# Accepting the Disciple's Sinful Reactions *At the time of initiation, the spiritual master accepts the burden of the disciple's sinful reactions.* ← Back to [[wiki/compile/spiritual-master-disciple|The Spiritual Master and the Disciple]] --- ## The Spiritual Master Accepts the Disciple's Sins ### Immediately after the disciple's initiation, the spiritual master consumes all his sinful reactions ![[sb/4/21/31#purport|As Kṛṣṇa takes away all the sinful reactions of a person immediately upon his surrender unto Him, similarly the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, the representative of Kṛṣṇa who acts as the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, takes all the resultant actions of the sinful life of the disciple immediately after the disciple's initiation]] —SB [[sb/4/21/31|4.21.31]] Purport --- ### When the spiritual master accepts the disciple's sinful reactions, his own results of pious acts are diminished ![[sb/6/7/35#purport|A brāhmaṇa becomes the priest of the populace for the sake of their elevation. One who accepts the post of spiritual master neutralizes the sinful reactions of the yajamāna, the one on whose behalf he performs yajña. Thus the results of the pious acts previously performed by the priest or spiritual master are diminished]] —SB [[sb/6/7/35|6.7.35]] Purport --- ## The Spiritual Master Sometimes Suffers ### The spiritual master sometimes suffers due to the past sinful activities of his disciples > **Śyāmasundara:** One time you said that sometimes you feel sickness or pain due to the sinful activities of your devotees. Can sometimes disease be due to that? Caused by that? > > **Śrīla Prabhupāda:** You see, Kṛṣṇa says: *ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ:* [*Bg* 18.66] "I will deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." So Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that He can immediately take up all the sins of others and immediately make them right. But when a living entity plays the part on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he also takes the responsibility for the sinful activities of his devotees. Therefore to become a *guru* is not an easy task. You see? He has to take all the poisons and absorb them. So sometimes—because he is not Kṛṣṇa—sometimes there is some trouble. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden, "Don't make many *śiṣyas,* many disciples." But for preaching work we have to accept many disciples—for expanding preaching—even if we suffer. That's a fact. The spiritual master has to take the responsibility for all the sinful activities of his disciples. Therefore to make many disciples is a risky job unless one is able to assimilate all the sins. —Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers --- ### Sometimes, by accepting the sinful reactions of his disciples, the spiritual master undergoes a sort of tribulation ![[sb/4/21/31#purport|Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore stated that the spiritual master who plays the part of Kṛṣṇa's representative has to consume all the sinful reactions of his disciple. Sometimes a spiritual master takes the risk of being overwhelmed by the sinful reactions of the disciples and undergoes a sort of tribulation due to their acceptance. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advised that one not accept many disciples]] —SB [[sb/4/21/31|4.21.31]] Purport --- ### The danger, for a spiritual master, in accepting an unlimited number of disciples > *bahu-śiṣya nā kariba* > > "One should not accept an unlimited number of disciples." > > PURPORT: Accepting an unlimited number of devotees or disciples is very risky for one who is not a preacher. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, a preacher has to accept many disciples to expand the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is risky because when a spiritual master accepts a disciple, he naturally accepts the disciple's sinful activities and their reactions. Unless he is very powerful, he cannot assimilate all the sinful reactions of his disciples. Thus if he is not powerful, he has to suffer the consequences, for one is forbidden to accept many disciples. —Cc. [[cc/madhya/22/118|Madhya 22.118]] Purport --- ### To counteract sinful reactions accepted from disciples, the spiritual master has to see bad dreams ![[sb/8/4/15#purport|Because of sinful activities, at night we have bad dreams, which are very troublesome...A devotee sometimes accepts a sinful person as his disciple, and to counteract the sinful reactions he accepts from the disciple, he has to see a bad dream. Nonetheless, the spiritual master is so kind that in spite of having bad dreams due to the sinful disciple, he accepts this troublesome business for the deliverance of the victims of Kali-yuga]] —SB [[sb/8/4/15|8.4.15]] Purport --- ### The spiritual master suffers for the past sinful acts of the disciple, but Kṛṣṇa neutralizes such sinful reactions for His servant engaged in preaching ![[sb/9/9/5#purport|Sometimes the spiritual master, after accepting a disciple, must take charge of that disciple's past sinful activities and, being overloaded, must sometimes suffer—if not fully, then partially—for the sinful acts of the disciple. Every disciple, therefore, must be very careful not to commit sinful activities after initiation. The poor spiritual master is kind and merciful enough to accept a disciple and partially suffer for that disciple's sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, being merciful to His servant, neutralizes the reactions of sinful deeds for the servant who engages in preaching His glories]] —SB [[sb/9/9/5|9.9.5]] Purport --- ## The Disciple's Responsibility ### After initiation, the disciple must not cause trouble for his spiritual master by committing sinful acts ![[sb/8/4/15#purport|After initiation, therefore, a disciple should be extremely careful not to commit again any sinful act that might cause difficulties for himself and the spiritual master. Before the Deity, before the fire, before the spiritual master and before the Vaiṣṇavas, the honest disciple promises to refrain from all sinful activity. Therefore he must not again commit sinful acts and thus create a troublesome situation]] —SB [[sb/8/4/15|8.4.15]] Purport --- ### If after initiation the disciple again commits sinful activities, his spiritual master has to suffer > **Śrīla Prabhupāda:** He [Jesus Christ] took the sinful reactions of all the people. Therefore he suffered... He said—that is in the Bible—that he took all the sinful reactions of the people and sacrificed his life. But these Christian people have made it a law for Christ to suffer while they do all nonsense. Such great fools they are! They have let Jesus Christ make a contract for taking all their sinful reactions so they can go on with all nonsense. That is their religion... We should be very much cautious: "For my sinful actions my spiritual master will suffer, so I'll not commit even a pinch of sinful activities." That is the duty of the disciple. After initiation, all sinful reaction is finished. Now if he again commits sinful activities, his spiritual master has to suffer. A disciple should be sympathetic and consider this. "For my sinful activities, my spiritual master will suffer." If the spiritual master is attacked by some disease, it is due to the sinful activities of others. —Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers --- ### What kinds of sinful activities performed by a disciple cause the spiritual master suffering > **Girirāja:** Yesterday you said that the spiritual master may have to suffer due to the sinful activities of his disciples. What do you mean by sinful activities? > > **Śrīla Prabhupāda:** Sinful activities means that you promised, "I shall follow the regulative principles." If you do not follow, that is sinful. That is the promise. Very simple. You break the promise and do nasty things; therefore you are sinful. Is it not? > > ... > > **Giriraja:** There are other things which we're instructed to do which, even though we try to do, we cannot do perfectly yet. > > **Śrīla Prabhupāda:** How is that? You try to do and cannot do? How is that? > > **Giriraja:** Like chanting attentively. Sometimes we try to, but— > > **Śrīla Prabhupāda:** Well, that is not a fault. Suppose you are trying to do something. Due to your inexperience if you sometimes fail, that is not a fault. You are trying... But those who are doing something willingly are not excused. On the strength that I am a devotee, if I think, "Because I am chanting, I may therefore commit all this nonsense, and it will be nullified," that is the greatest offense. —Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers