## Chapter II The Spiritual Master ### 1. The Definition of "Guru" and "Acarya" **The meaning of "guru":** The word *guru *refers to one who gives proper direction under the authority of the Vedic injunctions and according to the examples of the lives of great personalities. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *4.21.28-29* **Definition of a spiritual master:** > yāṅhā haite kṛṣṇa-bhakti sei guru haya **"One who awakens devotion to Kṛṣṇa is certainly a spiritual master."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/16/65|16.65]]* **The definition of "guru":** It is said: > oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ **"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him."** This gives the definition of the *guru. *Everyone is in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore everyone needs to be enlightened with transcendental knowledge. One who enlightens his disciple and saves him from rotting in the darkness of ignorance in this material world is a true *guru.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/15/16|6.15.16]]* **Guru means "heavy with knowledge":** The various *yoga *systems are given for the machine of the body, but the process of *bhakti* is* *transcendental to mechanical arrangements. It is therefore called *tad-vijñāna, *transcendental to material understanding. If one actually wants to understand spiritual life and spiritual knowledge, one has to approach a *guru. *The word *guru *means "heavy," heavy with knowledge. And what is that knowledge? *Tad-vijñāna. *That heaviness is *brahma-niṣṭhā—*attachment to Brahman and Para-brahman, Bhagavān. That is the *guru's *qualification. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The definition of "ācārya":** In the *Vāyu Purāṇa *an *ācārya* is* *defined as one who knows the import of all Vedic literature, explains the purpose of the *Vedas, *abides by their rules and regulations, and teaches his disciples to act in the same way. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* ### 2. The Identity of the Spiritual Master The spiritual master is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa (and should not, therefore, be regarded as an ordinary man) **The representative of the Lord, the guru, is nondifferent from the Lord:** **...One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, is not different from Kṛṣṇa.** PURPORT: Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: *sākṣād-dhari-tvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ******. *The spiritual master is described in every scripture as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual master is accepted as identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he is the most confidential servant of the Lord (*kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya*).... [The pure devotee spiritual master] is to be understood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally present ... consulting a bona fide spiritual master means consulting the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. One should therefore take shelter of such a bona fide spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/29/51|4.29.51]]* **The disciple must look upon his spiritual master as the manifested representation of Kṛṣṇa:** > guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe guru rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe **According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees.** PURPORT: The relationship of a disciple with his spiritual master is as good as his relationship with the Supreme Lord. A spiritual master always represents himself as the humblest servitor of the Personality of Godhead, but the disciple must look upon him as the manifested representation of Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/45|1.45]]* **There is no difference between the Lord and the initiating and instructing spiritual masters:** > śikṣā-guruke ta' jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha,-ei dui rūpa **One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the personality of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord.** PURPORT: Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī states that the instructing spiritual master is a bona fide representative of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself teaches us as the instructing spiritual master from within and without. From within He teaches as Paramātmā, our constant companion, and from without He teaches from *Bhagavad-gītā *as the instructing spiritual master.... Our only shelter is the Supreme Lord, and one who teaches how to approach Kṛṣṇa is the functioning form of the Personality of Godhead. There is no difference between the shelter-giving Supreme Lord and the initiating and instructing spiritual masters. If one foolishly discriminates between them, he commits an offense in the discharge of devotional service. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/47|1.47]]* **The disciple must accept the spiritual master as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul:** [In the Eleventh Canto of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*] Sage Prabuddha continued to speak to the king [Nimi] as follows: "My dear King, a disciple has to accept the spiritual master not only as spiritual master, but also as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul. In other words, the disciple should accept the spiritual master as God because he is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa." This is confirmed in every scripture, and a disciple should accept the spiritual master as such. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Kṛṣṇa instructs that the spiritual master must be accepted as His very self and therefore must not be envied:** In the Eleventh Canto of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, *Seventeenth Chapter, [[sb/11/17/27|27th verse]], it is stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being. One should never be envious of the spiritual master, as one may be envious of an ordinary man. The spiritual master should always be seen as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by serving the spiritual master, one is able to serve all the demigods." *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The spiritual master is a direct manifestation of the Lord, and therefore is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa:** **Although I know that my spiritual master is the servitor of Śrī Caitanya, I know him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.** PURPORT: Every living entity is essentially a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the spiritual master is also His servant. Still, the spiritual master is a direct manifestation of the Lord. With this conviction, a disciple can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The spiritual master is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa because he is a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/44|1.44]]* **Gurun (the spiritual masters) as one of six principles of the Absolute Truth:** **I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies, and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.** PURPORT: [Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī] offers his respectful obeisances to the six principles of the Absolute Truth.... *Tat-prakāśān *indicates the direct manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nityānanda Prabhu, and the initiating spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/34|1.34]]* **The Supreme Personality of Godhead has simultaneously entered and not entered the spiritual master:** > agnau gurāv ātmani ca sarva-bhūteṣv adhokṣajam bhūtaiḥ sva-dhāmabhiḥ paśyed apraviṣṭaṁ praviṣṭavat **One should realize that in the fire, in the spiritual master, in one's self and in all living entities—in all circumstances and conditions—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has simultaneously entered and not entered. He is situated externally and internally as the full controller of everything.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/12/15|7.12.15]]* **By surrendering to and offering respects to the guru, one surrenders to and offers respects to God:** The *guru* is* *Kṛṣṇa's representative, the former *ācāryas' *representative. Kṛṣṇa says that all *ācāryas *are His representatives; therefore the *guru *should be offered the same respect one would offer to God. As Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in his prayers to the spiritual master, *yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: *"By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa." Thus, if we surrender to the bona fide *guru, *we surrender to God. God accepts our surrender to the *guru.* In the *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/18/66|18.66]]) Kṛṣṇa instructs: ..."Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." Someone may argue, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I shall surrender to Him." But no, the process is that we first surrender to Kṛṣṇa's representative; then we surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: *the *guru* is* *as good as God. When we offer respects to the *guru, *we are offering respects to God. Because we are trying to be God conscious, it is required that we learn how to offer respects to God through God's representative. In all the *śāstras *the *guru is *described to be as good as God, but the *guru *never says, "I am God." The disciple's duty is to offer respect to the *guru *just as he offers respect to God, but the *guru *never thinks, "My disciples are offering me the same respect they offer to God; therefore I have become God." As soon as he thinks like this, he becomes a dog instead of God. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī says, *kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. *Because he is the most confidential servitor of God, the *guru* is offered the same respect that we offer God. God is always God, *guru *is always *guru. *As a matter of etiquette, God is the worshipable God, and *guru* is the worshiper God (*sevaka-bhagavān*). Therefore the *guru is *addressed as *prabhupāda. *The word *prabhu *means "lord," and *pāda *means "position." Thus *prabhupāda *means "he who has taken the position of the Lord." *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The spiritual master, who is the best of the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:** **My dear King, of all persons a qualified *brāhmaṇa *must be accepted as the best within this material world because such a *brāhmaṇa, *by practicing austerity, Vedic studies and satisfaction, becomes the counterpart body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** PURPORT: From the *Vedas *we learn that the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Every living entity is an individual person, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Person. A *brāhmaṇa *who is well versed in Vedic knowledge and fully conversant with transcendental matters becomes a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore one should worship such a *brāhmaṇa *or Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is superior to a *brāhmaṇa *because whereas a *brāhmaṇa *knows that he is Brahman, not matter, a Vaiṣṇava knows that he is not only Brahman but also an eternal servant of the Supreme Brahman. Therefore, worship of a Vaiṣṇava is superior to worship of the Deity in the temple. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: *in all the scriptures the spiritual master, who is the best of the *brāhmaṇas, *the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, is considered to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/14/41|7.14.41]]* **The spiritual master is called āśraya-vigraha, or the manifestation of the Lord of whom one must take shelter:** Only out of His immense compassion does the Personality of Godhead reveal Himself as the spiritual master. Therefore in the dealings of an *ācārya *there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord. He is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. It is worthwhile to take shelter of such a steady devotee, who is called *āśraya-vigraha, *or the manifestation or form of the Lord of whom one must take shelter. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **** One** **should respect as God, and serve, the servants of God:**** The servants of God are to be respected as God by the devotees who actually want to go back to Godhead. Such servants of God are called *mahātmās, *or *tīrthas, *and they preach according to particular time and place. The servants of God urge people to become devotees of the Lord.... The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything for the service of the Lord and so are very dear to the Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/16|1.2.16]]* **The oneness of the spiritual master with the Personality of Godhead exists in terms of his being very dear to the Lord:** The bona fide spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this test he is known to be a direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.... The real Vedic philosophy is *acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, *which establishes everything to be simultaneously one with and different from the Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī confirms that this is the real position of a bona fide spiritual master and says that one should always think of the spiritual master in terms of his intimate relationship with Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa). Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his *Bhakti-sandarbha *(213), has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Śiva as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in terms of their being very dear to the Lord, not identical with Him in all respects. Following in the footsteps of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, later *ācāryas *like Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura have confirmed the same truths. In his prayers to the spiritual master, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms that all the revealed scriptures accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and confidential servant of the Lord. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas therefore worship Śrīla Gurudeva (the spiritual master) in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient literatures of devotional service and in the more recent songs of Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other unalloyed Vaiṣṇavas, the spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or a manifested representation of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **The Lord's representative, the guru, is as good as the Lord Himself because he speaks only what is spoken by the Lord:** One should adopt the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described here as *guror guruḥ, *the spiritual master of all other spiritual masters. Even though we may not have the fortune to contact the Supreme Lord personally, the Lord's representative is as good as the Lord Himself because such a representative does not say anything unless it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore gives a definition of *guru. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa:* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/7/128|7.128]]]* *the bona fide *guru* is he who advises his disciples exactly in accordance with the principles spoken by Kṛṣṇa. The bona fide *guru* is he who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as *guru. *This is the *guru-paramparā *system. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/24/48|8.24.48]]* **Because the spiritual master transmits Kṛṣṇa's instructions without change, he is the same as the Personality of Godhead:** *Bhagavad-gītā, *which constitutes the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is presented by the spiritual master as it is, without deviation. Therefore the Absolute Truth is present in the spiritual master. As clearly stated in text SB [[sb/7/15/26|7.15.26]], *jñāna-dīpa-prade. *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. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/15/27|7.15.27]]* **The spiritual master is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he represents the Lord by giving knowledge to others:** **I consider your good self the most exalted master of mystic power. You know the spiritual science perfectly well. You are the most exalted of all learned sages, and you have descended for the benefit of all human society. You have come to give spiritual knowledge, and you are a direct representative of Kapiladeva, the incarnation of God and the plenary portion of knowledge. I am therefore asking you, O spiritual master, what is the most secure shelter in this world?** PURPORT: Although Jaḍa Bharata was an ordinary living entity, he had inherited all the knowledge given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kapiladeva. He could therefore be taken directly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his stanzas to the spiritual master: *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. *An exalted personality like Jaḍa Bharata is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he fully represents the Lord by giving knowledge to others. Jaḍa Bharata is herein accepted as the direct representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he was imparting knowledge on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Therefore Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa concluded that it was appropriate to ask him about *ātma-tattva, *the spiritual science. *Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet** *[MU 1.2.12]*. *This Vedic injunction is also confirmed herein. If anyone is at all interested in knowing the spiritual science (*brahma-jijñāsā*),* *he must approach a *guru *like Jaḍa Bharata. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/10/19|5.10.19]]* **The spiritual master, who acts on behalf of the Supreme Lord, is as good as the Supreme Lord:** The representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who acts to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also guided by the Supreme Lord to act properly in executing the Lord's order. Such a person may appear to be an ordinary human being, but because he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme spiritual master, he is not to be neglected as ordinary. It is therefore said, *ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt** *[*SB* [[sb/11/17/27|11.17.27]]]*: *an *ācārya *who acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be understood to be as good as the Supreme Lord Himself.... Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has advised that the spiritual master acting on the Supreme Lord's behalf must be worshiped as being as good as the Supreme Lord, for he is the Lord's most confidential servant in broadcasting the Lord's message for the benefit of the conditioned souls involved in the material world. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/24/46|8.24.46]]* **The guru acts as a representative of Kṛṣṇa:** Human life is meant for understanding our situation, and we should take instructions from *Bhagavad-gītā. *Arjuna is personally teaching us by accepting Kṛṣṇa as his *guru. *He asks Kṛṣṇa to become his spiritual master and teach him. The lessons given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa are not simply meant for Arjuna but for everyone. Kṛṣṇa tells us in *Bhagavad-gītā *that we should search out a *guru. *The first *guru* is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, and whoever represents Śrī Kṛṣṇa is also a *guru. *If I am a businessman, and someone goes to canvass for my business and takes orders for me, he is my representative. If he simply says that he is my representative and yet takes some orders but uses the money for something else, he is not really my representative. Kṛṣṇa's representative does not say, "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Such a person is neither a representative nor a *guru. *He is simply a cheater. Kṛṣṇa's representative is one who canvasses for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up everything and surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa's representative says, "Give up everything and simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." This is certainly not very difficult to understand. Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa's representative. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The pure devotee spiritual master is the representative of the Lord and is honored equally with the Lord:** To take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord means to take shelter of the pure devotees. The pure devotees whose only business is serving are honored by the names Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda, which indicate such devotees to be representatives of the lotus feet of the Lord. Anyone, therefore, who takes shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee by accepting the pure devotee as his spiritual master can be at once purified. Such devotees of the Lord are honored equally with the Lord because they are engaged in the most confidential service of the Lord, for they deliver out of the material world the fallen souls whom the Lord wants to return home, back to Godhead. Such pure devotees are better known as vice-lords according to revealed scriptures. The sincere disciple of the pure devotee considers the spiritual master equal to the Lord, but always considers himself to be a humble servant of the servant of the Lord [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. This is the pure devotional path. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/15|1.1.15]]* **The spiritual master should be respected like the Supreme Personality of Godhead; when seen, one should offer obeisances:** As it is said by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: *a spiritual master or the *paramparā-ācārya *should be respected exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... Whenever an *ācārya *is seen, one should immediately bow down before him. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/22/4|4.22.4]]* **The disciple should accept the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead:** The disciple accepts the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... Since the spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord, he should be treated exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual master should never be neglected or disobeyed, like an ordinary person. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/43|4.28.43]]* **It is the duty of the disciple to respect the spiritual master as much as God:** **Ms. Nixon:** You have said that you are not God, and yet it appears to me, as an outsider, that your devotees treat you as if you were God. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes, that is their duty. Because the spiritual master is executing God's order, he should be respected as much as God, just as a government officer should be respected as much as the government because he executes the government's order. Even if an ordinary policeman comes, you have to respect him because he is a government man. But that does not mean he is the government. *Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: *"The spiritual master is to be honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and followed by all authorities." **Ms. Nixon:** I also wonder about the many beautiful material things that the devotees bring you. For instance, you left the airport in a beautiful, fancy car. I wonder about this because... **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **That teaches the disciples how to regard the spiritual master as good as God. If you respect the government representative as much as you respect the government, then you must treat him opulently. If you respect the spiritual master as much as God, then you must offer him the same facilities you would offer to God. God travels in a golden car. If the disciples offer the spiritual master an ordinary motorcar, it would not be sufficient because the spiritual master has to be treated like God. If God comes to your home, will you bring him an ordinary motorcar—or will you arrange for a golden car? *— The Science of Self-Realization* **** One** **should not accept the spiritual master as an ordinary human being:**** The Lord helps us by giving us directions how to act in devotional service and thus advance on the path back home, back to Godhead. He instructs us outwardly in the form of the spiritual master. Therefore, one should not accept the spiritual master as an ordinary human being. The Lord says, *ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit: *one should not treat the spiritual master as an ordinary human being because he is the substitute for the Supreme Personality of Godhead *(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/11/17/27|11.17.27]]). One should treat the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and never be envious of him or consider him to be an ordinary human being. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/20/13|4.20.13]]* *** ***As the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master is worshiped on the same level as the Lord:**** Uddhava advised the *gopīs *that they could be saved from the fire of separation by closing their eyes and meditating on the activities of Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning of their association with Him. From the outside, the *gopīs *could visualize all the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa by hearing the descriptions of Uddhava, and from inside they could remember those pastimes. From the instruction of Uddhava, the *gopīs *could understand that Kṛṣṇa was not separate from them. As they were constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa was also thinking of them constantly while at Mathurā. Uddhava's messages and instructions saved the *gopīs *from immediate death, and the *gopīs *acknowledged the benediction from Uddhava. Uddhava practically acted as the preceptor spiritual master of the *gopīs, *and they in return worshiped him as they would worship Kṛṣṇa. It is recommended in authoritative scriptures that the spiritual master should be worshiped on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of his being His very confidential servitor, and it is accepted by great authorities that the spiritual master is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. The *gopīs *were relieved from their transcendental burning condition by realizing that Kṛṣṇa was with them. Internally, they remembered His association within their hearts, and externally Uddhava helped them to appreciate Kṛṣṇa by conclusive instructions. *— Kṛṣṇa* **If the disciple considers the spiritual master, who is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to be an ordinary man, his Vedic studies and austerities will have no effect:** > yasya sākṣād bhagavati jñāna-dīpa-prade gurau martyāsad-dhīḥ śrutaṁ tasya sarvaṁ kuñjara-śaucavat **The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and his Vedic studies and knowledge are like the bathing of an elephant.** PURPORT: It is recommended that one honor the spiritual master as being on an equal status with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. *This is enjoined in every scripture. *Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt** *[*SB* [[sb/11/17/27|11.17.27]]]*. *One should consider the *ācārya *to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In spite of all 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 all useless, like the bathing of an elephant. An elephant bathes in a lake quite thoroughly, but as soon as it comes on the shore it takes some dust from the ground and strews it over its body. Thus there is no meaning to the elephant's bath. One may argue by saying that since the spiritual master's relatives and the men of his neighborhood consider him an ordinary human being, what is the fault on the part of the disciple who considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being? ... If the family members of the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being, this does not mean that he becomes an ordinary human being. The spiritual master is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore one who is very serious about spiritual advancement must regard the spiritual master in this way. Even a slight deviation from this understanding can create disaster in the disciple's Vedic studies and austerities. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/7/15/26|7.15.26-27]]* ****One** **who thinks the spiritual master in disciplic succession as an ordinary man is taken to be a resident of hell:**** > arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir viṣṇor vā vaiṣṇavānāṁ kali-mala-mathane pāda-tīrthe 'mbu-buddhiḥ śrī-viṣṇor nāmni mantre sakala-kaluṣa-he śabda-sāmānya-buddhir viṣṇau sarveśvareśe tad-itara-sama-dhīr yasya vā nārakī saḥ **"One who thinks the Deity in the temple to be made of wood or stone, who thinks of the spiritual master in the disciplic succession as an ordinary man, who thinks the Vaiṣṇava in the *acyuta-gotra *to belong to a certain caste or creed, or who thinks of *caraṇāmṛta *or Ganges water as ordinary water, is taken to be a resident of hell."** *— * Padma Purāṇa *cited: *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/21/12|4.21.12]]* **** One** **is forbidden to think the ācārya an ordinary human being:**** It is said, *tāṅra vākya, kriyā, mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya* [Cc Madhya[[cc/madhya/23/39|23.39]]]*. *Even if a man is very advanced in learning, he cannot understand the behavior of a Vaiṣṇava. Anyone can take shelter of a pure Vaiṣṇava, without fear.... Nārada Muni, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and similar *ācāryas *especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Lord cannot be brought down to the material platform. Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the *ācārya* is an ordinary human being *(guruṣu nara-matiḥ).* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/7/14|7.7.14]]* **The empowered spiritual master, invested by Kṛṣṇa with power of attorney, can act independently:** **After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Why did Īśvara Purī keep a servant who comes from a *śūdra *family?" Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, are completely independent. Therefore the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Īśvara Purī is not subjected to any Vedic rules and regulations."** PURPORT: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya here asked Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu why Īśvara Purī accepted a disciple from a *śūdra *family. According to the *smṛti-śāstra, *which gives directions for the management of the *varṇāśrama *institution, a *brāhmaṇa *cannot accept a disciple from the lower castes. In other words, a *kṣatriya, vaiśya *or *śūdra *cannot be accepted as a servant. If a spiritual master accepts such a person, he is contaminated. