guru and accept “re-initiation” as many times as required for them to find an “Iskcon guru” who is steady.
SPS: “A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden.” (Cc. Madhya, 22.71, Purport)
GBC: Every senior Iskcon devotee, even a dependent woman or neophyte with no ability to preach, is eligible to initiate his or her own disciples. Srila Prabhupada, however, is ineligible because he cannot posthumously offer diksa. One needs a guru who is alive. A fully transcendental guru with a spiritual body is useless in the matter of initiating devotees after he is dead (posthumous).
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal.” He is not limited by material considerations of time and space. “A perfect Vaisnava is all-powerful, just like the Supreme Lord.” (See references 7, 12 and 13.)
GBC: Not all of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and orders are to be accepted literally or permanently. Some may be interpreted, altered, edited–or rejected as being outdated. For instance, his final order on initiations (July 9^th, 1977), which he ordered sent to all ISKCON leaders and temples, is now obsolete and must therefore be rejected in favor of the current system for initiations created by the GBC.
SPS: A genuine disciple of the spiritual master always accepts his instructions wholeheartedly. He never tries to dodge, ignore or subvert his instructions. (References 7, 12, 13, 14.)
GBC: At the time of his demise, Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and ideas regarding the future of initiations in ISKCON were vague or contradictory. He left it to the GBC to sort out the details.
SPS: Prabhupada specifically responded to the question of how initiations would be continued in ISKCON after his departure by dictating, reviewing and signing an official directive establishing ritvik initiations. He ordered that this directive be sent to all leaders and GBC members in ISKCON. Ritvik initiations were nothing new for ISKCON. The ritvik system of initiations and all standards had been current in ISKCON for several years prior. Nonetheless, through this official directive and numerous conversations thereafter, Srila Prabhupada clarified it in detail and institutionalized the procedure to operate without his personal supervision. For sincere disciples, there is nothing vague or contradictory in His numerous instructions. (See below reference 15.)
GBC: Iskcon is meant for recruiting disciples for living Iskcon gurus. Those who claim to be direct disciples or aspiring direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada are deviant upstarts if they accepted initiation or joined Iskcon after 1977. In the history of Vedic culture posthumous ritvik initiations have never been seen.
SPS: In Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Puranas there are many stories of ritvik priests conducting Vedic sacrifices under the auspices of a great rishis who were not present on the same planet. There are no injunctions barring so-called “posthumous” ritvik initiations. Prabhupada clearly stated that all ISKCON leaders and trustees now and in the future must be “my initiated disciples”. (See Prabhupada’s “Final Order on Initiations”, July 9^th, 1977, Srila Prabhupada’s “Final Will” and “Directions for Management” and Conversation, May 28, 1977
GBC: Post-1977 Iskcon devotees may accept Prabhupada as their instructing guru and param-guru, but they need to take initiation from a living guru to get Prabhupada’s blessings and mercy.
SPS: Srila Prabhupada is both the diksa-guru and siksa-guru for all serious students of Krishna consciousness. Advanced disciples may also act as “instructing guru” by teaching devotees to accept Srila Prabhupada and follow his instructions. (See below references 8, 15 and 16.)
GBC: Vaisnava gurus are ordinary men who sometimes make common mistakes, and even great devotees sometimes become degraded under the Lord’s external maya-shakti.
SPS: < “One should consider the Acharya to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In spite of these instructions, if one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are useless, like the bathing of an elephant.” (See below reference 17 and 18.)
GBC: Although Prabhupada accepted what he had at the time, his books had many errors.  Although hundreds of senior devotees have chanted these verses and translations in Prabhupada’s presence and afterwards for many years, these sayings needed several revisions done by expert pundits.
SPS: “Mistakes, illusions, cheating, and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of authoritative sages.” (See below references 14 and 17.)
GBC: Unless the GBC sanctions diksa-gurus, the disciplic succession cannot continue. Srila Prabhupada is dead; he cannot order anyone to become guru.
SPS: The disciplic succession is continued not by the manipulations of blind clerics but by genuine disciples. “The Supreme Lord said, My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you the most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 9.1) When repeatedly asked who would be His successor, Srila Prabhupada replied, “My success is always there. Yes. Just like the sun is there always. It may come before your vision or not—the sun is there. But if you are fortunate you come before the sun… The sun is open to everyone.” (Conversation, February 12, 1975, Mexico City) – “Only Lord Caitanya can take my place. He will take care of the movement.” (Conv., Nov. 2, 1977, Vrindaban.) (See reference 7.)
Summary Conclusions:
It is truly said, “One bad apple spoils the bunch!” In this case, at least three or four bad apples polluted the entire GBC body, most Iskcon leaders and most senior preachers. Due to the poisonous ideas introduced by a few foolish individuals, leaders in Iskcon and the vitiated Gaudiya Math temples diverted these institutions from the correct understanding of Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta and sadhana-bhakti, particularly with regards to guru-tattva and diksa.
In the later part of the 1980s, the GBC officially banned all scriptural and philosophical discussions on the topic of initiations in ISKCON and labeled all devotees who wanted to follow Srila Prabhupada’s system for ritvik initiations as heretics, fools or fallen rascals. Today the Iskcon GBC is comprised mostly of disciples and followers of “Iskcon gurus”. Most GBC members and “Iskcon acharyas” from the 1980s have resigned, retired, died, become incapacitated, gone insane, or fallen from the path of Krishna consciousness. Others are preaching a sahajiya hodge-podge of Krishna consciousness and Hinduism. (Only one former “zonal acharya” has admitted his mistake and rectified it.) On the other hand, by Krishna’s grace, almost all of the original proponents for Srila Prabhupada’s ritvik system are still actively preaching Krishna consciousness as it is.
Some devotees ask, “What is the harm if I accept an Iskcon guru as my so-called diksa-guru as long as I follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions?” The problem with this approach is that it involves conceding dangerous philosophical misconceptions and contradictions. It involves impure diet and association. The GBC’s disobedience is not an innocent mistake but rather a conspiracy to utilize Srila Prabhupada’s mission for personal prestige and gain. Such motives have polluted Srila Prabhupada’s movement with false ambitions, guru-aparadha, Vaisnava-aparadha and sadhu-ninda. Srila Prabhupada’s name, fame, temples and institutions are being exploited by deviant upstarts, and some of his important teachings are being twisted, minimized or ignored by Iskcon leaders as official policy.
References:
1. “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.” (Cc. Madhya 1.220, Purport)
2. “A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (Conversation, Oct. 28, 1975, Nairobi)
3. “Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wanted to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but Gadādhara Paṇḍita refused, saying, ‘The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me. I am completely dependent. My Lord is Gauracandra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I cannot do anything independently, without His order.’” (Cc. Antya  7.150,151)
4. “When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (Cc. Madhya, 24.330, Purport, citing Padma Purana.)”
5. “The spiritual master is never to be an object of disciplinary action…”
6. “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord…” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, Purport.)
7. “He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.” (Sri Guru Vandana, Verse 3)
8. “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (Cc. Adi, 1.35, Purport) — “One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in disciplic succession who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa-vidhana. (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.8.54, Purport)
9. “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.”
10. “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord…” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, Purport)
11. “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.” (Cc. Adi. 1.46, Purport)
12. “The spiritual master is not the question of [‘living’ or ‘dead’]… The spiritual master is eternal–the spiritual master is eternal.” (Lecture, Oct. 2, 1968, Seattle, WA) — “I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize.” (Interview, July 16, 1975, Berkeley, CA) — “Although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration—what we have heard from the spiritual master—that is living.” (Lecture, Jan. 13, 1969, LA, CA) – “One should consider the Acharya to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In spite of these instructions, if one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are useless, like the bathing of an elephant.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.26, Purport)
13. “Regarding the disciplic succession, there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. We have to pick up from the prominent acarya and follow from him.” (Letter, April 12, 1968.) — “…one has to associate with the liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic…” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31, Purport.) — “Although the physical body in not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration–what we have heard from the spiritual master –that is ‘living’.” (Lecture, January 13, 1969, Los Angeles.)
14. “So we follow that ‘No Change Policy’. Not that because I think I have become now advanced, I change this to that. That means I am not advanced. My knowledge is imperfect. Therefore I am changing.”
15. “They did even consider with common sense—that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why he did not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insisted upon it. The declared some unfit person to become acarya. And then another—‘Acarya!’ Another—‘Acarya!’ So better to remain a foolish [simple] person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he [the upstart] learns that Guru Maharaja is dead, ‘Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.’ Then he’s finished.” (Conv. Aug. 16, 1976, Bombay) — “If everyone just initiates, then there will only be contradictory results. As long as it goes on there will only be failure.” (From Phalguna Krishna Pancami, 1961.) — “I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas.  Ritvik. Yes.” (Conv. May 28, 1977, Vrindaban.) — “So, deputies… These initiations –I have deputed my disciples. Is it clear or not?” (Conv. Oct. 18, 1977, Vrindaban.) See Prabhupada’s “Final Order on Initiations”, July 9^th, 1977 at www.harekrishnasociety.com .
16. “I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you should actually come to this platform. This I want. “ (Letter, August 4, 1975.)
17. bhrama pramada viralipsa karanapatava, arsa-vijna-vakye nahi dosa ei saba:
“Mistakes, illusions, cheating, and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of authoritative sages.” (Cc. Adi 2.86)
18. “There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…” (Cc. Madhya 22.71, Purport)