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya therefore asked why Īśvara Purī accepted a servant or disciple born of a *śūdra *family. In answer to this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, was so empowered that he was as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As such, Īśvara Purī was the spiritual master of the whole world. He was not a servant to any mundane rule or regulation. An empowered spiritual master like Īśvara Purī can bestow his mercy upon anyone, irrespective of caste or creed. The conclusion is that an empowered spiritual master is authorized by Kṛṣṇa and should be considered to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of Viśvanātha Cakravartī: *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. *An authorized spiritual master is as good as Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If Hari is free to act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari is not subject to the criticism of mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master empowered by Him is also not subjected. According to *Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/7/11|7.11]]):* kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. *An authorized spiritual master empowered by Kṛṣṇa can spread the glories of the holy name of the Lord, for he has power of attorney from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the mundane world, anyone possessing his master's power of attorney can act on behalf of his master. Similarly, a spiritual master empowered by Kṛṣṇa through his bona fide spiritual master should be considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/136|10.136-37]]* The eternal identity of the spiritual master **The spiritual master's eternal identity and occupation:** Every living entity is eternally a servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; therefore the spiritual master cannot be other than a servant of Lord Caitanya. The spiritual master's eternal occupation is to expand the service of the Lord by training disciples in a service attitude. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/44|1.44]]* **The spiritual master is considered either one of the confidential associates of Rādhārāṇī or a manifested representation of Nityānanda:** In his prayers to the spiritual master, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms that all the revealed scriptures accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and confidential servant of the Lord. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas therefore worship Śrīla Gurudeva (the spiritual master) in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient literatures of devotional service and in the more recent songs of Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other unalloyed Vaiṣṇavas, the spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or a manifested representation of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **The spiritual master as an associate of the gopīs:** > nikuñja-yūno rati-keli-siddhyai yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣaṇīyā tatrāti-dākṣyād ati-vallabhasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **"The spiritual master is very dear because he is expert in assisting the *gopīs, *who at different times make different tasteful arrangements for the perfection of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's conjugal loving affairs within the groves of Vṛndāvana. I offer my most humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master."** *— *Śrī Śrī-gurv-aṣṭaka *Verse *6 *Śrīla Visvanatha Cakravartī Ṭhākura* The difference between the spiritual master and the Lord **The difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead:** The spiritual master is called *sevaka-bhagavān, *the servitor Personality of Godhead, and Kṛṣṇa is called *sevya-bhagavān, *the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is to be worshiped. The spiritual master is the worshiper God, whereas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the worshipable God. This is the difference between the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/15/27|7.15.27]]* **The spiritual master is the jīva-tattva servitor of the Lord:** In *Caitanya-caritāmṛta* (*Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/5/142|5.142]]) it is said, *ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: *the only supreme master is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, both *viṣṇu-tattva *and *jīva-tattva, *engage in the service of the Lord. Both the *viṣṇu-tattva *(as Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita) and the *jīva-tattva* (*śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda*) engage in the service of the Lord, but one must distinguish between the *viṣṇu-tattva *servitors and the *jīva-tattva *servitors. The *jīva-tattva *servitor, the spiritual master, is actually the servitor God. As explained in previous verses, in the absolute world there are no such differences, yet one must observe these differences in order to distinguish the Supreme from His subordinates. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/14|7.14]]* ### The Qualifications and Characteristics of the Spiritual Master The spiritual master strictly follows the principle of disciplic succession and of scripture **The knowledge received from the guru descends from the Lord Himself through disciplic succession:** The transcendental knowledge of the *Vedas *was first uttered by God to Brahmā, the creator of this particular universe. From Brahmā the knowledge descended to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsadeva, from Vyāsadeva to Madhva, and in this process of disciplic succession the transcendental knowledge was transmitted by one disciple to another till it reached Lord Gaurāṅga, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who posed as the disciple and successor of Śrī Īśvara Purī. The present Ācāryadeva is the tenth disciplic representative from Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, the original representative of Lord Caitanya who preached this transcendental tradition in its fullness. 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* **If one follows the system of disciplic succession, one can become a guru for the whole world:** If we receive knowledge from an ordinary man, there will be many defects. An ordinary person is subject to illusion, and he also has the tendency to cheat. Although an ordinary person may be a very advanced scholar, he does not possess perfect knowledge. Perfection is something totally different from what we find in the material world. Perfection means that there is no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, no imperfection. Therefore it is stated *bhagavān uvāca, *for Bhagavān is all-perfect. We should therefore take knowledge from Bhagavān or from one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this principle. We are not presenting anything that we ourselves could manufacture. Whatever we manufacture is sure to be defective or deficient. What is the value of my philosophy? What is the value of my thought? Generally, people say, "In my opinion," thinking that "my opinion" really means something. People do not think, "I am simply a rascal." People value their opinion, thinking it something very big. Everyone in this material world has imperfect senses; therefore whatever knowledge has been gathered through the senses is necessarily imperfect. As we have stressed over and over, we have to receive knowledge from the disciplic succession. Knowledge has to be received from Bhagavān, the perfect one. If we simply follow this system, we can become a *guru *for the whole world.... It is not difficult to become a *guru, *provided that we repeat what Kṛṣṇa says. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The guru is one, because he does not speak differently from his predecessors in disciplic succession:** The *Vedas *enjoin us to seek out a *guru; *actually, they say to seek out *the guru, *not just *a guru. *The *guru* is one because he comes in disciplic succession. What Vyāsadeva and Kṛṣṇa taught five thousand years ago is also being taught now. There is no difference between the two instructions. Although hundreds and thousands of *ācāryas *have come and gone, the message is one. The real *guru *cannot be two, for the real *guru *does not speak differently from his predecessors. Some spiritual teachers say, "In my opinion you should do this," but this is not a *guru. *Such so-called *gurus *are simply rascals. The genuine *guru *has only one opinion, and that is the opinion expressed by Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Arjuna, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the Gosvāmīs. Five thousand years ago Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the *Bhagavad-gītā, *and Vyāsadeva recorded it. Śrīla Vyāsadeva did not say, "This is my opinion." Rather, he wrote, *śrī-bhagavān uvāca, *that is, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead says." Whatever Vyāsadeva wrote was originally spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Vyāsadeva did not give his own opinion. Consequently, Śrīla Vyāsadeva is a *guru. *He does not misinterpret the words of Kṛṣṇa, but transmits them exactly as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it, edit it, or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the *guru's *business. The *guru *may be this person or that, but the message is the same; therefore it is said that *guru* is one. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The guru is one, but appears in an infinity of forms; the principle of guru is universal and nonsectarian:** Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the Ācāryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of *gurudeva, *or *ācāryadeva, *we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my *guru *from yours or anyone else's. There is only one *guru, *who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me, and all others. 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* [*Cc Madhya *[[cc/madhya/17/186|17.186]]]* *("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: > tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12] **"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."** Thus it has been enjoined herewith that in order to receive that transcendental knowledge, one must approach the *guru. *Therefore, if the Absolute Truth is one, about which we think there is no difference of opinion, the *guru *also cannot be two. 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* **By following in the disciplic succession from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, accepting Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, one can become a guru:** This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very easy because we do not manufacture ideas. We take the ideas and the words delivered by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation or representative. His representative does not say anything which Kṛṣṇa Himself does not say. It is very easy to be a representative, but one cannot be a representative of Kṛṣṇa if one tries to interpret Kṛṣṇa's words in a whimsical way. There is no authority superior to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and if we stick to this principle, we can become *gurus. *We don't need to change our position to become a *guru. *All we have to do is follow in the disciplic succession stemming from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised: *āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tara' ei deśa *(*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/7/128|7.128]]). Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed people to learn from Him and then go teach people within their own villages. One may think, "I am illiterate and have no education. I was not born in a very high family. How can I become a *guru?*" Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that it is not very difficult. *Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa:* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/7/128|7.128]]]* *"Simply speak whatever Kṛṣṇa speaks. Then you become a *guru*." Whoever speaks what Kṛṣṇa has not spoken is not a *guru *but a rascal. A *guru *only speaks what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The spiritual master is a representative of Vyāsadeva and is a gosvāmī:** **One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning a sacrificial fire and offering a seat of esteem to Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī, the great sages made inquiries, with great respect, about the following matters.** PURPORT: The great sages offered the speaker of the *Bhāgavatam *an elevated seat of respect called the *vyāsāsana, *or the seat of Śrīla Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva is the original spiritual preceptor for all men. And all other preceptors are considered to be his representatives. A representative is one who can exactly present the viewpoint of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva impregnated the message of *Bhāgavatam *unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī heard it from him (Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī). All bona fide representatives of Śrī Vyāsadeva in the chain of disciplic succession are to be understood to be *gosvāmīs. *These *gosvāmīs *restrain all their senses, and they stick to the path made by the previous *ācāryas. *The *gosvāmīs *do not deliver lectures on the *Bhāgavatam *capriciously. Rather, they execute their services most carefully, following their predecessors who delivered the spiritual message unbroken to them. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/5|1.1.5]]* **The process of devotional service must be received through the bona fide Vedic system of paramparā:** **Śrī Kaśyapa Muni said: When I desired offspring, I placed inquiries before Lord Brahmā, who is born from a lotus flower. Now I shall explain to you the same process Lord Brahmā instructed me, by which Keśava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied.** PURPORT: Kaśyapa Muni wanted to instruct Aditi in the same process recommended to him by Brahmā for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is valuable. The *guru *does not manufacture a new process to instruct the disciple. The disciple receives from the *guru *an authorized process received by the *guru *from his *guru. *This is called the system of disciplic succession *(evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ* [*Bg* [[bg/4/2|4.2]]]). This is the bona fide Vedic system of receiving the process of devotional service, by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. Therefore, to approach a bona fide *guru, *or spiritual master, is essential. The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his *guru, *who in turn is bona fide because he has received the mercy of his *guru. *This is called the *paramparā *system. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/16/24|8.16.24]]* **The words of the spiritual master are the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the paramparā system:** **''I cannot properly describe the discourses of Rāmānanda Rāya, for he is not an ordinary human being. He is fully absorbed in the devotional service of the Lord. There is one other thing Rāmānanda Rāya said to me. 'Do not consider me the speaker in these talks about Kṛṣṇa. Whatever I speak is personally spoken by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Like a stringed instrument, I vibrate whatever He causes me to speak. In this way the Lord speaks through my mouth to preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Within the world, who will understand this pastime of the Lord?'"** PURPORT: One is forbidden to accept the *guru, *or spiritual master, as an ordinary human being *(guruṣu nara-matiḥ*).... A spiritually advanced person who acts with authority, as the spiritual master, speaks as the Supreme Personality of Godhead dictates from within. Thus it is not he that is personally speaking. When a pure devotee or spiritual master speaks, what he says should be accepted as having been directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the *paramparā *system. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/5/71|5.71-74]]* **The spiritual master does not deviate from the instructions of the Supreme Lord in disciplic succession:** *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 as they were imparted millions of years ago to the sungod. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/42|4.42]]* **** One** **cannot be a bona fide spiritual master unless he has received transcendental knowledge through disciplic succession:**** Vedic transcendental knowledge descends directly from the Personality of Godhead. By His mercy, Brahmā, the first living being in the universe, was enlightened, and from Brahmājī, Nārada was enlightened, and from Nārada, Vyāsa was enlightened. Śukadeva Gosvāmī received such transcendental knowledge directly from his father, Vyāsadeva. Thus the knowledge, being received from the chain of disciplic succession, is perfect. One cannot be a spiritual master in perfection unless and until one has received the same by disciplic succession. That is the secret of receiving transcendental knowledge. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/8/25|2.8.25]]* **** The two qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master**—*śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham:*** The *Upaniṣads *inform us that the *guru* is one who has received knowledge by hearing the *Vedas. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham** *[MU 1.2.12]*. *The *Vedas *are called *śruti, *and the bona fide *guru* is* *in the line of hearing from the disciplic succession. As stated in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/4/2|4.2]]), *evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. *A bona fide *guru *does not impart some self-styled, concocted knowledge; his knowledge is standard and received from the *paramparā *system. He is also firmly fixed in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead *(brahma-niṣṭham). *These are his two qualifications: he must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession, and he must be established in service to the Supreme Lord. He does not have to be a very learned scholar, but he must have heard from the proper authority. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The bona fide spiritual master repeats what he has heard from the disciplic succession:** There is a standard for bona fide spiritual masters.... Who is the spiritual master? That is the next line: *śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham** *[MU 1.2.12]*. *The word *śrotriyam *refers to one who has heard from another bona fide source. A spiritual master is he who has taken the message from another qualified spiritual master. This is just like a medical man who has taken the knowledge of medical science from another medical man. Similarly, the bona fide spiritual master must come in a line of successive spiritual masters. The original spiritual master is God.... One who has heard from God explains the same message to his disciples. If the disciple doesn't change the message, he is a bona fide spiritual master. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **A bona fide spiritual master is so not due to heredity, but due to following the principle of paramparā:** Hiraṇyakaśipu was extremely angry and wanted to rebuke his son for deriding his teacher or spiritual master, who had been born in the *brāhmaṇa *family of the great *ācārya *Śukrācārya. The word *śukra *means "semen," and *ācārya *refers to a teacher or *guru. *Hereditary *gurus, *or spiritual masters, have been accepted everywhere since time immemorial, but Prahlada Mahārāja declined to accept such a seminal *guru *or take instruction from him. An actual *guru* is* śrotriya, *one who has heard or received perfect knowledge through *paramparā, *the disciplic succession. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja did not recognize a seminal spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/5/31|7.5.31]]* **As a leader, the spiritual master must follow the principles of scripture:** A teacher must follow the principles of *śāstra *(scripture) to reach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures, like *Manu-saṁhitā *and similar others, are considered the standard books to be followed by human society. Thus the leader's teaching should be based on the principles of the standard rules as they are practiced by the great teachers. The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *also affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization. The king or the executive head of a state, the father and the school teacher are considered to be natural leaders of the innocent people in general. All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their dependents; therefore they must be conversant with standard books of moral and spiritual codes. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/3/21|3.21]]* **The spiritual master in disciplic succession scrupulously follows the conclusions of the revealed Vedic scriptures:** **On the basis of scriptures like *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *which reveal these confidential directions, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī regarding all the regular activities of a devotee.** PURPORT: In the *paramparā *system, the instructions taken from the bona fide spiritual master must also be based on revealed Vedic scriptures. One who is in the line of disciplic succession cannot manufacture his own way of behavior. There are many so-called followers of the Vaiṣṇava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the *śāstras, *and therefore they are considered to be *apa-sampradāya, *which means "outside of the *sampradāya*."...* *Neither a *sādhu *(saintly person or Vaiṣṇava) nor a bona fide spiritual master says anything that is beyond the scope of sanction of the revealed scriptures. Thus the statements of the revealed scriptures correspond to those of the bona fide spiritual master and saintly persons. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/48|7.48]]* **What the guru speaks must be confirmed by sādhus (saintly persons) and sāstra (authorized scriptures):** *Sādhu-śāstra-guru: *one has to test all spiritual matters according to the instructions of saintly persons, scriptures and the spiritual master. The spiritual master is one who follows the instructions of his predecessors, namely the *sādhus, *or saintly persons. A bona fide spiritual master does not mention anything not mentioned in the authorized scriptures. Ordinary people have to follow the instructions of *sādhu, śāstra *and *guru. *Those statements made in the *śāstras *and those made by the bona fide *sādhu *or *guru *cannot differ from one another. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/16/1|4.16.1]]* Knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa (not birth or social position) is the requirement for becoming a spiritual master **A person from any varṇa or āśrama can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa:** > kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya [Cc Madhya [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]] **"Whether one is a *brāhmaṇa, *a *sannyāsī, *or a *śūdra-*regardless of what he is-he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa."** PURPORT: This verse is very important to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In his *Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, *Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that one should not think that because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born a *brāhmaṇa *and was situated in the topmost spiritual order as a *sannyāsī, *it was improper for Him to receive instructions from Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya, who belonged to the *śūdra *caste. To clarify this matter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Rāmānanda Rāya that knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is more important than caste. In the system of *varṇāśrama-dharma *there are various duties for the *brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas *and *śūdras. *Actually the *brāhmaṇa is *supposed to be the spiritual master of all other *varṇas *or sects, but as far as Kṛṣṇa consciousness is concerned, everyone is capable of becoming a spiritual master because knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is on the platform of the spirit soul. To spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one need only be cognizant of the science of the spirit soul. It does not matter whether one is a *brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, sannyāsī, gṛhastha *or whatever. If one simply understands this science, he can become a spiritual master.... If one understands the truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and seriously desires to attain transcendental knowledge for the perfection of life, he can accept a spiritual master from any social status, provided the spiritual master is fully conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also states that although one is situated as a *brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, vānaprastha, gṛhastha *or *sannyāsī, *if he is conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa he can become a spiritual master as *vartma-pradarśaka-guru, dīkṣā-guru *or *śikṣā-guru.... *This injunction given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not at all against the injunctions of the *śāstras. *In the *Padma Purāṇa *it is said: > na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās te 'pi bhāgavatottamāḥ sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā ye na bhaktā janārdane One who is actually advanced in spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is never a *śūdra, *even though he may have been born in a *śūdra *family. However, if a *vipra *or a *brāhmaṇa* is very expert in the six brahminical activities *(paṭhana, pāṭhana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha*) and is also well versed in the Vedic hymns, he cannot become a spiritual master unless he is a Vaiṣṇava. But if one is born in the family of *caṇḍālas *yet is well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can become a *guru.... *Unless we accept the principle enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot spread all over the world. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's intentions: *pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma/ sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. *[*CB Antya-khaṇḍa* 4.126] Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult must be preached all over the world. This does not mean that people should take to His teachings and remain *śūdras *or *caṇḍālas. *As soon as one is trained as a pure Vaiṣṇava, he must be accepted as a bona fide *brāhmana. *This is the essence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instructions in this verse. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]* **Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, not birth, qualifies one as a spiritual master:** Sūta Gosvāmī did not take his birth in a *brāhmaṇa *family. He was born in a family of mixed caste, or an uncultured low family. But because of higher association, like Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī and the great *ṛṣis* of Naimiṣāraṇya, certainly the disqualification of inferior birth was washed off. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu followed this principle in pursuance of the Vedic usages, and by His transcendental association He elevated many lowborn, or those disqualified by birth or action, to the status of devotional service and established them in the position of *ācāryas, *or authorities. He clearly states that any man, whatever he may be, whether a *brāhmaṇa *or *śūdra *by birth, or a householder or mendicant in the order of society, if he is conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can be accepted as an *ācārya *or *guru, *a spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/18/18|1.18.18]]* **Transcendental knowledge, not birth, qualifies one as a spiritual master:** Vidura, born in the womb of a *śūdra *woman, was forbidden even to be a party of royal heritage with his brothers Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu. Then how could he occupy the post of a preacher to instruct such learned kings and *kṣatriyas *as Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira? The first answer is that even though it is accepted that he was a *śūdra *by birth, because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment by the authority of Ṛṣi Maitreya and was thoroughly educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was quite competent to occupy the post of an *ācārya, *or spiritual preceptor. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, anyone who is conversant in the transcendental knowledge, or the science of Godhead, be he a *brāhmaṇa *or a *śūdra, *a householder or a *sannyāsī, is *eligible to become a spiritual master. Even in the ordinary moral codes (maintained by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the great politician and moralist) there is no harm in taking lessons from a person who may be by birth less than a *śūdra.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/13/15|1.13.15]]* **Regardless of social position, if one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may become a spiritual master:** Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises, *nīcād apy uttamaṁ jñānam: *one may accept education from a member of a lower social order. The *brāhmaṇas, *the members of the most elevated *varṇa, *are teachers, but a person in a lower family, such as a family of *kṣatriyas, vaiśyas *or even *śūdras, *may be accepted as a teacher if he has knowledge. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved of this when He expressed this opinion before Rāmānanda Rāya (*Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta* *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]):* kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya/ yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya. *It does not matter whether one is a *brāhmaṇa, śūdra, gṛhastha *or *sannyāsī. *These are all material designations. A spiritually advanced person has nothing to do with such designations. Therefore, if one is advanced in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, regardless of his position in human society, he may become a spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/6/7/33|6.7.33]]* **Knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa, not material identity, is the qualification to become a guru:** Being the wife of a great *yogī, *Devahūti understood her constitutional position; therefore she is placing her problem before her son, Kapiladeva, an incarnation of God. Although Kapiladeva is her son, Devahūti does not hesitate to take instructions from Him. She does not say, "Oh, He is my son. What can He tell me? I am His mother, and I shall instruct Him." Instruction has to be taken from one who is in knowledge. It doesn't matter what his position is, whether he is a son, a boy, a *śūdra, brāhmaṇa, sannyāsī *or *gṛhastha. *One should simply learn from one who knows.... This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Whoever is qualified in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can become a *guru. *His family or material identity does not matter. He simply must know the science. When we consult an engineer, a doctor or a lawyer, we do not ask whether he is a *brāhmaṇa *or a *śūdra. *If he is qualified, he can help with a particular subject. Similarly, if one knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can be a *guru. *Devahūti was taking lessons from her son because He knew the science of Kṛṣṇa.... Thus it is not birth that is important, but qualification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted everyone in India to know the science of Kṛṣṇa and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is very simple. We need only repeat what Kṛṣṇa has said or what has been said about Kṛṣṇa in the Vedic literatures. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **Knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa, not birth or social position, is the qualification to become a bona fide spiritual master:** Whatever position one may have, if he is fully conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can become a bona fide spiritual master, initiator or teacher of the science. In other words, one can become a bona fide spiritual master if he has sufficient knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The position does not depend on a particular position in society or on birth. This is the conclusion of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and it is in accordance with the Vedic injunctions. On the strength of this conclusion, Lord Caitanya, previously known as Visvambhara, accepted a spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, who was a *sannyāsī. *Similarly, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Ācārya also accepted another *sannyāsī *as Their spiritual master, Mādhavendra Purī.... Similarly, another great *ācārya, *Śrī Rasikānanda, accepted Śrī Śyāmānanda as his spiritual master, although he was not born of a *brāhmaṇa *family. So also Gangā-nārāyaṇa Cakravartī accepted Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura as spiritual master. In ancient days there was even a hunter named Dharma, who become a spiritual master for many people.... All śāstric injunctions, as well as the versions of great sages and authorities, establish that a bona fide spiritual master is not necessarily a *brāhmaṇa. *The only qualification is that he be conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That alone makes one perfectly eligible to become a spiritual master. This is the conclusion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His discussions with Rāmānanda Rāya. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa injunction to accept a bona fide brāhmaṇa spiritual master before a bona fide śūdra spiritual master is only applicable to those who consider social status more important than spiritual status:** In the *Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *it is stated that if one bona fide spiritual master is born in a *brāhmaṇa *family and another, who is also qualified, is born in a *śūdra *family, one should accept the one who is born in a *brāhmaṇa *family. This statement serves as a social compromise, but it has nothing to do with spiritual understanding. This injunction is only applicable for those who consider social status more important than spiritual status. It is not for people who are spiritually serious. A serious person would accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction that anyone-regardless of his position-conversant with Kṛṣṇa science must be accepted as the spiritual master. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **A spiritual master must know the conclusion of the Vedas—the science of Kṛṣṇa:** The main qualification of a *brāhmaṇa* is to be inclined to the Vedic wisdom.... A real *brāhmaṇa* is the natural teacher or spiritual master. Unless one has Vedic knowledge, one cannot become a spiritual master. The perfect knowledge of the *Vedas* is to know the Lord, the Personality of Godhead, and that is the end of Vedic knowledge, or Vedānta. One who is situated in the impersonal Brahman and has information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may become a *brāhmaṇa, *but he cannot become a spiritual master. It is said in the *Padma Purāṇa:* > ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ An impersonalist can become a qualified *brāhmaṇa, *but he cannot become a spiritual master unless and until he is promoted to the stage of a Vaiṣṇava, or a devotee of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Caitanya, the great authority of Vedic wisdom in the modern age, stated: > kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei kṛsṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya A person may be a *brāhmaṇa *or a *śūdra *or a *sannyāsī, *but if he happens to be well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa, then he is fit to become a spiritual master. (Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]) The qualification, then, of a spiritual master is not to be a qualified *brāhmaṇa, *but to be well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa. One who is conversant with Vedic wisdom is a *brāhmaṇa. *And only a *brāhmaṇa *who is a pure Vaiṣṇava and knows all the intricacies of the science of Kṛṣṇa can become a spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/6/30|3.6.30]]* The spiritual master must be learned in the Vedic literature **The spiritual master must be well versed in Vedic literature:** **The sages said: ... You are well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the *Purāṇas *and the histories as well, for you have gone through them under proper guidance and have also explained them.** PURPORT: [The spiritual master must] be well versed in all revealed scriptures or in the *Vedas. *The *Purāṇas *are also parts of the *Vedas. *And histories like the *Mahābhārata *or *Rāmāyaṇa *are also parts of the *Vedas. *The *ācārya *or the *gosvāmī *must be well acquainted with all these literatures. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/6|1.1.6]]* **The spiritual master must be well versed in the authorized scriptures (and thus be able to answer all the disciple's inquiries):** In the process of devotional service, the first step is to take shelter of the spiritual master and then inquire from the spiritual master all about the process. This inquiry is essential for immunity to all kinds of offenses on the path of devotional service. Even if one is fixed in devotional service like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he must still inquire from the realized spiritual master all about this. In other words, the spiritual master must also be well versed and learned so that he may be able to answer all these inquiries from the devotees. Thus one who is not well versed in the authorized scriptures and not able to answer all such relevant inquiries should not pose as a spiritual master for the matter of material gain. It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver his disciple. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/2/8/7|2.8.7]]* **To be accepted as an ācārya, one must understand Vedānta-sūtra:** According to the Vedic system, the *ācārya *must understand *Vedānta-sūtra *(also called *Brahma-sūtra) *before he can be accepted as an *ācārya. *Both the Māyāvāda *sampradāya *and the Vaiṣṇava *sampradāya *have explained the *Vedānta-sūtra. *Without understanding *Vedānta-sūtra, *one cannot understand Brahman. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* ****One** **must be conversant in all systems of philosophy to sit on the vyāsāsana:**** **Being the eldest learned Vedāntist, O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are acquainted with the knowledge of Vyāsadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully versed in all kinds of physical and metaphysical knowledge.** PURPORT: Besides Vyāsadeva, there are other sages who are the authors of six different philosophical systems, namely Gautama, Kaṇāda, Kapila, Patañjali, Jaimini and Aṣṭāvakra. Theism is explained completely in the *Vedānta-sūtra, *whereas in other systems of philosophical speculations, practically no mention is given to the ultimate cause of all causes. One can sit on the *vyāsāsana *only after being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present fully the theistic views of the *Bhāgavatam *in defiance of all other systems. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī was the proper teacher, and therefore the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya elevated him to the *vyāsāsana.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/7|1.1.7]]* **An ācārya must know Vedānta philosophy:** One must know very well that Vaiṣṇava philosophers are not sentimentalists or cheap devotees like the *sahajiyās. *All the Vaiṣṇava *ācāryas *were vastly learned scholars who understood Vedānta philosophy fully, for unless one knows Vedānta philosophy he cannot be an *ācārya. *To be accepted as an *ācārya *among Indian transcendentalists who follow the Vedic principles, one must become a vastly learned scholar in Vedānta philosophy, either by studying it or hearing it. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/102|7.102]]* **The spiritual master is the personification of the Vedas:** > ācāryo brahmaṇo murtiḥ **The *ācārya, *the spiritual master who teaches all the Vedic knowledge and gives initiation by offering the sacred thread, is the personification of all the *Vedas....*** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *6.7.29* To become a spiritual master, one must be empowered by the Lord and by his own spiritual master **Only by the Lord's order should one become spiritual master, and one should not do so for material motives:** [One] should try to cooperate with the Lord in His outward activities for correcting the fallen souls. By His order only, one should become a spiritual master and cooperate with the Lord. One should not become a spiritual master for one's personal benefit, for some material gain or as an avenue of business or occupation for earning livelihood. Bona fide spiritual masters who look unto the Supreme Lord to cooperate with Him are actually qualitatively one with the Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/13/48|1.13.48]]* **Unless one is favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the disciplic succession, one cannot act as a spiritual master:** **The Lord then replied to the Buddhist disciples: "You should all chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and Hari very loudly near the ear of your spiritual master. By this method your spiritual master will regain his consciousness." Following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice, all the Buddhist disciples began to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa congregationally. When all the disciples chanted the holy names Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Hari, the Buddhist teacher regained consciousness and immediately began to chant the holy name of Lord Hari.** PURPORT: Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that all the Buddhist disciples were actually initiated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and when they chanted, they actually became different persons. At that time they were not Buddhists or atheists but Vaiṣṇavas. Consequently they immediately accepted Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Their original Kṛṣṇa consciousness was revived, and they were immediately able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and begin worshiping the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu.... One point to note in this regard is that the spiritual master of the Buddhists did not initiate his disciples. Rather, his disciples were initiated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they in turn were able to initiate their so-called spiritual master. This is the *paramparā *system. The so-called spiritual master of the Buddhists was actually in the position of a disciple, and after his disciples were initiated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they acted as his spiritual masters. This was possible only because the disciples of the Buddhist *ācārya *received the mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Unless one is favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the disciplic succession, one cannot act as a spiritual master. We should take the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the spiritual master of the whole universe, to understand how one becomes a spiritual master and a disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/9/59|9.59-61]]* **By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even a lowborn person can become the spiritual master of the world:** According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, *yei kṛṣṇa-tattva vettā, sei 'guru' haya: *[*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]]* *anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa can become a spiritual master, without reference to whether or not he is a *brāhmaṇa *or *sannyāsī. *Ordinary people cannot understand the essence of *śāstra, *nor can they understand the pure character, behavior and abilities of strict followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's principles. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating pure, exalted Vaiṣṇavas even from those born in families considered lower than those of *śūdras.... *By the grace of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, one can be completely purified, become a preacher of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and become the spiritual master of the entire world. This principle is accepted in all Vedic literature. Evidence can be quoted from authoritative *śāstras *showing how a lowborn person can become the spiritual master of the entire world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is to be considered the most munificent personality, for He distributes the real essence of Vedic *śāstras *to anyone who becomes qualified by becoming His sincere servant. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/5/84|5.84]]* **Any persons who see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even once, become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world:** > strī-bāla-vṛddha, āra 'caṇḍāla', 'yavana' yei tomāra eka-bāra pāya daraśana > kṛṣṇa-nāma laya, nāce hañā unmatta ācārya ha-ila sei, tārila jagata **"If even women, children, old men, meat-eaters or members of the lowest caste can see You even once, they immediately chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/18/121|18.121-22]]* **Without being empowered and favored by Lord Kṛṣṇa, no one can become a spiritual master:** Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments: "Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa to fulfill His desire and without being specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of the whole world. He certainly cannot succeed by mental concoction, which is not meant for devotees or religious people." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/25/9|25.9]]* **Characteristics of the empowered spiritual master:** Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments: "Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa to fulfill His desire and without being specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of the whole world. He certainly cannot succeed by mental concoction, which is not meant for devotees or religious people. Only an empowered personality can distribute the holy name of the Lord and enjoin all fallen souls to worship Kṛṣṇa. By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the hearts of the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world. Not only that, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Kṛṣṇa's effulgence throughout the world. Such an *ācārya, *or spiritual master, should be considered nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa-that is, he should be considered the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa's potency. Such a personality is *kṛṣṇāliṅgita-vigraha-*that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Such a person is above the considerations of the *varṇāśrama *institution. He is the *guru *or spiritual master for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the *mahā-bhāgavata *stage, and a *paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura, *a spiritual form only fit to be addressed as *paramahaṁsa *or *ṭhākura*." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/25/9|25.9]]* **Without strict obedience to one's spiritual master, one cannot himself become a bona fide spiritual master:** One who is now the disciple is the next spiritual master. And one cannot be a bona fide and authorized spiritual master unless one has been strictly obedient to his spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/43|2.9.43]]* **The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his guru:** The bona fide spiritual master is he who has received the mercy of his *guru, *who in turn is bona fide because he has received the mercy of his *guru.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/16/24|8.16.24]]* The spiritual master must be a representative of Kṛṣṇa **The spiritual master must be a representative of Kṛṣṇa, the original spiritual master:** [Kṛṣṇa] is the spiritual master because He originally gave the Vedic instructions to Brahmā, and presently He is also instructing the *Bhagavad-gītā *to Arjuna; therefore He is the original spiritual master, and any bona fide spiritual master at the present moment must be a descendant in the line of disciplic succession stemming from Kṛṣṇa. Without being a representative of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become a teacher or spiritual master of transcendental subject matter. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/11/43|11.43]]* **The guru must be a representative of Kṛṣṇa:** Among all the living entities wandering throughout the universe, one who is most fortunate comes in contact with a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus gets the opportunity to execute devotional service. Those who are sincerely seeking the favor of Kṛṣṇa come in contact with a *guru, *a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs indulging in mental speculation and the *karmīs *desiring the results of their actions cannot become *gurus. *A *guru *must be a direct representative of Kṛṣṇa who distributes the instructions of Kṛṣṇa without any change. Thus only the most fortunate persons come in contact with the *guru. As *confirmed in the Vedic literatures, *tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet:** *[MU 1.2.12]* *one has to search out a *guru *to understand the affairs of the spiritual world. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *also confirms this point. *Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam:* [SB [[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]]* *one who is very interested in understanding the activities in the spiritual world must search out a *guru-*a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. From all angles of vision, therefore, the word *guru* is especially meant for the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa and no one else. *Padma Purāṇa *states, *avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt: *one who is not a Vaiṣṇava, or who is not a representative of Kṛṣṇa, cannot be a *guru. *Even the most qualified *brāhmaṇa *cannot become a *guru *if he is not a representative of Kṛṣṇa ... *Vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ: *but a Vaiṣṇava, a bona fide representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, can become a *guru, *even if he is *śva-paca, *a member of a family of dog-eaters. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/17/11|5.17.11]]* **The direction of Kṛṣṇa and His representative, the spiritual master, are one and are free from material reaction:** Anything done under the direction of Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. It cannot be contaminated by the material reactions, which may be auspicious or inauspicious.... Therefore if we at all want our activities to be auspicious, then we should work under the directions of the Supreme Lord. Such directions are given in authoritative scripture such as *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *and *Bhagavad-gītā, *or from a bona fide spiritual master. Because the spiritual master is the representative of the Supreme Lord, his direction is directly the direction of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master, saintly persons and scriptures direct in the same way. There is no contradiction in these three sources. All actions done under such direction are free from the reactions of pious and impious activities of this material world. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/10/3|10.3]]* The spiritual master must be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa **A spiritual master's qualification-brahma-niṣṭham:** A spiritual master's qualification is that he is *brahma-niṣṭham, *which means that he has given up all other activities and has dedicated his life to working only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **If one who does not have an attitude of servitorship to the Lord poses as an ācārya, he is an offender and is disqualified from being an ācārya:** If one poses himself as an *ācārya *but does not have an attitude of servitorship to the Lord, he must be considered an offender, and this offensive attitude disqualifies him from being an *ācārya. *The bona fide spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **The bona fide spiritual master is he who knows the science of, and is completely fixed in, bhakti-yoga:** The bona fide spiritual master is he who knows the science of devotional service in disciplic succession. This disciplic succession is called *śrotriyam. *The prime symptom of one who has become a spiritual master in disciplic succession is that he is one hundred percent fixed in *bhakti-yoga.* *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **Only a Vaiṣnava can be a guru; the Vaiṣṇava spiritual master is automatically a brāhmaṇa:** If one is highly qualified but is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot be accepted as a *guru. *One cannot be a *brāhmaṇa *unless one is a Vaiṣṇava. If one is a Vaiṣṇava, he is already a *brāhmaṇa. *If a *guru* is completely qualified as a Vaiṣṇava, he must be accepted as a *brāhmaṇa *even if he is not born in a *brāhmaṇa *family. The caste system method of distinguishing a *brāhmaṇa *by birth is not acceptable when applied to a bona fide spiritual master. A spiritual master is a qualified *brāhmaṇa *and *ācārya. *If one is not a qualified *brāhmaṇa, *he is not expert in studying Vedic literatures.... Every Vaiṣṇava is a spiritual master, and a spiritual master is automatically expert in brahminical behavior. *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* The spiritual master must be a pure devotee, a mahā-bhāgavata, an uttama-adhikārī **One cannot become a spiritual master unless he is a pure devotee of the Lord:** One who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the spiritual master of the world.... PURPORT: The devotee is always engaged in the loving devotional service of the Lord. Such a person is a true *guru. *In *Padma Purāṇa *it is said: > ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ "Even if a *brāhmaṇa* is very learned in Vedic scriptures and knows the six occupational duties of a *brāhmaṇa, *he cannot become a *guru *or spiritual master unless he is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, if one is born in a family of dog-eaters but is a pure devotee of the Lord, he can become a spiritual master." The conclusion is that one cannot become a spiritual master unless he is a pure devotee of the Lord.... One should therefore take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. Success in life means accepting a spiritual master who knows Kṛṣṇa as the only supreme beloved personality. *— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/4/29/51|4.29.51]]* **The guru must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service:** The *guru *must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the *guru *must be accepted from the topmost class.... The *mahā-bhāgavata* is one who decorates his body with *tilaka *and whose name indicates him to be a servant of Kṛṣṇa by the word *dāsa. *He is also initiated by a bona fide spiritual master and is expert in worshiping the Deity, chanting *mantras *correctly, performing sacrifices, offering prayers to the Lord, and performing *saṅkīrtana. *He knows how to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to respect a Vaiṣṇava. When one has attained the topmost position of *mahā-bhāgavata, *he is to be accepted as a *guru *and worshiped exactly like Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of a *guru.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **Only an uttama-adhikārī can become a spiritual master; symptoms of the uttama-adhikārī:** One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of *uttama-adhikārī.... *The *uttama-adhikārī, *or highest devotee, is one who is very advanced in devotional service. An *uttama-adhikārī* is not interested in blaspheming others, his heart is completely clean, and he has attained the realized state of unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the association and service of such a *mahā-bhāgavata, *or perfect Vaiṣṇava, are most desirable.... Out of many [bona fide] Vaiṣṇavas, one may be found to be very seriously engaged in the service of the Lord and strictly following all the regulative principles, chanting the prescribed number of rounds on *japa *beads and always thinking of how to expand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Such a Vaiṣṇava should be accepted as an *uttama-adhikārī, *a highly advanced devotee, and his association should always be sought.... When a person realizes himself to be an eternal servitor of Kṛṣṇa, he loses interest in everything but Kṛṣṇa's service. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, devising means by which to spread the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, he understands that his only business is in spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Such a person is to be recognized as an *uttama-adhikārī, *and his association should be immediately accepted according to the six processes *(dadāti pratigṛhṇāti, *etc.). Indeed, the advanced *uttama-adhikārī *Vaiṣṇava devotee should be accepted as a spiritual master.... Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has given some practical hints to the effect that an *uttama-adhikārī *Vaiṣṇava can be recognized by his ability to convert many fallen souls to Vaiṣṇavism. *— NOI [[books/noi/5|Text 5]]* **It is better for a disciple to accept an uttama-adhikārī, rather than a kaniṣṭha- or madhyama-adhikārī, as a spiritual master:** One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of *uttama-adhikārī. *A neophyte Vaiṣṇava or a Vaiṣṇava situated on the intermediate platform can also accept disciples, but such disciples must be on the same platform, and it should be understood that they cannot advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance. Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an *uttama-adhikārī *as a spiritual master. *— NOI [[books/noi/5|Text 5]]* The spiritual master is a confidential servitor of Kṛṣṇa **The spiritual master is engaged in the Lord's most confidential service of delivering all the conditioned souls:** The spiritual master, the servant of God, is engaged in the most confidential service of the Lord, namely delivering all the conditioned souls from the clutches of *māyā*. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/5/11|7.5.11]]* **The guru is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa because he tells people to surrender to Kṛṣṇa:** Being the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the *guru* is very dear to Kṛṣṇa; therefore if he recommends someone to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa accepts the person. The *guru* is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa because he canvasses from door to door, saying, "Please become Kṛṣṇa conscious and surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that such a person is very dear to Him. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The spiritual master is very dear to Kṛṣṇa because he is prepared to go anywhere to render the confidential service of preaching Krṣṇa consciousness:** The spiritual master is kind in that he begs from door to door, country to country, town to town: "My dear ladies and gentlemen, my dear boys and girls, please take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." In this way he renders very confidential service to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord who gives the orders, and the spiritual master executes those orders; therefore the spiritual master is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Whether Kṛṣṇa sends him to heaven or to hell makes no difference to him. For the spiritual master, a pure devotee, heaven and hell are both the same if there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In hell people are suffering in so many ways, and in heaven they are enjoying their senses in so many ways, but a devotee of the Lord can live any place where there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and since he brings this consciousness with him, he is always self-satisfied. If he is sent to hell, he will be satisfied simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. In fact, he does not believe in hell but in Kṛṣṇa. Similarly if he were put in heaven, where there are so many opportunities for sense gratification, he would also remain aloof, for his senses are satisfied by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus for the service of the Lord a devotee is prepared to go anywhere, and for this reason he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. *— The Science of Self-Realization* The spiritual master must be able to free his disciples from birth and death and lead them back to Godhead **The spiritual master must be able to save his dependent disciple from birth and death:** > gurur na sa syāt svajano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum **One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.** PURPORT: There are many spiritual masters, but Ṛṣabhadeva advises that one should not become a spiritual master if he is unable to save his disciple from the path of birth and death. Unless one is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot save himself from the path of repeated birth and death. *Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna. *One can stop birth and death only by returning home, back to Godhead. However, who can go back to Godhead unless he understands the Supreme Lord in truth? *Janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ* [Bg [[bg/4/9|4.9]]]*.* We have many instances in history illustrating Ṛṣabhadeva's instructions. Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja due to his inability to save Bali Mahārāja from the path of repeated birth and death. Śukrācārya was not a pure devotee, he was more or less inclined to fruitive activity, and he objected when Bali Mahārāja promised to give everything to Lord Viṣṇu.... Ordinarily, the spiritual master, husband, father, mother or superior relative accepts worship from an inferior relative, but here Ṛṣabhadeva forbids this. First the father, spiritual master or husband must be able to release the dependent from repeated birth and death. If he cannot do this, he plunges himself into the ocean of reproachment for his unlawful activities. Everyone should be very responsible and take charge of his dependents just as a spiritual master takes charge of his disciple or a father takes charge of his son. All these responsibilities cannot be discharged honestly unless one can save the dependent from repeated birth and death. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/5/18|5.5.18]]* ****One** **should not become a guru unless he can take the disciple back home, back to Godhead:**** According to *śāstra, *the duty of the *guru* is to take the disciple back home, back to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead hinders the disciple in going back to Godhead, he should not be a *guru. Gurur na sa syāt* (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/5/18|5.5.18]]). One should not become a *guru *if he cannot enable his disciple to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence (*tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna* [Bg [[bg/4/9|4.9]]]). The spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/20/1|8.20.1]]* **The spiritual master must be able to lead his disciple back to Godhead:** The training of devotional service for a neophyte devotee completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress towards the path back home, back to Godhead. One should not become a pseudo spiritual master as a matter of business to meet one's family expenditures; one must be an expert spiritual master to deliver the disciple from the clutches of impending death. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/3/22|2.3.22]]* **The bona fide spiritual master is one who trains his disciple to worship Vāsudeva:** Kaśyapa Muni advised his wife to seek shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, so that all her problems would be very easily solved. Thus Kaśyapa Muni was an ideal spiritual master. He was not so foolish that he would present himself as an exalted personality, as good as God. He was actually a bona fide *guru *because he advised his wife to seek shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva. One who trains his subordinate or disciple to worship Vāsudeva is the truly bona fide spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/16/20|8.16.20]]* **The spiritual master must be able to engage his disciple, ultimately, in the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa:** A person who may be a spiritual master for others [should not] pose to be so if he is unable to engage his disciple ultimately in the transcendental loving service of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/13/2|1.13.2]]* The spiritual master must teach by example **The spiritual master must teach by example:** **Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.** PURPORT: People in general always require a leader who can teach the public by practical behavior. A leader cannot teach the public to stop smoking if he himself smokes. Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave properly even before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called *ācārya, *or the ideal teacher. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/3/21|3.21]]* **The spiritual master must teach by example, otherwise no one will follow:** Although He has no obligatory duty, still [the Lord] does everything so that others may follow. That is the way of factual teaching; one must act properly himself and teach the same to others, otherwise no one will accept one's blind teaching. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/10/36|1.10.36]]* **The guru does not instruct his disciples without acting accordingly himself:** **Thus once upon a time the forefather of living entities and the father of religiousness, Lord Brahmā, situated himself in acts of regulative principles, desiring self-interest for the welfare of all living entities.** PURPORT: One cannot be situated in an exalted position without having undertaken a regulative life of rules and regulations. An unrestricted life of sense gratification is animal life, and Lord Brahmā, in order to teach all concerned within the jurisdiction of his generations, taught the same principles of sense control for executing higher duties. He desired the welfare of all as servants of God, and anyone desiring the welfare of the members of his family and generations must conduct a moral, religious life.... The pure devotees of the Lord, like Brahmā and persons in the chain of disciplic succession, do not do anything to instruct their subordinates without acting accordingly themselves. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/40|2.9.40]]* The spiritual master must be self-controlled **A sober person who can control the six pushing agents is qualified to make disciples all over the world:** > *vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ* *krodha-vegaṁ jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt* **A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.** *— NOI [[books/noi/1|Text 1]]* ****One** **who does not have full control over his senses and mind cannot become a spiritual master:**** A person who has full control over the senses and mind is called a *gosvāmī *or *gosāñi. *One who does not have such control is called *godāsa, *or a servant of the senses, and cannot become a spiritual master. A spiritual master who actually has control over the mind and senses is called *gosvāmī.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/13|7.13]]* **Both the guru and the disciple must be self-controlled:** One who is not self-controlled, specifically in sex life, can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. One must have disciplinary training in controlling speaking, anger, the tongue, the mind, the belly and the genitals. One who has controlled the particular senses mentioned above is called a *gosvāmī. *Without becoming a *gosvāmī* one can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. The so-called spiritual master without sense control is certainly the cheater, and the disciple of such a so-called spiritual master is the cheated. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/9/43|2.9.43]]* The spiritual master's body is spiritual **The body of the spiritual master is spiritual:** The material body certainly consists only of material elements, but when one awakens to Kṛṣṇa conscious understanding, the body is no longer material but spiritual. The material body is meant for sense enjoyment, whereas the spiritual body engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Therefore, a devotee who engages in the service of the Supreme Lord and who constantly thinks of Him should never be considered to have a material body. It is therefore enjoined, *guruṣu nara-matiḥ: *one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body. *Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ: *everyone knows that the Deity in the temple is made of stone, but to think that the Deity is merely stone is an offense. Similarly, to think that the body of the spiritual master consists of material ingredients is offensive. Atheists think that devotees foolishly worship a stone statue as God and an ordinary man as the *guru. *The fact is, however, that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa's omnipotence, the so-called stone statue of the Deity is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the body of the spiritual master is directly spiritual. A pure devotee who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service should be understood to be situated on the transcendental platform *(sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate* [Bg [[bg/14/26|14.26]]]*). *Let us therefore offer our obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose mercy so-called material things also become spiritual when they are engaged in spiritual activity. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/8/3/2|8.3.2]]* **The guru's body is spiritual and therefore unaffected by material conditions:** One who is engaged in the service of the Lord *(yato bhaktir adhokṣaje* [SB [[sb/1/2/6|1.2.6]]]*), *without impediment and without cessation, is understood to be situated in his original, spiritual status. When one is promoted to this status, one is always happy in transcendental bliss. Otherwise, as long as one is in the bodily concept of life, one must suffer material conditions. *Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam* [Bg [[bg/13/8 bg 13.9 bg 13.10 bg 13.11 bg 13.12 bg 13.8-12|13.9]]]*. *The body is subject to its own principles of birth, death, old age and disease, but one who is situated in spiritual life *(yato bhaktir adhokṣaje) *has no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. One may argue that we may see a person who is spiritually engaged twenty-four hours a day but is still suffering from disease. In fact, however, he is neither suffering nor diseased; otherwise he could not be engaged twenty-four hours a day in spiritual activities. The example may be given in this connection that sometimes dirty foam or garbage is seen floating on the water of the Ganges. This is called *nīra-dharma, *a function of the water. But one who goes to the Ganges does not mind the foam and dirty things floating in the water. With his hand, he pushes away such nasty things, bathes in the Ganges and gains the beneficial results. Therefore, one who is situated in the spiritual status of life is unaffected by foam and garbage-or any superficial dirty things. This is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: > īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate **"A person acting in the service of Kṛṣṇa with his body, mind and words is a liberated person, even within the material world."** **(*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu *1.2.187)** Therefore, one is forbidden to regard the *guru *as an ordinary human being (*guruṣu nara-matiḥ ... nārakī saḥ*). 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. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/4/20|10.4.20]]* The ecstasy of the spiritual master **The spiritual master feels ecstasy because he is relishing the mellows of pure devotion:** > mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta vāditra-mādyan-manaso rasena romāñca-kampāśru-taraṅga-bhājo vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **"Chanting the holy name, dancing in ecstasy, singing, and playing musical instruments, the spiritual master is always gladdened by the *saṅkīrtana *movement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because he is relishing the mellows of pure devotion within his mind, sometimes his hair stands on end, he feels quivering in his body, and tears flow from his eyes like waves. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master"** *— *Śrī Śrī-gurv-aṣṭaka *Verse 2 Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura* **The spiritual master enjoys transcendental bliss by chanting and dancing:** *Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-vāditra-mādyan-manaso rasena. *The second symptom of the *guru* is that he is always engaged in chanting, glorifying Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu-that is his business ... the spiritual master enjoys transcendental bliss within his mind by chanting and dancing.... *Romāñca-kampāśru-taraṅga-bhājaḥ. *There are sometimes transformations of the body with spiritual symptoms-sometimes crying, sometimes the hairs standing on end. There are so many symptoms. These are natural. These symptoms are not to be imitated, but when one is spiritually advanced, they are visible. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* Other important qualifications and characteristics of the spiritual master ****One** **who acts according to scripture and at the same time preaches is a bona fide spiritual master:**** **"Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly. You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world."** PURPORT: Sanātana Gosvāmī clearly defines herein the bona fide spiritual master of the world. The qualifications expressed in this connection are that one must act according to the scriptural injunctions and at the same time preach. One who does so is a bona fide spiritual master. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the ideal spiritual master because he regularly chanted on his beads a prescribed number of times. Indeed, he was chanting the holy name of the Lord three hundred thousand times a day. Similarly, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement chant a minimum of sixteen rounds a day, which can be done without difficulty, and at the same time they must preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu according to the gospel of *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. *One who does so is quite fit to become a spiritual master for the entire world. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/4/102|4.102-3]]* **A genuine guru is one who speaks only about God and tries to get others to become devotees of God:** **Reporter: **How can a person tell he has a genuine *guru*? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Can any of my students answer this question? **Disciple: **Once I remember John Lennon asked you, "How will I know who is the genuine *guru*?" And you answered, "Just find out the one who is most addicted to Kṛṣṇa. He is genuine." **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes. The genuine *guru* is God's representative, and he speaks about God and nothing else. The genuine *guru* is he who has no interest in materialistic life. He is after God, and God only. That is one of the tests of a genuine *guru*: *brahma-niṣṭham. *He is absorbed in the Absolute Truth. In the *Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad* it is stated, *śrotriyaṁ* *brahma-niṣṭham:** *[MU 1.2.12] "The genuine *guru* is well versed in the scriptures and Vedic knowledge, and he is completely dependent on Brahman." He should know what Brahman [spirit] is and how to become situated in Brahman. These signs are given in the Vedic literature. As I said before, the real *guru* is God's representative. He represents the Supreme Lord, just as a viceroy represents a king. The real *guru* will not manufacture anything. Everything he says is in accordance with the scriptures and the previous *ācāryas*. He will not give you a *mantra* and tell you that you will become God in six months. This is not a *guru's* business. A *guru's* business is to canvass everyone to become a devotee of God. That is the sum and substance of a real *guru's* business. Indeed, he has no other business. He tells whomever he sees, "Please become God conscious." If he canvasses somehow or other on behalf of God and tries to get everyone to become a devotee of God, he is a genuine *guru*. **Reporter: **What about a Christian priest? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Christian, Muhammadan, Hindu-it doesn't matter. If he is simply speaking on behalf of God, he is a *guru*. Lord Jesus Christ, for instance. He canvassed people, saying, "Just try to love God." Anyone-it doesn't matter-be he Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, is a *guru* if he convinces people to love God. That is the test. The *guru* never says, "I am God," or "I will make you God." The real *guru* says, "I am a servant of God, and I will make you a servant of God also." It doesn't matter how the *guru* is dressed. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Whoever can impart knowledge about Kṛṣṇa is a spiritual master." A genuine spiritual master simply tries to get people to become devotees of Kṛṣṇa, or God. He has no other business. **Reporter: **But the bad *gurus*... **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **And what is a "bad" *guru*? **Reporter: **A bad *guru* just wants some money or some fame. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Well, if he is bad, how can he become a *guru*? [laughter.] How can iron become gold? Actually, a *guru* cannot be bad, for if someone is bad, he cannot be a *guru*. You cannot say "bad *guru*." That is a contradiction. What you have to do is simply try to understand what a genuine *guru* is. The definition of a genuine *guru* is that he is simply talking about God-that's all. If he's talking about some other nonsense, then he is not a *guru*. A *guru* cannot be bad. There is no question of a bad *guru*, any more than a red *guru* or a white *guru. Guru* means "genuine *guru*." All we have to know is that the genuine *guru* is simply talking about God and trying to get people to become God's devotees. If he does this, he is genuine. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **Whoever teaches how to know and love God is a spiritual master:** **Ms. Nixon:** How can one tell a bona fide spiritual master from a fake? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Whoever teaches how to know God and how to love Him-he is a spiritual master. Sometimes bogus rascals mislead people. "I am God," they claim, and people who do not know what God is believe them. You must be a serious student to understand who God is and how to love Him. Otherwise, you will simply waste your time. So the difference between others and us is that we are the only movement that can actually teach one how to know God and how to love Him. We are presenting the science of how one can know Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by practicing the teachings of the *Bhagavad-gītā* and *the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*. They teach us that our only business is to love God. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **A devotee perfectly qualified in chanting the holy name is fit to become a spiritual master and deliver all the people of the world:** A bona fide spiritual master chants the holy names-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-and the transcendental sound vibration enters into the ear of the disciple, and if a disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the holy name with similar respect, he actually comes to worship the transcendental name. When the transcendental name is worshiped by the devotee, the name Himself spreads His glories within the heart of a devotee. When a devotee is perfectly qualified in chanting the transcendental vibration of the holy name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master and to deliver all the people of the world. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The spiritual master should not be proud of his position; being humble, he should preach the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra:** **"One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord."** PURPORT:The grass is specifically mentioned in this verse because everyone tramples upon it yet the grass never protests. This example indicates that a spiritual master or leader should not be proud of his position; being always humbler than an ordinary common man, he should go on preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra*. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/17/31|17.31]]* **The spiritual master must be spotless in character:** **The sages said: Respected Sūta Gosvāmī, you are completely free from all vice....** PURPORT: A *gosvāmī* or the bona fide representative of Śrī Vyāsadeva must be free from all kinds of vices. The four major vices of Kali-yuga are (1) illicit connection with women, (2) animal slaughter, (3) intoxication, (4) speculative gambling of all sorts. A *gosvāmī* must be free from all these vices before he can dare sit on the *vyāsāsana. *No one should be allowed to sit on the *vyāsāsana *who is not spotless in character and who is not freed from the above-mentioned vices. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/6|1.1.6]]* **The spiritual master must be free from māyā:** If Arjuna is on the same level with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not superior to Arjuna, then their relationship of instructor and instructed becomes meaningless. If both of them are deluded by the illusory energy (*māyā*), then there is no need of one being the instructor and the other the instructed. Such instruction would be useless because, in the clutches of *māyā, *no one can be an authoritative instructor. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/13|2.13]]* ****One** **should take advice only from a person transcendental to the four basic defects, the spiritual master:**** Unless one can find a person transcendental to the four basic defects, one should not accept advice and become a victim of the material condition. The best process is to take the advice and instructions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative. In this way one can be happy in this life and the next. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/14/26|5.14.26]]* **The qualification of a bona fide spiritual master-he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures and be able to convince others of those conclusions:** > tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam [SB [[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]] **"Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters."** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]] [cited: *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/14/41|5.14.41]]]* **The spiritual master must have complete knowledge and be able to answer all inquiries from the disciple:** For every unknown thing, we have to learn and inquire from a learned personality.... The spiritual master, therefore, must be one who is *sarva-jña.... *Thus all inquires on God which are unknown to the disciple may be made from the qualified spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/4/6|2.4.6]]* ****One** **can become a spiritual master, even if not liberated, by having full faith in Kṛṣṇa's words and following His instructions:**** A conditioned soul is hampered by four defects: he is sure to commit mistakes, he is sure to become illusioned, he has a tendency to cheat others, and his senses are imperfect. Consequently we have to take direction from liberated persons. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement directly receives instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead via persons who are strictly following His instructions. Although a follower may not be a liberated person, if he follows the supreme liberated Personality of Godhead, his actions are naturally liberated from the contamination of material nature. Lord Caitanya therefore says: "By My order you may become a spiritual master." One can immediately become a spiritual master by having full faith in the transcendental words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by following His instructions. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/18/5|4.18.5]]* **Unless one has contact with a spiritual master and the Supersoul, one cannot be a spiritual master:** Brahmā's enlightenment in knowledge was due to the Lord sitting within his heart. After being created, Brahmā could not ascertain the source of his appearance, but after penance and mental concentration he could see the source of his birth, and thus he became enlightened through the heart. The spiritual master outside and the spiritual master within are both representations of the Lord. Unless one has contact with such bona fide representations, one cannot claim to be a spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/9/26|3.9.26]]* ****One** **who knows that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone can become the spiritual master of the world:**** **"One who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the spiritual master of the world....** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/29/51|4.29.51]]* **The spiritual master need not be older than the disciple:** **The demigods continued: Do not fear criticism for being younger than us. Such etiquette does not apply in regard to Vedic *mantras. *Except in relationship to Vedic *mantras, *seniority is determined by age, but one may offer respectful obeisances even to a younger person who is advanced in chanting Vedic *mantras. *Therefore although you are junior in relationship to us, you may become our priest without hesitation.** PURPORT: It is said, *vṛddhatvaṁ vayasā vinā: *one may be senior without being advanced in age. Even if one is not old, one gains seniority if he is senior in knowledge. Viśvarūpa was junior in relationship to the demigods because he was their nephew, but the demigods wanted to accept him as their priest, and therefore he would have to accept obeisances from them. The demigods explained that this should not be a cause for hesitation; he could become their priest because he was advanced in Vedic knowledge. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/7/33|6.7.33]]* ****One** **should accept a spiritual master not in terms of heredity or social and ecclesiastical conventions, but in terms of genuine qualification:**** It is imperative that a serious person accept a bona fide spiritual master in terms of the śāstric injunctions. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī advises 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/35|1.35]]* **Disqualifications and qualifications for a bona fide spiritual master:** One should not accept as a spiritual master someone who is Fool Number One, who has no direction according to the scriptural injunctions, whose character is doubtful, who does not follow the principles of devotional service, or who has not conquered the influence of the six sense gratifying agents. The six agents of sense gratification are the tongue, the genitals, the belly, anger, the mind and words. Anyone who has practiced controlling these six is permitted to make disciples all over the world. *— The Nectar of Devotion* ****One** **can become a spiritual master at home by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and preaching the principles of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to relatives and friends:**** **The *brāhmaṇa *begged Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, kindly show me favor and let me go with You. I can no longer tolerate the waves of misery caused by materialistic life." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Don't speak like that again. Better to remain at home and chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa always. Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in *Bhagavad-gītā *and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land. If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company." At whosoever's house Śrī Caitanya accepted His alms by taking *prasāda, *He would convert the dwellers to His *saṅkīrtana *movement and advise them just as He advised the *brāhmaṇa *named Kurma.** PURPORT: The cult of Śrī Caitanya 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 Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *and instruct relatives and friends in the teachings of *Bhagavad-gītā *and *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *One has to learn humility and meekness at home, following the instructions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, 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 Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra *and preaching the principles enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of material life. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/7/126|7.126-30]]* **For the spiritual master to speak and disciple to hear kṛṣṇa-kathā, both must be free from material desires:** > nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānavādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśu-ghnāt [SB [[sb/10/1/4|10.1.4]]] **Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the *paramparā *system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation.** PURPORT: For *kṛṣṇa-kathā, *topics about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there must be a speaker and a hearer, both of whom can be interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they are no longer interested in material topics.... For topics concerning Uttamaśloka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master speaks, and the disciple hears with attention. Unless both of them are free from material desires, they cannot be interested in topics of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The spiritual master and disciple do not need to understand anything more than Kṛṣṇa because simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa and talking about Kṛṣṇa, one becomes a perfectly learned person *(yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati*) (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/1/4|10.1.4]]* **The bona fide spiritual master as jagad-guru, a guru of all human beings:** The *guru *must be situated on the topmost platform of devotional service. There are three classes of devotees, and the *guru *must be accepted from the topmost class. The first-class devotee is the spiritual master for all kinds of people. It is said: *gurur nṛṇām. *The word *nṛṇām *means "of all human beings." The *guru* is not limited to a particular group. It is stated in the *Upadeśāmṛta *of Rūpa Gosvāmī that a *guru* is a *gosvāmī, *a controller of the senses and the mind. Such a *guru *can accept disciples from all over the world. *Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. *This is the test of the *guru.* In India there are many so-called *gurus, *and they are limited to a certain district or a province. They do not even travel about India, yet they declare themselves to be *jagad-guru, gurus *of the whole world. Such cheating *gurus *should not be accepted. Anyone can see how the bona fide spiritual master accepts disciples from all over the world. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The spiritual master is naturally victorious in an argument with the disciple:** **After hearing this, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya rendered his judgment, saying, "Brahmānanda Bhāratī, I see that you are victorious." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "I accept whatever Brahmānanda Bhāratī has said. It is quite all right with Me." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus posed Himself as a disciple and accepted Brahmānanda Bhāratī as His spiritual master. He then said, "The disciple is certainly defeated in an argument with the spiritual master."...** PURPORT: Brahmānanda Bhāratī admitted that when there is an argument between the spiritual master and the disciple, the spiritual master is naturally victorious, although the disciple may put forward a strong argument. In other words, it is customary that the words of the spiritual master are more worshipable than the words of a disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/172|10.172-75]]* **If a spiritual master cannot direct his disciples to become free from sinful activities, he becomes responsible for their sinful acts:** If parents simply give birth to children like cats and dogs but cannot save their children from imminent death, they become responsible for the activities of their animalistic children.... Similarly, if a spiritual master cannot direct his disciple to become free of sinful activities, he becomes responsible for their sinful acts. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/20/14|4.20.14]]* **The spiritual master is a liberated soul:** Sometimes doubts arise in the minds of neophytes about whether or not the spiritual master is liberated, and sometimes neophytes are doubtful about the bodily affairs of the spiritual master. The point of liberation, however, is not to see the bodily symptoms of the spiritual master. *Jīvan-mukta *means that even though one is in the material body (there are still some material necessities since the body is material), because one is fully situated in the service of the Lord, he is to be understood to be liberated. Liberation entails being situated in one's own position. That is the definition in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: muktir ... svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ *[*SB* [[sb/2/10/6|2.10.6]]]*. *The *svarūpa, *or actual identity of the living entity, is described by Lord Caitanya. *Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa':* [Cc Madhya[[cc/madhya/20/108-109|20.108]]]* *the real identity of the living entity is that he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. If someone is one hundred percent engaged in the service of the Lord, he is to be understood as liberated. One must understand whether or not he is liberated by his activities in devotional service, not by other symptoms. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/33/10|3.33.10]]* **The spiritual master has unlimited intelligence in guiding the disciple:** *Agādha-dhiṣaṇaṁ dvijam: *the *ācārya* is a perfect *brāhmaṇa *and has unlimited intelligence in guiding the activities of his disciple. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/7/15|6.7.15]]* **The spiritual master is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes:** > śrī-rādhikā-mādhavayor apāra mādhurya-līlā-guṇa-rūpa-nāmnām prati-kṣaṇāsvādana-lolupasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam The spiritual master is always thinking of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with His consort Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the *gopīs. *Sometimes he is thinking about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the cowherd boys. This means that he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa engaged in some kind of pastime. *Prati-kṣaṇāsvādana-lolupasya. Prati-kṣaṇa *means he is thinking that way twenty-four hours a day. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **A spiritual master is recognized as such when it is seen that he has changed the character of his disciples:** **Seeing the sublime character of the prostitute, everyone glorified the influence of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and offered him obeisances.** PURPORT: It is said, *phalena paricīyate: *one is recognized by the results of his actions. In Vaiṣṇava society there are many types of Vaiṣṇavas. Some of them are called *gosvāmīs, *some are called *svāmīs, *some are *prabhus, *and some are *prabhupāda. *One is not recognized, however, simply by such a name. A spiritual master is recognized as an actual *guru *when it is seen that he has changed the character of his disciples. Haridāsa Ṭhākura actually changed the character of the professional prostitute. People greatly appreciated this, and therefore they all offered obeisances to Haridāsa Ṭhākura and glorified him. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/3/143|3.143]]* **The spiritual master's ultimate goal is to go to Kṛṣṇa's planet to serve the Lord in one of five rasas:** > nikuñja-yūno rati-keli-siddhyai yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣaṇīyā tatrāti-dākṣyād ati-vallabhasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam The spiritual master's ultimate goal is that he wants to be transferred to the planet of Kṛṣṇa, where he can associate with the *gopīs *to help them serve Kṛṣṇa. Some spiritual masters are thinking of becoming assistants to the *gopīs, *some are thinking of becoming assistants to the cowherd boys, some are thinking of becoming assistants to Nanda and Mother Yaśodā, and some are thinking of becoming God's servants. Some are thinking of becoming flower trees, fruit trees, calves, or cows in Vṛndāvana. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **The qualification of an ācārya-to present himself as a servant of the Supreme and to defy atheistic imposters posing as God:** 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/6/28|6.28]]* **The relationship between guru and disciple is spiritual:** In the material world, a servant serves the master as long as the servant is pleased and as long as the master is pleased. The servant is pleased as long as the master pays, and the master is pleased as long as the servant renders good service. However, in the spiritual world, if the servant cannot serve under certain conditions, the master is still pleased. And if the master does not pay, the servant is also pleased. That is called oneness, absolute. A *guru *may have hundreds of disciples, hundreds of servants, but he doesn't have to pay them. They are serving out of spiritual love, and the *guru* is teaching without receiving a salary. This is a spiritual relationship. There are no cheaters and cheated in such a relationship. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* ### 4. The Duties and Proper Behavior of the Spiritual Master The spiritual master enlightens And instructs his disciple. (General instructions.) **The guru's business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light:** > oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ **''I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my *guru, *my spiritual master, opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him."** PURPORT: The word *ajñāna *means "ignorance" or "darkness." If all the lights in this room immediately went out, we would not be able to tell where we or others are sitting. Everything would become confused. Similarly, we are all in darkness in this material world, which is a world of *tamas. Tamas *or *timira *means "darkness." This material world is dark, and therefore it needs sunlight or moonlight for illumination. However, there is another world, a spiritual world, that is beyond this darkness. That world is described by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the *Bhagavad-gītā* ([[bg/15/6|15.6]]):... "That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world." The *guru's *business is to bring his disciples from darkness to light. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The guru's business is to free the human being from suffering by rescuing him from ignorance:** The *guru's *business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible. In this material world, there are three kinds of suffering: *ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, *and *ādhidaivika. *These are miseries arising from the material body and mind, from other living entities, and from the forces of nature. We may suffer mental anguish, or we may suffer from other living entities-from ants or mosquitos or flies-or we may suffer due to some superior power. There may be no rain, or there may be flood. There may be excessive heat or excessive cold. So many types of suffering are imposed by nature. Thus there are three types of miseries within the material world, and everyone is suffering from one, two, or three of them. No one can say that he is completely free from suffering. We may then ask why the living entity is suffering. The answer is: out of ignorance. He does not think, "I am committing mistakes and am leading a sinful life; that is why I am suffering." Therefore the *guru's* first business is to rescue his disciple from this ignorance. We send our children to school to save them from suffering. If our children do not receive an education, we fear that they will suffer in the future. The *guru* sees that suffering is due to ignorance, which is compared to darkness. How can one in darkness be saved? By light. The *guru* takes the torchlight of knowledge and presents it before the living entity enveloped in darkness. That knowledge relieves him from the sufferings of the darkness of ignorance. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The spiritual master reveals all knowledge to the disciple:** **When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.** PURPORT: Real knowledge can be obtained from a person who is in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, one has to seek out such a bona fide spiritual master and, under him, learn what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is. The spiritual master can drive away all nescience, as the sun drives away darkness. Even though a person may be in full knowledge that he is not this body but is transcendental to the body, he still may not be able to discriminate between the soul and the Supersoul. However, he can know everything well if he cares to take shelter of the perfect, bona fide Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master. One can know God and one's relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/5/16|5.16]]* **The sincere disciple is blessed with spiritual realization by the spiritual master:** > upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [Bg [[bg/4/34|4.34]]] **... The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.** PURPORT: One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding.... A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/34|4.34]]* **The spiritual master uses sharp words to cut the disciple's mind from material attachments:** If one is intelligent he will associate with those who are trying to elevate themselves to the platform of self-realization through one of the various forms of *yoga. *The result will be that those who are *sādhu, *or realized, will be able to sever their attachment to this material affection. Because Arjuna is attracted to things that are impeding the execution of his own duty, Kṛṣṇa severs these things. To cut something, a sharp instrument is required; and to cut the mind from its attachments, sharp words are often required. The *sādhu *or teacher shows no mercy in using sharp words to sever the student's mind from material attractions. By speaking the truth uncompromisingly, he is able to sever the bondage. For example, at the very beginning of *Bhagavad-gītā *Kṛṣṇa speaks sharply to Arjuna by telling him that although he speaks like a learned man, he is actually fool number one. If we actually want detachment from this material world, we should be prepared to accept such cutting words from the spiritual master. Compromise and flattery have no effect where strong words are required. *— Perfection of Yoga* **The guru's task is to open the disciple's eyes of knowledge:** In *Bhagavad-gītā *it is said that one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead through *jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ, *eyes of knowledge. He who opens these eyes of knowledge is called a spiritual master. Thus we offer our prayers to the spiritual master with the following *śloka:* > oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ **"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance." *(Gautamīya-tantra) *** The *guru's *task is to open the disciple's eyes of knowledge. When the disciple is awakened from ignorance to knowledge, he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/1/11|8.1.11]]* **The spiritual master delivers the disciple from ignorance to knowledge and freedom:** **Your Lordship is my only means of getting out of this darkest region of ignorance because You are my transcendental eye, which, by Your mercy only, I have attained after many, many births.** PURPORT: This verse is very instructive, since it indicates the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple. The disciple or conditioned soul is put into this darkest region of ignorance and therefore is entangled in the material existence of sense gratification. It is very difficult to get out of this entanglement and attain freedom, but if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a spiritual master like Kapila Muni or His representative then by His grace one can be delivered from the mire of ignorance. The spiritual master is therefore worshiped as one who delivers the disciple from the mire of ignorance with the light of the torch of knowledge. The word *pāra-gam* is very significant. *Pāra-gam *means one who can take the disciple to the other side. This side is conditioned life; the other side is the life of freedom. The spiritual master takes the disciple to the other side by opening his eyes with knowledge. We are suffering simply because of ignorance. By the instruction of the spiritual master, the darkness of ignorance is removed, and thus the disciple is enabled to go to the side of freedom. It is stated in *Bhagavad-gītā *that after many, many births one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, if, after many, many births, one is able to find a bona fide spiritual master and surrender to such a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, he can be taken to the side of light. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/25/8|3.25.8]]* **The spiritual master frees the disciple from the material concept of life:** One should know the distinction between the body, the owner of the body, and the Supersoul. A faithful person should at first have some good association to hear of God and thus gradually become enlightened. If one accepts a spiritual master, he can learn to distinguish between matter and spirit, and that becomes the stepping-stone for further spiritual realization. A spiritual master teaches his students to get free from the material concept of life by various instructions. For instance, in *Bhagavad-gītā *we find Kṛṣṇa instructing Arjuna to free him from materialistic considerations. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/13/35|13.35]]* **The duty of an ācārya or bona fide spiritual master is to initiate disciples and instruct them in Vedic wisdom:** The spiritual master is also called *ācārya, *or a transcendental professor of spiritual science. The *Manu-saṁhitā *(2.140) explains the duties of an *ācārya, *describing that a bona fide spiritual master accepts charge of disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth.... The duty of the spiritual master is to initiate a disciple with the sacred thread ceremony, and after this *saṁskāra, *or purificatory process, the spiritual master actually begins to teach the disciple about the *Vedas.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **The spiritual master dissipates the darkness of empirical knowledge:** Gentlemen, although we are like ignorant children in the knowledge of the Transcendence, still His Divine Grace, my Gurudeva, has kindled a small fire within us to dissipate the invincible darkness of empirical knowledge. We are now so much on the safe side that no amount of philosophical argument by the empiric schools of thought can deviate us an inch from the position of our eternal dependence on the lotus feet of His Divine Grace. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **Out of kindness, the spiritual master speaks on transcendental subjects to his disciples:** > *anavratānāṁ śiṣyānāṁ putrāṇāṁ ca dvijottama*** **anāpṛṣṭam api brūyur guravo dīna-vatsalāḥ **O best among the *brāhmaṇas, *those who are spiritual masters are very kind to the needy. They are always kind to their followers, disciples and sons, and without being asked by them, the spiritual master describes all that is knowledge.** PURPORT: There are many subjects to be known from the bona fide spiritual master. The followers, disciples and sons are all on one level for the bona fide spiritual master, and he is always kind to them and always speaks to them on transcendental subjects, even though he is not asked by them. That is the nature of the bona fide spiritual master. Vidura appealed to Maitreya Muni to speak on subjects about which he might not have asked. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/7/36|3.7.36]]* **It is the right of the disciple to ask about, and the duty of the guru to explain, any confidential matter:** A student and disciple has the right to ask the *guru *about any confidential service, and it is the duty of the *guru *to explain these confidential matters to his disciple. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/12/43|10.12.43]]* **The speaker of transcendental knowledge and the audience are very intimately connected; thus the spiritual master can speak nicely before an understanding audience:** Falling flat at the feet of Lord Caitanya, Sanātana Gosvāmī requested Him to explain the [*ātmārāma*] verse as He had formerly explained it to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. Sanātana explained his eagerness to hear the same explanation in order that he might be enlightened. Being thus requested by Sanātana, the Lord replied: "I do not understand why Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya so much appreciated My explanation. As far as I am concerned, I don't even remember what I said to him. But because you are asking this of Me, I shall, with the help of your association, try to explain whatever I can remember." Thus the speaker and the audience are very intimately connected; the speaker is enlightened by the presence of the audience. The speaker, or master, can speak very nicely on transcendental subject matters before an understanding audience; therefore Lord Caitanya said that He did not know how to explain the Sanskrit verse but that since He was in the association of Sanātana He would try to explain it. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The spiritual master must see whether the disciple understands his instructions:** **O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled?** PURPORT: The Lord was acting as the spiritual master of Arjuna. Therefore it was His duty to inquire from Arjuna whether he understood the whole *Bhagavad-gītā *in its proper perspective. If not, the Lord was ready to re-explain any point, or the whole *Bhagavad-gītā *if so required. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/18/72|18.72]]* **If the guru and the disciple are sincere and bona fide, the transmission and reception of spiritual knowledge will yield good results:** If a man is potent and if a woman is not diseased, then by their conjugation there will be conception. In the same way, if the recipient of spiritual knowledge and the deliverer of spiritual knowledge are sincere and bona fide, there will be good results. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The spiritual master should train his disciples to speak on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:** **Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu broadcast the purpose of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *He sometimes spoke for the benefit of His devotees and sometimes empowered one of His devotees to speak while He listened.** PURPORT: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as an ideal teacher, or *ācārya, *explained *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *very elaborately Himself. He sometimes also empowered His devotees to speak while He listened. This is the way an *ācārya *should train his disciples. Not only should he describe** **the *Bhāgavata *cult personally, but he should also train his disciples to speak on this sublime subject. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/25/267|25.267]]* **The spiritual master should instruct his disciples (as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva did His sons) and continue to do so, without anger, even if the disciple sometimes cannot follow his order:** **If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order....** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/5/15|5.5.15]]* **The spiritual masters in the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya should enrich their disciples with the highest devotional perfection of feeling separation from the Lord:** The *gopīs *of Vṛndāvana were so attached to Kṛṣṇa that they were not satisfied simply with the *rāsa *dance at night. They wanted to associate with Him and enjoy His company during the daytime also. When Kṛṣṇa went to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends and cows, the *gopīs *did not physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation. To acquire this strong feeling of separation is the teaching of Lord Caitanya and His direct disciplic succession of Gosvāmīs. When we are not in physical contact with Kṛṣṇa, we can associate with Him like the *gopīs, *through feelings of separation. Kṛṣṇa's transcendental form, qualities, pastimes, and entourage are all identical with Him. There are nine different kinds of devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in feelings of separation elevates the devotee to the highest perfectional level, to the level of the gopīs.... Those who are in the disciplic succession of the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya should also feel the separation of Kṛṣṇa, worship His transcendental form, and discuss His transcendental teachings, His pastimes, His qualities, His entourage and His associations. The spiritual master should enrich the devotees to the highest devotional perfection. Feeling constant separation while engaged in the service of the Lord is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* The spiritual master enlightens and instructs his disciple. (What the spiritual master teaches his disciples.) **The disciple should try to understand from the guru what is the self, the universe, God, and our relationship with God:** 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 Science of Self-Realization* **The spiritual master teaches his disciple about the relation between God and the living entity and the process of devotional service:** **What are the truths regarding the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead? What are their identities? What are the specific values in the knowledge of the *Vedas, *and what are the necessities for the spiritual master and his disciples?** PURPORT: In order to elevate the living entity to [the] standard of knowledge, there is the necessity of spiritual association. The bona fide spiritual master desires that his disciples know the process of rendering transcendental service to the Lord, and the disciples also know that they have to learn about the eternal relationship between God and the living entity from a self-realized soul. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/7/38|3.7.38]]* **A bona fide spiritual master speaks about the Lord's external activities (creation) as well as His internal activities:** A bona fide spiritual master like Śukadeva Gosvāmī does not speak about the Lord only in the matter of His internal potencies, but also explains how He associates with His external potencies. The Lord's pastimes in the internal potency are displayed in His activities in Vṛndāvana, but His external potential works are directed in His features of Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī offers his good counsel to the interested Vaiṣṇavas when he says that they should not be interested in hearing only about the Lord's activities (like *rāsa-līlā*), but must be keenly interested in His pastimes in His features of the *puruṣāvataras *in connection with *sṛṣṭi-tattva, *creational functions. *— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/2/4/10|2.4.10]]* **The result of receiving knowledge from a spiritual master:** **And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Me—and that they are in Me, and are Mine.** PURPORT: The result of receiving knowledge from a self-realized soul, or one who knows things as they are, is learning that all living beings are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/4/35|4.35]]* **The disciple must hear from his spiritual master about the transcendental qualities of pure devotees:** **Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long time must hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and activities of pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who awards His devotees liberation.** PURPORT: Transcendental students are those who undergo great penance in being trained by hearing the *Vedas *from a bona fide spiritual master. Not only must they hear about the activities of the Lord, but they must also hear about the transcendental qualities of the devotees who are constantly thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. A pure devotee of the Lord cannot be separated from the lotus feet of the Lord for even a moment. Undoubtedly the Lord is always within the hearts of all living creatures, but they hardly know about it because they are deluded by the illusory material energy. The devotees, however, realize the presence of the Lord, and therefore they can always see the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. Such pure devotees of the Lord are as glorious as the Lord; they are, in fact, recommended by the Lord as more worshipable than He Himself. Worship of the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord. It is therefore the duty of the transcendental students to hear of pure devotees, as explained by similar devotees of the Lord, because one cannot explain about the Lord or His devotee unless one happens to be a pure devotee himself. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/13/4|3.13.4]]* The spiritual master enlightens and instructs his disciple. (How the spiritual master transmits knowledge to the disciple.) **The disciple receives transcendental knowledge from the spiritual master by ardent hearing, not by electric shock:** Śukadeva Gosvāmī imparted transcendental knowledge to Mahārāja Parīkṣit during the remaining seven days of his life, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard him properly, just like an ardent student. The effect of such a bona fide hearing and chanting of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *was equally shared by both the hearer and the chanter. Both of them were benefited.... Transcendental realization is attained by such serious hearing and chanting and not otherwise. There is a type of spiritual master and disciple much advertised in this Age of Kali. It is said that the master injects spiritual force into the disciple by an electric current generated by the master, and the disciple begins to feel the shock. He becomes unconscious, and the master weeps for his exhausting his store of so-called spiritual assets. Such bogus advertisement is going on in this age, and the poor common man is becoming the victim of such advertisement. We do not find such folk tales in the dealings of Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his great disciple Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The sage recited *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *in devotion, and the great King heard him properly. The king did not feel any shock of electrical current from the master, nor did he become unconscious while receiving knowledge from the master. One should not, therefore, become a victim of these unauthorized advertisements made by some bogus representative of Vedic knowledge.... Ardent hearing from the bona fide master is the only way to receive transcendental knowledge, and there is no need for medical performances or occult mysticism for miraculous effects. The process is simple, but only the sincere party can achieve the desired result. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/12/3|1.12.3]]* **How the spiritual master transmits and the disciple receives transcendental knowledge:** The system of receiving Vedic knowledge is called *avaroha-panthā, *or the process of receiving transcendental knowledge through bona fide disciplic succession. For advancement of material knowledge there is a need for personal ability and researching aptitude, but in the case of spiritual knowledge, all progress depends more or less on the mercy of the spiritual master. The spiritual master must be satisfied with the disciple; only then is knowledge automatically manifest before the student of spiritual science. The process should not, however, be misunderstood to be something like magical feats whereby the spiritual master acts like a magician and injects spiritual knowledge into his disciple, as if surcharging him with an electrical current. The bona fide spiritual master reasonably explains everything to the disciple on the authorities of Vedic wisdom. The disciple can receive such knowledge not exactly intellectually, but by submissive inquiries and a service attitude. The idea is that both the spiritual master and the disciple must be bona fide. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/1/10|2.1.10]]* **Transmission of knowledge from the spiritual master to the disciple is based on sense and logic, not magic:** Service to the Lord is the completely purified use of the senses, as described in the *Bhagavad-gītā. *The Lord imparted instructions with full senses, and Arjuna received them with full senses, and thus there was a perfect exchange of sensible and logical understanding between the master and the disciple. Spiritual understanding is nothing like an electrical charge from the master to the disciple, as foolishly claimed by some propaganda-mongers. Everything is full of sense and logic, and the exchange of views between the master and disciple is possible only when the reception is submissive and real. In the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta *it is said that one should receive the teachings of Lord Caitanya with intellect and full senses so that one can logically understand the great mission. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/3/20|2.3.20]]* The spiritual master enlightens and instructs his disciple. (The spiritual master can enlighten even an unintelligent or dull-headed disciple.) **However unintelligent one may be, by the grace of the spiritual master one can understand knowledge of the Absolute Truth:** **My dear son, Kapila, after all, I am a woman. It is very difficult for me to understand the Absolute Truth because my intelligence is not very great. But if You will kindly explain it to me, even though I am not very intelligent, I can understand it and thereby feel transcendental happiness.** PURPORT: Knowledge of the Absolute Truth is not very easily understood by ordinary, less intelligent men; but if the spiritual master is kind enough to the disciple, however unintelligent he may be, then by the divine grace of the spiritual master everything is revealed. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/25/30|3.25.30]]* **The pure devotee spiritual master can enlighten even a dull-headed disciple:** **It is not at all wonderful that simply by being covered by the dust of your lotus feet, one immediately attains the platform of pure devotional service to Adhokṣaja, which is not available even to great demigods like Brahmā. By associating with you just for a moment, I am now freed from all argument, false prestige and lack of discrimination, which are the roots of entanglement in the material world. Now I am free from all these problems.** PURPORT: Association with pure devotees certainly frees one from the material clutches. This is certainly true of King Rahūgaṇa's association with Jaḍa Bharata. King Rahūgaṇa was immediately freed from the misgivings of material association. The arguments offered by pure devotees to their disciples are so convincing that even a dull-headed disciple is immediately enlightened with spiritual knowledge. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/13/22|5.13.22]]* The spiritual master engages his disciple in devotional service **The spiritual master's concern-how his surrendered disciples may make progress in devotional service:** The Lord, being full and free from problems, can wholeheartedly care for His devotees. His concern is how to elevate and protect all those who have taken shelter at His feet. The same responsibility is also entrusted to the spiritual master. The bona fide spiritual master's concern is how the devotees who have surrendered to him as a representative of the Lord may make progress in devotional service. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always mindful of the devotees who fully engage in cultivating knowledge of Him, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/61|1.61]]* **To achieve success in devotional service, one must be directed by a bona fide spiritual master:** A devotee must know what Kṛṣṇa wants him to do. This can be achieved through the medium of the spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, *ādau gurv-āśrayam. *One who is serious in wanting to render pure devotional service to the Lord must take shelter of the spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. *Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ* [*Bg* [[bg/4/2|4.2]]]*. *Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, one cannot find out the real purpose of devotional service. Therefore one has to accept the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and agree to be directed by him. The first business of a pure devotee is to satisfy his spiritual master, whose only business is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: *if one can satisfy the spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa is automatically satisfied. This is the success of devotional service. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/167|19.167]]* **The spiritual master trains and engages the disciple according to his ability:** **TRANSLATION I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words.** PURPORT: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given directions, in his *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, *on how to accept a bona fide spiritual master and how to deal with him. First, the desiring candidate must find a bona fide spiritual master, and then he must very eagerly receive instructions from him and execute them. This is reciprocal service.... a bona fide spiritual master knows the nature of a particular man and what sort of duties he can perform in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he instructs him in that way. He instructs him through the ear, not privately, but publicly. "You are fit for such and such work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can act in this way." One person is advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by working in the Deities' room, another is advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by performing editorial work, another is advised to do preaching work, and another is advised to carry out Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the cooking department. There are different departments of activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and a spiritual master, knowing the particular ability of a particular man, trains him in such a way that by his tendency to act he becomes perfect. *Bhagavad-gītā *makes it clear that one can attain the highest perfection of spiritual life simply by offering service according to his ability, just as Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa by his ability in the military art. Arjuna offered his service fully as a military man, and he became perfect. Similarly, an artist can attain perfection simply by performing artistic work under the direction of the spiritual master. If one is a literary man, he can write articles and poetry for the service of the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master. One has to receive the message of the spiritual master regarding how to act in one's capacity, for the spiritual master is expert in giving such instructions. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/22/7|3.22.7]]* **It is the duty of the spiritual master to train a disciple in a particular occupational duty, according to his psychological nature:** Unless a child is trained according to his tendency, there is no possibility of his developing his particular spirit. It [is] the duty of the spiritual master or teacher to observe the psychological movement of a particular boy and thus train him in a particular occupational duty. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/8/36|4.8.36]]* **The spiritual master should train his disciple to love Kṛṣṇa:** The spiritual master should train his disciple in such a way so that in the future only the Supreme Personality of Godhead will be the dearmost goal of his life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/32/42|3.32.42]]* **It is the duty of the spiritual master to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa:** As a man's mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so* sādhana-bhakti *cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of *māyā, *material illusion. Nārada mentions this *sādhana-bhakti *in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, *[[sb/7/1/30|Seventh Canto, 1st Chapter, 30th verse]]. He says there to King Yudhiṣṭhira: "My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means." That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of the *ācārya, *the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of *sādhana-bhakti.* *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The spiritual master elevates the disciple to ecstatic love of Godhead by engaging him in the regulative principles of devotional service:** In the beginning a devotee is engaged in the regulative principles of devotional service by the order of his spiritual master. When one thereby becomes completely purified of all material contamination, there develops an attachment and taste for devotional service. This taste and attachment, when gradually intensified in the course of time, becomes love.... Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by following the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are prescribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Devotional service performed with the mind and body must be directed by the spiritual master:** Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will to do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities we should always try to think of Kṛṣṇa and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great *ācāryas *and the personal spiritual master....This is the mental culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities. But all such activities must be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master who is the direct representative of Kṛṣṇa in disciplic succession. Therefore, the execution of Kṛṣṇa conscious activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The spiritual master directs the devotee in what should be accepted or rejected in the execution of devotional service:** One should not give up anything which can be utilized in the service of the Lord. That is a secret of devotional service. Anything that can be utilized in advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service should be accepted.... Our vision is that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is the cause and effect, and nothing belongs to us. Kṛṣṇa's things must be used in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our vision. This does not mean, however, that we should give up the principles of discharging devotional service or neglect abiding by the rules and regulations prescribed therein. In the neophyte stage of devotion one must follow all the principles, regulated by the authority of the spiritual master. The acceptance and rejection of things should always be in pursuance of the devotional principles; not that one can independently manufacture some idea of what should be accepted or rejected. The spiritual master as the visible manifestation of Kṛṣṇa is necessary, therefore, to direct the devotee on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Although the spiritual master can immediately bless the disciple, his duty is to engage the disciple in devotional discipline:** **The great sage Nārada told Dhruva Mahārāja: The instruction given by your mother, Sunīti, to follow the path of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is just suitable for you. You should therefore completely absorb yourself in the devotional service of the Lord.** PURPORT: Nārada Muni is referred to here as *bhagavān *because he can bless any person just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead can. He was very pleased with Dhruva Mahārāja, and he could have at once personally given whatever he wanted, but that is not the duty of the spiritual master. His duty is to engage the disciple in proper devotional service as prescribed in the *śāstras. *Kṛṣṇa was similarly present before Arjuna, and even though He could have given him all facilities for victory over the opposing party without a fight, He did not do so; instead He asked Arjuna to fight. In the same way, Nārada Muni asked Dhruva Mahārāja to undergo devotional discipline in order to achieve the desired result. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/8/40|4.8.40]]* **How the guru and Kṛṣṇa together help the serious devotee return back home, back to Godhead:** **O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [*vāñchā-kalpataru*].* *When *ācāryas *completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them.** PURPORT: This statement reveals how the merciful *ācāryas *and the merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead together help the serious devotee who wants to return home, back to Godhead.... One can achieve the seed of *bhakti-latā, *devotional service, by the mercy of *guru *and Kṛṣṇa. The duty of the *guru* is to find the means, according to the time, the circumstances and the candidate, by which one can be induced to render devotional service, which Kṛṣṇa accepts from a candidate who wants to be successful in going back home, back to Godhead. After wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within this material world seeks shelter of such a *guru, *or *ācārya, *who trains the devotee in the suitable ways to render service according to the circumstances so that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will accept the service. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the ultimate destination. The *ācārya's *duty, therefore, is to find the means by which devotees may render service according to references from *śāstra.... *The *ācārya *gives the suitable method for crossing the ocean of nescience by accepting the boat of the Lord's lotus feet, and if this method is strictly followed, the followers will ultimately reach the destination, by the grace of the Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/10/2/31|10.2.31]]* **It is the duty of the spiritual master to prevent his disciples from violating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior:** It is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava *ācārya *to prevent his disciples and followers from violating the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior. He should always advise them to strictly follow the regulative principles, which will protect them from falling down. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/13/133|13.133]]* **The spiritual master must elevate the disciple from karmic activity to devotional service:** **... Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/5/15|5.5.15]]* **Under the direction of the spiritual master, the disciple must engage his body, mind and words in the service of the Lord:** One must accept a spiritual master who comes in the disciplic succession and is a servant of the servant of the Lord [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]. Under his direction, one must then engage one's three properties, namely body, mind and words. The body should be engaged in physical activity under the order of the master, the mind should think of Kṛṣṇa incessantly, and one's words should be engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord. If one is thus engaged in the loving service of the Lord, one's life is successful. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/11/24|6.11.24]]* **Under the guidance of the spiritual master, the disciple becomes convinced about his relationship with Kṛṣṇa (sambandha), acts accordingly (abhidheya) and attains the ultimate goal of life (prayojana-siddhi):** **"It is only by devotional service, beginning with hearing, that one can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the only means to approach Him. By practicing this regulated devotional service under the direction of the spiritual master, certainly one awakens his dormant love of Godhead. This process is called *abhidheya*."** PURPORT: By the practice of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting, the impure heart of a conditioned soul is purified, and thus he can understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That eternal relationship is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa':* [Cc Madhya [[cc/madhya/20/108-109|20.108]]]* *the living entity is an eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one is convinced about this relationship, which is called *sambandha, *he then acts accordingly. That is called *abhidheya. *The next step is *prayojana-siddhi, *or fulfillment of the ultimate goal of one's life. If one can understand his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and act accordingly, automatically his mission in life is fulfilled. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā. *[[cc/adi/7/141|7.141-42]]* The spiritual master frees the disciple from material existence **Bringing mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence:** This forest fire of material existence goes on perpetually, and the authorized person who can deliver you from this fire is called *guru, *the spiritual master. How does he deliver you? What is his means? Consider the same example. When there is a fire in the forest, you cannot send a fire brigade or go there yourself with bucketfuls of water to extinguish it. That is not possible. Then how will it be extinguished? You need water to extinguish fire, but where will the water come from-from your bucket or your fire brigade? No, it must come from the sky. Only when there are torrents of rain from the sky will the blazing forest fire be extinguished. These rains from the sky do not depend on your scientific propaganda or manipulation. They depend on the mercy of the Supreme Lord. So the spiritual master is compared to a cloud. Just as there are torrents of rain from a cloud, so the spiritual master brings mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A cloud takes water from the sea. It doesn't have its own water, but takes water from the sea. Similarly, the spiritual master brings mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just see the comparison. He has no mercy of his own, but he carries the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the qualification of the spiritual master. The spiritual master will never say, "I am God-I can give you mercy." No. That is not a spiritual master-that is a bogus pretender. The spiritual master will say, "I am a servant of God; I have brought His mercy. Please take it and be satisfied." This is the spiritual master's business. He is just like a mailman. When a mailman delivers you some large amount of money, it is not his own money. The money is sent by someone else, but he honestly delivers it—"Sir, here is your money. Take it." So you become very much satisfied with him, although it is not his money he is giving you. When you are in need and you get money from your father or someone else-brought by the mailman-you feel very much satisfaction. Similarly, we are all suffering in this blazing fire of material existence. But the spiritual master brings the message from the Supreme Lord and delivers it to you, and if you kindly accept it, then you'll be satisfied. This is the business of the spiritual master. > saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam Thus the spiritual master is offered obeisances: "Sir, you have brought mercy from the Supreme Lord; therefore, we are much obliged to you. You have come to deliver us, so we offer our respectful obeisances." That is the meaning of this verse: the first qualification of the spiritual master, or *guru,* is that he brings you the message to stop the blazing fire in your heart. This is the test. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **The spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence (by injecting transcendental knowledge):** Material existence is something like a blazing fire in the forest, which can be extinguished by the mercy of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Lord. Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material existence may receive the rains of mercy of the Lord through the transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual master, by his words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering person and inject knowledge transcendental, which alone can extinguish the fire of material existence. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/1/7/22|1.7.22]]* **The guru descends not to meddle with the affairs of the mundane world but to deliver the fallen, conditioned souls:** 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 guru takes on the responsibility to guide his disciple to immortality:** We must understand that we are all born rascals and fools and that we have to be enlightened. We have to receive knowledge to make our lives perfect. If we do not perfect our lives, we are defeated. What is this defeat? The struggle for existence. We are trying to obtain a better life, to attain a superior position, and for this we are struggling very hard. But we do not know what a superior position actually is. Whatever position we have in this material world must be given up. We may have a good position or a bad position; in any case, we cannot remain here. We may earn millions of dollars and think, "Now I am in a good position," but a little dysentery or cholera will finish our position. If the bank fails, our position is gone. So actually there is no good position in this material world. It is a farce. Those who try to attain a better position in the material world are ultimately defeated because there is no better position. ... Is there any science that gives us the knowledge by which we may become immortal? Yes, we may become immortal, but not in the material sense. We cannot receive this knowledge in so-called universities. However, there is knowledge contained in the Vedic scriptures by which we may become immortal. That immortality is our better position. No more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease. Thus the *guru* takes on a very great responsibility. He must guide his disciple and enable him to become an eligible candidate for the perfect position-immortality. The *guru* must be competent to lead his disciple back home, back to Godhead. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **It is the business of the guru to teach his disciples detachment:** We are very much attached to this material world, but according to the Vedic system, renunciation is compulsory, for when one reaches the age of fifty, he renounces his family life. Nature gives warning, "You are now past fifty. That's all right. You have fought in this material world. Now stop this business." Children play on the beach and make houses out of sand, but after a while the father comes and says, "Now, my dear children, time is up. Stop this business and come home." This is the business of the *guru*-to teach his disciples detachment. The world is not our place; our place is Vaikuṇṭha-loka. *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **The guru extinguishes the blazing fire of anxiety within the heart:** Everyone has a blazing fire within his heart-a blazing fire of anxiety. That is the nature of material existence. Always, everyone has anxiety; no one is free from it. Even a small bird has anxiety. If you give the small bird some grains to eat, he'll eat them, but he won't eat very peacefully. He'll look this way and that way—"Is somebody coming to kill me?" This is material existence. Everyone, even a president like Mr. Nixon, is full of anxieties. What to speak of others. Even Gandhi, in our country-he was full of anxiety. All politicians are full of anxiety. They may hold a very exalted post, but still the material disease-anxiety-is there. So if you want to be anxiety-less, then you must take shelter of the *guru, *the spiritual master. And the test of the *guru *is that by following his instructions you'll be free from anxiety. This is the test. Don't try to find a cheap *guru *or a fashionable *guru. *Just as you sometimes keep a dog as a fashion, if you want to keep a *guru *as a fashion—"I have a *guru*"—that will not help. You must accept a *guru *who can extinguish the blazing fire of anxiety within your heart. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **The disciples of a pure devotee can easily become purified and enter the kingdom of God:** Not only does a pure devotee purify his own personal existence, but whoever becomes his disciple also ultimately becomes purified and able to enter the kingdom of God without difficulty. Not only can a pure devotee easily surpass death, but by his grace his followers also can do so without difficulty. The power of devotional service is so great that a pure devotee can electrify another person by his transcendental instruction on crossing over the ocean of nescience. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The spiritual master is the navigator of the boat of the human form of life, with which to cross the ocean of nescience:** When one wants to cross a large ocean, he requires a strong boat. It is said that this human form of life is a good boat by which one can cross the ocean of nescience. In the human form of life one can obtain the guidance of a good navigator, the spiritual master. He also gets a favorable wind by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and that wind is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. The human body is the boat, the instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa are the favorable winds, and the spiritual master is the navigator. The spiritual master knows well how to adjust the sails to catch the winds favorably and steer the boat to its destination. If, however, one does not take advantage of this opportunity, he wastes the human form of life. Wasting time and life in this way is the same as committing suicide. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/23/28|4.23.28]]* **It is the spiritual master's duty to teach the disciple how to give up materialistic life, and the disciple's duty to do so:** **Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after hearing the instructions of Nārada, the Haryaśvas, the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, were firmly convinced. They all believed in his instructions and reached the same conclusion. Having accepted him as their spiritual master, they circumambulated that great sage and followed the path by which one never returns to this world.** PURPORT: From this verse we can understand the meaning of initiation and the duties of a disciple and spiritual master. The spiritual master never instructs his disciple, "Take a *mantra *from me, pay me some money, and by practicing this *yoga *system you will become very expert in material life." This is not the duty of a spiritual master. Rather, the spiritual master teaches the disciple how to give up materialistic life, and the disciple's duty is to assimilate his instructions and ultimately follow the path back home, back to Godhead, from whence no one returns to this material world.... [The Haryaśvas'] materialistic father had instructed them to increase the population, but because of the words of Nārada Muni, they could not heed that instruction. Nārada Muni, as their spiritual master, gave them the śāstric instructions that they should give up this material world, and as bona fide disciples they followed his instructions. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/6/5/21|6.5.21]]* **By associating with a sādhu or spiritual master, one learns detachment from matter and becomes elevated in devotional service:** **Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation.** PURPORT: Here it is recommended that attachment should be transferred to the self-realized devotees, the *sādhus. *And who is a *sādhu? A sādhu* is not just an ordinary man with a saffron robe or long beard. A *sādhu* is described in *Bhagavad-gītā *as one who unflinchingly engages in devotional service. Even though one is found not to be following the strict rules and regulations of devotional service, if one simply has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, he is understood to be a *sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ* [Bg [[bg/9/30|9.30]]]*.* A *sādhu* is a strict follower of devotional service. It is recommended here that if one at all wants to realize Brahman or spiritual perfection, his attachment should be transferred to the *sādhu, *or devotee. Lord Caitanya also confirmed this. *Lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya:* [Cc *Madhya *[[cc/madhya/22/54|22.54]]]* *simply by a moment's association with a *sādhu *one can attain perfection. *Mahātmā* is a synonym of *sādhu. *It is said that service to a *mahātmā, *or elevated devotee of the Lord, is *dvāram āhur vimukteḥ, *the royal road of liberation. *Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. *Rendering service to the materialists has the opposite effect. If anyone offers service to a gross materialist or a person engaged only in sense enjoyment, then by association with such a person the door to hell is opened (*Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/5/5/2|5.5.2]]). The same principle is confirmed here. Attachment to a devotee is attachment to the service of the Lord because if one associates with a *sādhu, *then the result will be that the *sādhu *will teach him how to become a devotee, a worshiper and a sincere servitor of the Lord. These are the gifts of a *sādhu. *If we want to associate with a *sādhu *we cannot expect him to give us instructions on how to improve our material condition, but he will give us instructions on how to cut the knot of the contamination of material attraction and how to elevate ourselves in devotional service. That is the result of associating with a *sādhu. *Kapila Muni first of all instructs that the path of liberation begins with such association. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/3/25/20|3.25.20]]* **By the grace of the spiritual master, one can be properly situated in his liberated position:** The individual soul has to understand his position by the grace of the Lord and the spiritual master ... one has to select a bona fide spiritual master and become enlightened to his original consciousness. In this way the individual soul can understand that he is always subordinate to the Supersoul. As soon as he declines to remain subordinate and tries to become an enjoyer, he begins his material conditioning. When he abandons this spirit of being an individual owner or enjoyer, he becomes situated in his liberated state. The word *sva-stha, *meaning "situated in one's original position," is very significant in this verse. When one gives up his unwanted attitude of superiority, he becomes situated in his original position. The word *tad-vyabhicāreṇa* is also significant, for it indicates that when one is separated from God due to disobedience, his real sense is lost. Again, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and *guru, *he can be properly situated in his liberated position. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/4/28/64|4.28.64]]* The spiritual master chastises the disciple (for his benefit) **The teacher should chastise the student:** **The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.** PURPORT: The Lord at once took the position of the teacher and chastised the student, calling him, indirectly, a fool. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/11|2.11]]* As the well-wisher of his disciples, the spiritual master has the right to chastise them: "My dear Lord, You are the supreme father, the supreme spiritual master and supreme king. Therefore, You have the right to chastise all living entities whenever there is any discrepancy in their behavior. The father, the spiritual master, and the supreme executive officer of the state are always well-wishers of their sons, their students and their citizens respectively. As such, the well-wishers have the right to chastise their dependents." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The spiritual master reprimands the disciple for his betterment:** **Then Rāmacandra Purī was so foolish that he fearlessly dared to instruct his spiritual master. "If you are in full transcendental bliss," he said, "you should now remember only Brahman. Why are you crying?" Hearing this instruction, Mādhavendra Purī, greatly angry, rebuked him by saying, "Get out, you sinful rascal!"** PURPORT: Rāmacandra Purī could not understand that his spiritual master, Mādhavendra Purī, was feeling transcendental separation. His lamentation was not material. Rather, it proceeded from the highest stage of ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. When he was crying in separation, "I could not achieve Kṛṣṇa! I could not reach Mathurā!" this was not ordinary material lamentation. Rāmacandra Purī was not sufficiently expert to understand the feelings of Mādhavendra Purī, but nevertheless he thought himself very advanced. Therefore, regarding Mādhavendra Purī's expressions as ordinary material lamentation, he advised him to remember Brahman because he was latently an impersonalist. Mādhavendra Purī understood Rāmacandra Purī's position as a great fool and therefore immediately rebuked him. Such a reprimand from the spiritual master is certainly for the betterment of the disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/8/22|8.22]]* The spiritual master is glad to see his disciples advance **When the disciple makes progress in spiritual life, the spiritual master is gladdened:** **"'Chanting the holy name in ecstasy causes one to dance, laugh and cry.' When My spiritual master heard this, he smiled...."** PURPORT: When a disciple very perfectly makes progress in spiritual life, this gladdens the spiritual master, who then also smiles in ecstasy, thinking, "How successful my disciple has become!" He feels so glad that he smiles as he enjoys the progress of the disciple, just as a smiling parent enjoys the activities of a child who is trying to stand up or crawl perfectly. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/82|7.82]]* **The spiritual master feels very glad and obliged when he sees a disciple following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life:** **" 'It is very good, my dear child, that You have attained the supreme goal of life by developing love of Godhead. Thus You have pleased me very much, and I am very much obliged to You.' "** PURPORT: It is very difficult to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, not to speak of developing love of Godhead. Therefore if by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the spiritual master a disciple attains the standard of pure devotional service, the spiritual master is very happy. The spiritual master is not actually happy if the disciple brings him money, but when he sees that a disciple is following the regulative principles and advancing in spiritual life, he is very glad and feels obliged to such an advanced disciple. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/91|7.91]]* **The spiritual master takes more pleasure in seeing his disciple advance than in advancing himself:** Lord Caitanya said that His spiritual master told Him: "It is very good that You have attained such a perfectional stage of love of Godhead. Because of Your attainment, I am very much obliged to You." The father becomes more enlivened when he sees his son advance beyond himself. Similarly, the spiritual master takes more pleasure in seeing his disciple advance than in advancing himself. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The spiritual master's mission in life is fulfilled if he can convert even one soul into a pure devotee:** **" 'It is very good, my dear child, that You have attained the supreme goal of life by developing love of Godhead. Thus You have pleased me very much, and I am very much obliged to You.' "** PURPORT: According to revealed scriptures, if a spiritual master can convert even one soul into a perfectly pure devotee, his mission in life is fulfilled. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura always used to say, "Even at the expense of all the properties, temples and *maṭhas *that I have, if I could convert even one person into a pure devotee, my mission would be fulfilled." It is very difficult, however, to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, not to speak of developing love of Godhead. Therefore if by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the spiritual master a disciple attains the standard of pure devotional service, the spiritual master is very happy. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/91|7.91]]* The spiritual master as preacher. (General instructions.) **Authorized spiritual masters are compassionate Vaiṣṇavas who try to enlighten conditioned souls:** Vaiṣṇavas, or devotees, are usually very compassionate upon conditioned souls. Without even being invited, a devotee will go from door to door to enlighten people and to bring them out of the darkness of nescience by injecting knowledge of the living entity's constitutional position as a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees are empowered by the Lord to distribute devotional consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to the people in general. They are known as authorized spiritual masters, and it is by their mercy that a conditioned soul gets the seed of devotional service. *— Teachings of Lord Caitanya* **The bona fide saintly spiritual master always desires to elevate every common man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness:** A bona fide spiritual master or saintly person always desires to elevate a common man who comes to him. Because everyone is under the delusion of *māyā *and is forgetful of his prime duty, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a saintly person always desires that everyone become a saintly person. It is the function of a saintly person to invoke Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every forgetful common man. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/22/7|3.22.7]]* **The ācārya is always absorbed in thought of the spiritual well-being of the general public:** **Please, therefore, being blessed with many years, explain to us, in an easily understandable way, what you have ascertained to be the absolute and ultimate good for the people in general.** PURPORT: In *Bhagavad-gītā, *worship of the *ācārya* is recommended. The *ācāryas *and *gosvāmīs *are always absorbed in thought of the wellbeing of the general public, especially their spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being is automatically followed by material well-being. The *ācāryas *therefore give directions in spiritual well-being for people in general. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/1/9|1.1.9]]* **The qualification of an ācārya-compassion for suffering humanity:** **Seeing the activities of the world, the Ācārya felt compassion and began to ponder how He could act for the people's benefit.** PURPORT: This sort of serious interest in the welfare of the public makes one a bona fide *ācārya. *An *ācārya *does not exploit his followers. Since the *ācārya* is a confidential servitor of the Lord, his heart is always full of compassion for humanity in its suffering. He knows that all suffering is due to the absence of devotional service to the Lord, and therefore he always tries to find ways to change people's activities, making them favorable for the attainment of devotion. That is the qualification of an *ācārya.... *This endeavor makes him a very dear devotee of the Lord, who says clearly in *Bhagavad-gītā *that no one in human society is dearer to Him than a devotee who constantly engages in His service by finding ways to preach the message of Godhead for the real benefit of the world. The so-called *ācāryas *of the Age of Kali are more concerned with exploiting the resources of their followers than mitigating their miseries, but Śrī Advaita Prabhu, as an ideal *ācārya, *was concerned with improving the condition of the world situation. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/3/98|3.98]]* **The mission of the guru is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world:** One cannot become a *guru *if he does not know what the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa or His incarnation wants. The mission of the *guru* is the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/24/48|8.24.48]]* **The function of an ācārya-to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world:** 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. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/6/28|6.28]]* ****One** **who acts according to scripture and at the same time preaches is a bona fide spiritual master:**** **"Some behave very well but do not preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others preach but do not behave properly. You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal behavior and by your preaching. Therefore you are the spiritual master of the entire world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world."** PURPORT: Sanātana Gosvāmī clearly defines herein the bona fide spiritual master of the world. The qualifications expressed in this connection are that one must act according to the scriptural injunctions and at the same time preach. One who does so is a bona fide spiritual master. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the ideal spiritual master because he regularly chanted on his beads a prescribed number of times. Indeed, he was chanting the holy name of the Lord three hundred thousand times a day. Similarly, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement chant a minimum of sixteen rounds a day, which can be done without difficulty, and at the same time they must preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu according to the gospel of *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. *One who does so is quite fit to become a spiritual master for the entire world. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/4/102|4.102-3]]* **The ācārya should be eager to preach, not to earn his livelihood through temple income:** **Advaita Ācārya was always absorbed in thoughts of how to deliver the fallen souls of the entire world. "The entire world is full of nondevotees," He thought. "How will they be delivered?"** PURPORT: Śrīla Advaita Ācārya sets the standard for *ācāryas *in the Vaiṣṇava *sampradāya. *An *ācārya *must always be eager to deliver the fallen souls. A person who establishes a temple or *maṭha *to take advantage of people's sentiments by using for his livelihood what people contribute for the worship of the Deity cannot be called a *gosvāmī or ācārya. *One who knows the conclusions of the *śāstras, *follows in the footsteps of his predecessors and endeavors to preach the *bhakti *cult all over the world is to be considered an *ācārya. *The role of an *ācārya *is not to earn his livelihood through the income of the temple. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that if one earns his livelihood by displaying the Deity in the temple, he is not an *ācārya *or *gosvāmī*. It would be better for him to accept service even as a sweeper in the street, for that is a more honorable means of earning one's living. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/3/223|3.223]]* **A spiritual master's prime duty is to preach, not to construct temples:** We can see in the life of various *ācāryas *in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that they are not very enthusiastic about constructing temples. However, if somebody comes forward to offer some service, the same reluctant *ācāryas *will encourage the building of costly temples by such servitors. For example, Rūpa Gosvāmī was offered a favor by Mahārāja Mānsiṅgh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar, and Rūpa Gosvāmī instructed him to construct a large temple of Govindajī, which cost vast amounts of money. So a bona fide spiritual master should not personally take any responsibility for constructing temples, but if someone has money and wants to spend it in the service of Kṛṣṇa, an *ācārya *like Rūpa Gosvāmī may utilize the devotee's money to construct a nice costly temple for the service of the Lord. Unfortunately, it happens that someone who is not fit to become a spiritual master may approach wealthy persons to contribute for temple constructions. If such money is utilized by unqualified spiritual masters to live comfortably in costly temples without actually doing any preaching work, this is not acceptable. In other words, a spiritual master needn't be very enthusiastic for constructing temple buildings simply in the name of so-called spiritual advancement. Rather, his first and foremost activity should be to preach. In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja recommended that a spiritual master print books. If one has money, instead of constructing costly temples, one should spend his money for the publication of authorized books in different languages for propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **For preaching purposes, the spiritual master descends from the uttama-adhikārī platform to the madhyama-adhikārī platform:** The spiritual master is supposed to be in the most advanced stage, but for preaching purposes he descends to the intermediate stage [*Cc Madhyama-adhikārī*]. The *uttama-adhikārī, *the most advanced devotee, does not discriminate between devotees and nondevotees. He sees everyone but himself as a devotee. The truly advanced devotee sees that he is not a devotee but that everyone else is a devotee...." The *madhyama-adhikarī* is a devotee who worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the highest object of love, makes friends with the Lord's devotees, is merciful to the ignorant and avoids those who are envious by nature." *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/11/2/46|11.2.46]] [cited: Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti ]* The spiritual master as preacher. (The spiritual master must preach according to time and circumstances.) **The ācārya cannot be expected to conform to a stereotype, but must preach according to time and circumstances:** **Seeing that the Māyāvādīs and others were fleeing, Lord Caitanya thought: I wanted everyone to be immersed in this inundation of love of Godhead, but some of them have escaped. Therefore I shall devise a trick to drown them also.** PURPORT: Here is an important point. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to invent a way to capture the Māyāvādīs and others who did not take interest in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is the symptom of an *ācārya. *An *ācārya *who comes for the service of the Lord cannot be expected to conform to a stereotype, for he must find the ways and means by which Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be spread. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/31-32|7.31-32]]* **The ācārya should devise means to attract people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness:** As an ideal *ācārya, *Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu devised ways to capture all kinds of atheists and materialists. Every *ācārya *has a specific means of propagating his spiritual movement with the aim of bringing men to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, the method of one *ācārya *may be different from that of another, but the ultimate goal is never neglected. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends: > tasmāt kenāpy upāyena manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ [SB [[sb/7/1/32|7.1.32]]] An *ācārya *should devise a means by which people may somehow or other come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. First they should become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and all the prescribed rules and regulations may later gradually be introduced. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we follow this policy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. For example, since boys and girls in the Western countries freely intermingle, special concessions regarding their customs and habits are necessary to bring them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The *ācārya *must devise a means to bring them to devotional service. Therefore, although I am a *sannyāsī *I sometimes take part in getting boys and girls married, although in the history of *sannyāsa *no *sannyāsī *has personally taken part in marrying his disciples. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/37|7.37]]* **The ācārya must strictly follow the rules and regulations in śāstra, yet simultaneously adapt the rules according to place, time and object:** **Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to deliver all the fallen souls. Therefore He devised many methods to liberate them from the clutches of *māyā*.** PURPORT: It is the concern of the *ācārya *to show mercy to the fallen souls. In this connection, *deśa-kāla-pātra *(the place, the time and the object) should be taken into consideration. Since the European and American boys and girls in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement preach together, less intelligent men criticize that they are mingling without restriction. In Europe and America boys and girls mingle unrestrictedly and have equal rights; therefore it is not possible to completely separate the men from the women. However, we are thoroughly instructing both men and women how to preach, and actually they are preaching wonderfully. Of course, we very strictly prohibit illicit sex. Boys and girls who are not married are not allowed to sleep together or live together, and there are separate arrangements for boys and girls in every temple. *Gṛhasthas *live outside the temple, for in the temple we do not allow even husband and wife to live together. The results of this are wonderful. Both men and women are preaching the gospel of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Kṛṣṇa with redoubled strength. In this verse the words *saba nistārite kare cāturī apāra *indicate that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to deliver one and all. Therefore it is a principle that a preacher must strictly follow the rules and regulations laid down in the *śāstras *yet at the same time devise a means by which the preaching work to reclaim the fallen may go on with full force. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/38|7.38]]* The spiritual master orders and empowers his disciples to preach (and to write) **The spiritual master likes to see his disciples preach the sankīrtana movement for others' benefit; the spiritual master authorizes the sincere devotee to do so:** **"'My dear child, continue dancing, chanting and performing *saṅkīrtana *in association with devotees. Furthermore, go out and preach the value of chanting *kṛṣṇa-nāma, *for by this process You will be able to deliver all fallen souls.'"** PURPORT: It is another ambition of the spiritual master to see his disciples not only chant, dance and follow the regulative principles but also preach the *saṅkīrtana *movement to others in order to deliver them, for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on the principle that one should become as perfect as possible in devotional service oneself and also preach the cult for others' benefit. ... Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains in his *Anubhāṣya,* "A person who has attracted the attention of the spiritual master by his sincere service likes to dance and chant with similarly developed Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. The spiritual master authorizes such a devotee to deliver fallen souls in all parts of the world...." *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā* [[cc/adi/7/92|7.92]]* **Disciples must follow the order of the spiritual master to preach all over the world:** **"The Lord has already ordered both of you brothers to situate yourselves in Vṛndāvana. There you will achieve all happiness." ... Sanātana Gosvāmī replied, "You have given me very good advice. I shall certainly go there, for that is the place the Lord has given me for my residence."** PURPORT: The words *prabhu-datta-deśa *are very significant. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's devotional cult teaches one not to sit down in one place but to spread the devotional cult all over the world. The Lord dispatched Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana to excavate and renovate the holy places and from there establish the cult of *bhakti. *Therefore Vṛndāvana was given to Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī as their place of residence. Similarly, everyone in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's devotional cult should accept the words of the spiritual master and thus spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They should go everywhere, to all parts of the world, accepting those places as *prabhu-datta-deśa, *the places of residence given by the spiritual master or Lord Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master is the representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa; therefore one who has carried out the orders of the spiritual master is understood to have carried out the orders of Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to spread the *bhakti *cult all over the world (*pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma*) [*CB Antya-khaṇḍa* 4.126].* *Therefore devotees in the line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must go to different parts of the world and preach, as ordered by the spiritual master. That will satisfy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/4/142|4.142]], [[cc/antya/4/144|144]]* **The spiritual master gives the power to preach to the disciple who does not want anything material from his spiritual master but wants only to serve him:** We have actually seen that one of the disciples of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura wanted to enjoy the property of his spiritual master, and the spiritual master, being merciful toward him, gave him the temporary property, but not the power to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. That special mercy of the power to preach is given to a devotee who does not want anything material from his spiritual master but wants only to serve him. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/18/22|5.18.22]]* **In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Caitanya or His devotee, the spiritual master:** **Whoever heard Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chant, "Hari, Hari," also chanted the holy name of Lord Hari and Kṛṣṇa. In this way, they all followed the Lord, very eager to see Him. After some time, the Lord would embrace these people and bid them to return home, after investing them with spiritual potency. Being thus empowered, they would return to their own villages, always chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and sometimes laughing, crying and dancing. These empowered people used to request everyone and anyone-whomever they saw-to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. In this way all the villagers would also become devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.** PURPORT: In his *Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Ś*rīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that this spiritual potency is the essence of the pleasure potency. By these two potencies, one is empowered with devotional service. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, or His representative, the unalloyed devotee, can mercifully bestow these combined potencies upon any man. Being thus endowed with such potencies, one can become an unalloyed devotee of the Lord. Anyone favored by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was empowered with this *bhakti-śakti. *Thus the Lord's followers were able to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness by divine grace.... In order to become an empowered preacher, one must be favored by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His devotee, the spiritual master. One must also request everyone to chant the *mahā-mantra. *In this way, such a person can convert others to Vaiṣṇavism, showing them how to become pure devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/7/98|7.98-101]]* ****One** **who is empowered by one's spiritual master can deliver the whole world:**** It is said that a single pure devotee of the Lord can deliver all the fallen souls of the world. Thus one who is actually in the confidence of a pure devotee like Nārada or Śukadeva Gosvāmī and thus is empowered by one's spiritual master, as Nārada was by Brahmājī, can not only deliver himself from the clutches of *māyā, *or illusion, but can deliver the whole world by his pure and empowered devotional strength. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/8/5|2.8.5]]* **In order to write transcendental literature, one must take permission from, and be empowered by, the spiritual master:** **In Vṛndāvana there were also many other great devotees, all of whom desired to hear the last pastimes of Lord Caitanya. By their mercy, all these devotees ordered me to write of the last pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because of their order only, although I am shameless, I have attempted to write this *Caitanya-caritāmṛta. *Having received the order of the Vaiṣṇavas but being anxious within my heart, I went to the temple of Madana-mohana in Vṛndāvana to ask His permission also.** PURPORT: Unless one is empowered by the higher authorities, or advanced devotees, one cannot write transcendental literature, for all such literature must be above suspicion, or, in other words, it must have none of the defects of conditioned souls, namely, mistakes, illusions, cheating and imperfect sense perceptions. The words of Kṛṣṇa and the disciplic succession that carries the orders of Kṛṣṇa are actually authoritative. To be empowered to write transcendental literature is a privilege in which a writer can take great pride. As a humble Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, being thus empowered, felt very much ashamed that it was he who was to narrate the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. ... A Vaiṣṇava always follows the order of *guru *and Kṛṣṇa. *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *was written by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī by their mercy. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī considered all the devotees that have been mentioned to be his preceptor *gurus, *or spiritual masters, and Madana-gopāla (Śrī Madana-mohana *vigraha*) is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Thus he took permission from both of them, and when he received the mercy of both *guru *and Kṛṣṇa, he was able to write this great literature, *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. *This example should be followed. Anyone who attempts to write about Kṛṣṇa must first take permission from the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, and the spiritual master is His direct external representative. Thus Kṛṣṇa is situated *antar-bahiḥ, *within and without. One must first become a pure devotee by following the strict regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds daily, and when one thinks that he is actually on the Vaiṣṇava platform, he must then take permission from the spiritual master, and that permission must also be confirmed by Kṛṣṇa from within his heart. Then, if one is very sincere and pure, he can write transcendental literature, either prose or poetry. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/8/71|8.71-73]]* **To write on spiritual matters, one must have the blessings of the disciplic succession:** **''I have thus given a synopsis of the Vaiṣṇava regulative principles. I have given this in brief just to give you a little direction. When you write on this subject, Kṛṣṇa will help you by spiritually awakening you.** PURPORT: One cannot write on spiritual matters without being blessed by Kṛṣṇa and the disciplic succession of *gurus. *The blessings of the authorities are one's power of attorney. One should not try to write anything about Vaiṣṇava behavior and activities without being authorized by superior authorities. This is confirmed in *Bhagavad-gītā: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ* [*Bg* [[bg/4/2|4.2]]]*.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/345|24.345]]* The spiritual master engages his disciples in Deity worship **The spiritual master's duty is to engage the disciples in worshiping the Deity:** The third symptom of the *guru* is: > śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā- śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam The spiritual master's duty is to engage the disciples in worshiping the Deity, *śrī-vigraha. *In all of our one hundred centers, we engage in Deity worship. *... Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau: *Deity worship means to dress the Deity very nicely, to cleanse the temple very nicely, to offer nice foodstuffs to the Deity, and to accept the remnants of the Deity's foodstuffs for our eating. This is the method of Deity worship. Deity worship is done by the *guru *himself, and he also engages his disciples in that worship. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **The spiritual master should engage his disciple in Deity worship:** Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient for a neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the *arcana *process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for attainment of spiritual perfection.... Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has defined the bona fide qualities of a spiritual master, and one of the verses in that description reads: > śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā- śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam *Śrī-vigraha* is the *arcā, *or suitable worshipable form of the Lord, and the disciple should be engaged in worshiping the Deity regularly by *śṛṅgāra, *by proper decoration and dressing, as also by *mandira-mārjana, *the matter of cleansing the temple. The spiritual master teaches the neophyte devotee all these kindly and personally to help him gradually in the realization of the transcendental name, quality, form, etc., of the Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/3/22|2.3.22]]* **To perform Deity worship, one must learn the process from a bona fide spiritual master:** If one is interested in the process of *arcanam *[Deity worship], one must positively take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and learn the process from him. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *7.5.24* The spiritual master engages his disciple in Preparing, offering and distributing prasāda **It is the spiritual master's duty to engage his disciples in preparing, offering and distributing prasāda:** **Indeed, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was fully satisfied just to see how Lord Jagannātha accepted all the food.** PURPORT: Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, a Vaiṣṇava should be fully satisfied simply to see a variety of food offered to the Deity of Jagannātha or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. A Vaiṣṇava should not hunger for a variety of food for his own sake; rather, his satisfaction is in seeing various foods being offered to the Deity. In his *Gurv-aṣṭaka, *Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes: > catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda- svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **"The spiritual master is always offering Kṛṣṇa four kinds of delicious food (analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk and sucked). When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating *bhagavat-prasāda, *he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master."** The spiritual master's duty is to engage his disciples in preparing varieties of nice food to offer the Deity. After being offered, this food is distributed as *prasāda *to the devotees. These activities satisfy the spiritual master, although he himself does not eat or require such a variety of *prasāda.* By seeing to the offering and distribution of *prasāda, *he himself is encouraged in devotional service. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/14/36|14.36]]* **The spiritual master encourages, and is very much pleased by, distribution of prasāda:** The fourth symptom [of the *guru*] is: > catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda- svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam The spiritual master encourages distribution of *prasāda *(remnants of Kṛṣṇa's foodstuffs) to the public. Ours is not dry philosophy-simply talk and go away. No. We distribute *prasāda, *very sumptuous *prasāda. *In every temple, we offer *prasāda *to anyone who comes. In each and every temple we already have from fifty to two hundred devotees, and outsiders also come and take *prasāda*. So* prasāda *distribution is another symptom of the *guru.* *... Kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva: *when the *guru* is fully satisfied that *prasāda *distribution is going on, he is very much pleased, and he engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord by chanting and dancing. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* The spiritual master never claims to be God **Although the spiritual master is considered as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should not think himself God or exploit his prestigious position:** Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, *sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: *in all the scriptures the spiritual master, who is the best of the *brāhmaṇas, *the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, is considered to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This does not mean, however, that the Vaiṣṇava thinks himself God, for this is blasphemous. Although a *brāhmaṇa *or Vaiṣṇava is worshiped as being as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such a devotee always remains a faithful servant of the Lord and never tries to enjoy the prestige that might accrue to him from being the Supreme Lord's representative. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/14/41|7.14.41]]* **The servants of God never claim to be God:** *Asuras *are gradually rectified to God consciousness by the mercy of the Lord's liberated servitors in different countries according to the supreme will. Such devotees of God are very confidential associates of the Lord, and when they come to save human society from the dangers of godlessness, they are known as the powerful incarnations of the Lord, as sons of the Lord, as servants of the Lord or as associates of the Lord. But none of them falsely claim to be God themselves. This is a blasphemy declared by the *asuras, *and the demoniac follows of such *asuras *also accept pretenders as God or His incarnation. In the revealed scriptures there is definite information of the incarnation of God. No one should be accepted as God or an incarnation of God unless he is confirmed by the revealed scriptures.... [The servants of God] never tolerate being called God. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was God Himself according to the indication of the revealed scriptures, but He played the part of a devotee. People who knew Him to be God addressed Him as God, but He used to block His ears with His hands and chant the name of Lord Viṣṇu. He strongly protested against being called God, although undoubtedly He was God Himself. The Lord behaves so to warn us against unscrupulous men who take pleasure in being addressed as God. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/16|1.2.16]]* **The guru never claims to be God:** The *guru *never says, "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am God, I am Bhagavān." Rather, the *guru *says, "I am the most humble servant of the servant of the servant of God." He does not even say that he is the direct servant. Rather, he is the servant one hundred times removed. *Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ* [*Cc Madhya* [[cc/madhya/13/80|13.80]]]*.* *— Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti* **A bona fide spiritual master never poses as the Supreme Lord Himself, but deserves as much respect as the Lord:** A spiritual master never poses as the Supreme Lord Himself; he is considered a representative of the Lord. The revealed scriptures prohibit one's pretending to be God, but a bona fide spiritual master is a most faithful and confidential servant of the Lord and therefore deserves as much respect as Kṛṣṇa. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/44|1.44]]* The spiritual master should be free from material motives **A spiritual master should not accept a disciple for material benefit:** A spiritual master should not be very anxious to accept a disciple because of his material opulences. Sometimes a big businessman or landlord may approach a spiritual master for initiation. Those who are materially interested are called *viṣayīs* (*karmīs*), which indicates that they are very fond of sense gratification. Such *viṣayīs *sometimes approach a famous *guru *and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion. Sometimes *viṣayīs *pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge. In other words, they want to attain material success. A spiritual master must be very careful in this regard. Such business is going on all over the world. The spiritual master does not accept a materially opulent disciple just to advertise the fact that he has such a big disciple. He knows that by associating with such *viṣayī* disciples, he may fall down. One who accepts a *viṣayī* disciple is not a bona fide spiritual master. Even if he is, his position may be damaged due to association with an unscrupulous *viṣayī*. If a so-called spiritual master accepts a disciple for his personal benefit or for material gain, the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple turns into a material affair, and the spiritual master becomes like a *smārta-guru.* There are many caste *gosvāmīs *who professionally create some disciples who do not care for them or their instructions. Such spiritual masters are satisfied simply to get some material benefits from their disciples. Such a relationship is condemned by Śrlla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who calls such spiritual masters and disciples a society of cheaters and cheated. They are also called *bāulas *or *prākṛta-sahajiyās. *Their aim is to make the connection between the spiritual master and the disciple into a very cheap thing. They are not serious in wanting to understand spiritual life. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers:** The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers. A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized, and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples. His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **A Vaiṣnava guru accepts contributions not for sense gratification, but for the service of the Lord:** The Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees collect the money of others for the service of Kṛṣṇa, and they are satisfied with Kṛṣṇa's *prasāda *and whatever He gives them for their maintenance. They do not desire material comforts. However, they go to great pains to engage the possessions of prostitutes, or persons who are more or less like prostitutes, in the service of the Lord and thus free them from sinful reactions. A Vaiṣṇava *guru *accepts money or other contributions, but he does not employ such contributions for sense gratification. A pure Vaiṣṇava thinks himself unfit to help free even one person from the reactions of sinful life, but he engages one's hard-earned money in the service of the Lord and thus frees one from sinful reactions. A Vaiṣṇava *guru* is never dependent on the contributions of his disciples. Following the instructions of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, a pure Vaiṣṇava does not personally take even a single paisa from anyone, but he induces his followers to spend for the service of the Lord whatever possessions they have. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/3/139|3.139]]* **The disciple should not desire material profit from his spiritual master and the spiritual master should not bestow benedictions upon the disciple to maintain a prestigious position:** **A servant who desires material profits from his master is certainly not a qualified servant or pure devotee. Similarly, a master who bestows benedictions upon his servant because of a desire to maintain a prestigious position as master is also not a pure master.** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/10/5|7.10.5]]* Other important instructions concerning the duties and proper behavior of the spiritual master **The spiritual master rescues the householder from the dark well of household life with the strong rope of spiritual instructions:** A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible. Thus the household becomes *gṛham andha-kūpam, *a dark well into which the man has fallen. For such a man to get out is extremely difficult unless he is helped by a strong person, the spiritual master, who helps the fallen person with the strong rope of spiritual instructions. A fallen person should take advantage of this rope, and then the spiritual master, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, will take him out of the dark well. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *7.6.11-13* **The disciple is trained to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra under the guidance of a spiritual master:** Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that everyone chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra *just to cleanse the dust from the heart. If the dust of the heart is cleansed away, then one can actually understand the importance of the holy name. For persons who are not inclined to clean the dust from their heart and want to keep things as they are, it is not possible to derive the transcendental result of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra. *One should, therefore, be encouraged to develop his service attitude toward the Lord, because this will help him to chant without any offense. And so, under the guidance of a spiritual master, the disciple is trained simultaneously to render service and at the same time to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra. *As soon as one develops his spontaneous service attitude, he can immediately understand the transcendental nature of the holy names of the *mahā-mantra.* *— The Nectar of Devotion* **The spiritual master guides the disciple from the lower modes of nature to the mode of goodness:** The association of the living entity with the different modes of nature has been going on perpetually since the living entity is in contact with material nature. Thus he acquires different types of mentality according to his association with the material modes. But this nature can be changed if one associates with a bona fide spiritual master and abides by his rules and the scriptures. Gradually, one can change his position from ignorance to goodness, or from passion to goodness. The conclusion is that blind faith in a particular mode of nature cannot help a person become elevated to the perfectional stage. One has to consider things carefully, with intelligence, in the association of a bona fide spiritual master. Thus one can change his position to a higher mode of nature. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/17/2|17.2]]* **The spiritual master elevates the disciple to the sattva platform:** One can get release from the conditioned life of material existence by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. It is further comprehended herein that one has to rise to the platform of the mode of goodness (*sattva*) so that one can be eligible for the devotional service of the Lord. But if there are impediments on the progressive path, anyone, even from the platform of *tamas, *can gradually rise to the *sattva *platform by the expert direction of the spiritual master. Sincere candidates must, therefore, approach an expert spiritual master for such a progressive march, and the bona fide, expert spiritual master is competent to direct a disciple from any stage of life: *tamas, rajas *or *sattva.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/2/24|1.2.24]]* **When the spiritual master returns the disciple's obeisances. he is respecting the Supersoul in the disciple's heart:** When a learned person stands up or offers obeisances in welcome, he offers respect to the Supersoul, who is sitting within everyone's heart. It is seen, therefore, among Vaiṣṇavas, that even when a disciple offers obeisances to his spiritual master, the spiritual master immediately returns the obeisances because they are mutually offered not to the body but to the Supersoul. Therefore the spiritual master also offers respect to the Supersoul situated in the body of the disciple. The Lord says in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *that offering respect to His devotee is more valuable than offering respect to Him. Devotees do not identify with the body, so offering respect to a Vaiṣṇava means offering respect to Viṣṇu. It is stated also that as a matter of etiquette as soon as one sees a Vaiṣṇava one must immediately offer him respect, indicating the Supersoul within. A Vaiṣṇava sees the body as a temple of Viṣṇu. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/3/22|4.3.22]]* **Although the ācārya is very strict in his principles, he may, because he is independent, sometimes be flexible:** **"My dear Lord, I know that You never mix with other *sannyāsīs, *but please be merciful unto me and accept my invitation."** PURPORT: An *ācārya *or great personality of the Vaiṣṇava school is very strict in his principles, but although he is as hard as a thunderbolt, sometimes he is as soft as a rose. Thus actually he is independent. He follows all the rules and regulations strictly, but sometimes he slackens this policy. It was known that Lord Caitanya never mixed with the Māyāvādī *sannyāsīs, *yet He conceded to the request of the *brāhmaṇa.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/55|7.55]]* **The spiritual master is always personally engaged in chanting and dancing (and thus teaching his disciples to do the same):** The second test is, *mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-vāditra-mādyan-manaso rasena. *The second symptom of the *guru* is that he is always engaged in chanting, glorifying Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu-that is his business. *Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta. *The spiritual master is dancing and chanting the holy name of the Lord, because that is the remedy for all calamities within this material world. Therefore, the *guru *is always engaged in chanting. *Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-*chanting and dancing. Unless he performs it himself, how can he teach his disciples? So his first symptom is that he will give you such instructions that immediately you will feel relief from all anxiety, and his second symptom is that he is always personally engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord and dancing. *Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-vāditra-mādyan-manaso rasena—*the spiritual master enjoys transcendental bliss within his mind by chanting and dancing. *— "The Qualifications of the Spiritual Master" Back to Godhead magazine (Vol. 13, No. 1-2)* **The spiritual master should talk to the disciple with gravity:** As Lord of all, [Kṛṣṇa] is always in the superior position as the master of everyone, and yet the Lord accepts one who wishes to be a friend, a son, a lover or a devotee, or who wants Him in such a role. But when He was accepted as the master, He at once assumed the role and talked with the disciple like the master-with gravity, as it is required. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/2/10|2.10]]* **A spiritual master should not accept money or foodstuffs from materialistic persons:** **"Advaita Ācārya, My spiritual master, should never accept charity from rich men or kings because if a spiritual master accepts money or grains from such materialists his mind becomes polluted."** PURPORT: It is very risky to accept money or foodstuffs from materialistic persons, for such acceptance pollutes the mind of the charity's recipient. According to the Vedic system, one should give charity to *sannyāsīs *and *brāhmaṇas *because one who thus gives charity becomes free from sinful activities. Formerly, therefore, *brāhmaṇas *would not accept charity from a person unless he were very pious. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this instruction for all spiritual masters.... a Vaiṣṇava should not even accept charity or foodstuffs from persons who do not follow the rules and regulations of the Vaiṣṇava principles. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/12/50|12.50]]* **The spiritual master should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the Deity:** There are many offenses one can commit while serving the Lord, and these are described in the *Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa *and other books. According to the rules and regulations, no one should accept obeisances in the temple of the Lord before the Deity. Nor is it proper for a devotee to offer obeisances and touch the feet of the spiritual master before the Deity. This is considered an offense. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself was personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore it was not actually offensive to wash His lotus feet in the temple. However, because He was playing the part of an *ācārya, *the Lord considered Himself an ordinary human being. He also wanted to give instructions to ordinary human beings. The point is that even though one plays the part of a spiritual master, he should not accept obeisances or permit a disciple to wash his feet before the Deity. This is a matter of etiquette. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/12/127|12.127]]* **The spiritual master should not act in such a way to become obliged to his disciples:** A person may have many disciples, but he should not act in such a way that he will be obliged to any of them for some particular action or some favor. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **A spiritual master has no business in reading many books to get popularity as a lecturer:** A bona fide spiritual master has no business to read many books simply to show his proficiency or to get popularity by lecturing in different places. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **It is improper for one seated on a vyāsāsana to stand up to receive a person:** "When one is seated on the *vyāsāsana, *it is improper for him to stand up to receive a person." *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **A person seated on the vyāsāsana does not generally have to stand up to receive anyone:** When a person is seated on the *vyāsāsana, *he does not generally have to stand up to receive a particular person entering the assembly. *— Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead* **The spiritual master has to select a mantra suited to the particular disciple:** The word *sarva-mantra-vicāraṇa *means "considering all different types of *mantras*." There are different kinds of *mantras *for different kinds of devotees. There are the *mantras *known as the *dvādaśākṣara, *and these are composed of twelve syllables. Similarly, there are *mantras *composed of eighteen syllables—the Narasiṁha *mantra, *the Rāma *mantra, *Gopāla *mantra *and so on. Each and every *mantra *has its own spiritual significance. The spiritual master has to select a *mantra *for his disciple according to the disciple's ability to chant different *mantras.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/330|24.330]]* **The requirement for an āsana for the spiritual master (fifth item of Deity worship in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa):** (5) There must be an *āsana, *a sitting place before the altar. This *āsana *is for the spiritual master. The disciple brings everything before the spiritual master, and the spiritual master offers everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/24/334|24.334]]* **If a disciple falls at the feet of the spiritual master, the spiritual master responds by smelling the disciple's head:** If a child or disciple falls at the feet of the father or spiritual master, the superior responds by smelling the head of the subordinate. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/5/21|7.5.21]]* ### 5. Other Important Instructions Concerning the Spiritual Master Lord Kṛṣṇa sends the spiritual master to the sincere soul (or the sincere soul to the spiritual master) **Kṛṣṇa sends (appears as) a spiritual master to the sincere devotee:** > jīve sākṣāt nāhi tāte guru caittya-rūpe śikṣā-guru haya kṛṣṇa mahānta-svarūpe **Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is no one other than Kṛṣṇa Himself.** PURPORT: It is not possible for a conditioned soul to directly meet Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if one becomes a sincere devotee and seriously engages in devotional service, Lord Kṛṣṇa sends an instructing spiritual master to show him favor and invoke his dormant propensity for serving the Supreme. The preceptor appears before the external senses of the fortunate conditioned soul, and at the same time the devotee is guided from within by the *caitya-guru, *Kṛṣṇa, who is seated as the spiritual master within the heart of the living entity. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/58|1.58]]* **The Lord Himself appears as the spiritual master to the sincere devotee:** The Lord Himself appears as the spiritual master to a person who is sincere in heart about serving the Lord. Therefore the bona fide spiritual master who happens to meet the sincere devotee should be accepted as the most confidential and beloved representative of the Lord. If a person is posted under the guidance of such a bona fide spiritual master, it may be accepted without any doubt that the desiring person has achieved the grace of the Lord. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/2/9/7|2.9.7]]* **The Lord appears as the spiritual master to guide the devotee toward the ultimate destination of perfection:** It one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, it is to be understood that he has obtained the grace of the Lord. The Lord appears as the spiritual master for the devotee. Thus the spiritual master, the Vedic injunctions, and the Lord Himself from within all guide the devotee in full strength. Thus there is no chance for a devotee to fall again into the *māyā* of material illusion. The devotee, thus protected all around, is sure the reach the ultimate destination of perfection. *— *Śrī* Īśopaniṣad Mantra 18* **Out of compassion for the conditioned souls, the Lord sends His representative, the spiritual master, whom He always protects:** The Lord desires the conditioned souls hovering in the material creation to be reclaimed to go back home, back to Godhead, and thus He helps them by preparing the transcendental literatures like the *Vedas, *by sending missionaries of saints and sages and by deputing His representative, the spiritual master. Such transcendental literatures, missionaries and representatives of the Lord are spotlessly white because the contamination of the material qualities cannot even touch them. They are always protected by the Lord when they are threatened with annihilation. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/12/16|1.12.16]]* **The Lord sends His representative, the spiritual master, to the sincere soul seeking perfection:** **Otherwise [without being inspired by Lord Kṛṣṇa] how is it that you have voluntarily appeared here, though you are moving incognito to the common man and are not visible to us who are on the verge of death?** PURPORT: The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī was certainly inspired by Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear voluntarily before Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the great devotee of the Lord, just to give him the teachings of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *One can achieve the nucleus of the devotional service of the Lord by the mercy of the spiritual master and the Personality of Godhead. The spiritual master is the manifested representative of the Lord to help one achieve ultimate success. One who is not authorized by the Lord cannot become a spiritual master. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī is an authorized spiritual master, and thus he was inspired by the Lord to appear before Mahārāja Parīkṣit and instruct him in the teachings of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. *One can achieve the ultimate success of going back to Godhead if he is favored by the Lord's sending His true representative. As soon as a true representative of the Lord is met by a devotee of the Lord, the devotee is assured a guarantee for going back to Godhead just after leaving the present body. This, however, depends on the sincerity of the devotee himself. The Lord is seated in the heart of all living beings, and thus He knows very well the movements of all individual persons. As soon as the Lord finds that a particular soul is very eager to go back to Godhead, the Lord at once sends His bona fide representative. The sincere devotee is thus assured by the Lord of going back to Godhead. The conclusion is that to get the assistance and help of a bona fide spiritual master means *to receive the direct help of the Lord Himself.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/19/36|1.19.36]]* **If one is eager to revive his God consciousness, God sends him a spiritual master:** **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **... The spiritual master is one who has received the mercy of God, and he can deliver the solution to the confused man. One who has received the mercy of God can become a spiritual master and deliver that mercy to others. **Mr. O'Grady:** The problem is to find this spiritual master. **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **That is not the problem. The problem is whether you are sincere. You have problems, but God is within your heart. *Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhutānām* [Bg [[bg/18/61|18.61]]]*. *God is not far away. If you are sincere, God sends you a spiritual master. Therefore God is also called *caitya-guru, *the spiritual master within the heart. God helps from within and from without. Everything is thus described in the *Bhagavad-gītā. *This material body is like a machine, but within the heart is the soul, and within the soul is the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa, who gives directions. The Lord says, "You wanted to do this; now here is the chance. Go and do it." If you are sincere, you say, "Now, God, I want You." Then He will give you directions. "Yes, now you come and get Me like this." This is His kindness. However, if we want something else, that is all right. We can have it. God is very kind. When I want something, He is in my heart directing me and telling me how to have it. So why should He not give directions on how to have a spiritual master? First of all we must again be eager to revive our God consciousness. Then God will give us a spiritual master. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **The Lord sends His bona fide representative, the spiritual master, to one who sincerely wants to surrender unto Him:** Sometimes there are inquiries as to how one can surrender unto the Supreme Lord. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* ([[bg/18/66|18.66]]) the Lord asked Arjuna to surrender unto Him, and therefore persons unwilling to do so question where God is and to whom they should surrender. The answer to such questions or inquiries is given herein very properly. The Personality of Godhead may not be present before one's eyes, but if one is sincere in wanting such guidance the Lord will send a bona fide person who can guide one properly back home, back to Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/2/7/46|2.7.46]]* **To liberate conditioned souls, Kṛṣṇa engages His confidential servants as spiritual masters and gives the living entities the conscience whereby they can accept the spiritual master:** The conditioned soul is bewildered by the external material energy, which fully engages him in a variety of sense gratification. Due to engagement in material activities, one's original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is covered. However, as the supreme father of all living entities, Kṛṣṇa wants His sons to return home, back to Godhead; therefore He personally comes to deliver Vedic literatures like *Bhagavad-gītā. *He engages His confidential servants who serve as spiritual masters and enlighten the conditioned living entities. Being present in everyone's heart, the Lord gives the living entities the conscience whereby they can accept the *Vedas *and the spiritual master. In this way the living entity can understand his constitutional position and his relationship with the Supreme Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/20/125|20.125]]* **Lord Kṛṣṇa gives the sincere living entity the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master:** > brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja **"According to their *karma, *all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service."** PURPORT: Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, and if one desires something, Kṛṣṇa's fulfills one's desire. If the living entity by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that movement, Kṛṣṇa, who is situated in everyone's heart, gives him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master. This is called *guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde. *Kṛṣṇa is prepared to bestow His mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity desires the Lord's mercy, the Lord immediately gives him an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a person is fortified by both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. He is helped from within by Kṛṣṇa and from without by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere living being become free from this material bondage. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/19/151|19.151]]* **Kṛṣṇa gives the sincere seeker the intelligence to find a suitable spiritual master:** One [should] find a person who knows the science of God, or a *tattva-vit. Tattva-vit *means one who knows the Absolute Truth.... One has to be freed from all contamination, and at the same time he has to find a person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa helps a sincere person; as stated in the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta, guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde: *by the mercy of the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, one attains the path of salvation, devotional service. If one sincerely searches for spiritual salvation, then Kṛṣṇa, being situated in everyone's heart, gives him the intelligence to find a suitable spiritual master. By the grace of a spiritual master like Maitreya, one gets the proper instruction and advances in spiritual life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/20/4|3.20.4]]* **The Lord, as Supersoul, directs the living entity who is seeking liberation to His representative, the spiritual master:** The living entities wander in life after life, undergoing the miserable conditions of material existence. But when one is very anxious to get free from the material entanglement, then he gets enlightenment through a spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. This means that Kṛṣṇa as the Supersoul is seated within the heart of the living entity, and when the living entity is serious, the Lord directs him to take shelter of His representative, a bona fide spiritual master. Directed from within and guided externally by the spiritual master, one attains the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is the way out of the material clutches. Therefore there is no possibility of one's being situated in his own position unless he is blessed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless he is enlightened with the supreme knowledge, one has to undergo the severe penalties of the hard struggle for existence in the material nature. The spiritual master is therefore the mercy manifestation of the Supreme Person. The conditioned soul has to take direct instruction from the spiritual master, and thus he gradually becomes enlightened to the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sown within the heart of the conditioned soul, and when one hears instructions from the spiritual master, the seed fructifies, and his life is blessed. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/31/16|3.31.16]]* Kṛṣṇa enlightens the living entity from within as the Supersoul and from without as the spiritual master **Kṛṣṇa instructs a fortunate conditioned soul from within as the Supersoul and from without as the spiritual master:** > *kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā* *kare kona bhāgyavāne guru-antaryāmi-rupe śikhāya āpane* **"Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart as *caitya-guru, *the spiritual master within. When He is kind to some fortunate conditioned soul, He personally gives one lessons to progress in devotional service, instructing the person as the Supersoul within and the spiritual master without."** *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/22/47|22.47]]* **To deliver the embodied living being, Kṛṣṇa appears in two features—the ācārya and the Supersoul:** > naivopayanty apacitaṁ kavayas taveśa brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ yo 'ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann ācārya-caitya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti **''O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features-externally as the *ācārya *and internally as the Supersoul-to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You."** *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/11/29/6|11.29.6]] [cited: Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/22/48|22.48]]]* **The disciple takes dictation from the spiritual master from without and the Supersoul from within:** A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dictation is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts in submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. This stage of devotional service by the devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most perfect stage of the *yoga *system. At this stage, Kṛṣṇa, or the Supersoul, dictates from within, while from without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. From within He helps the devotee as *caitya, *for He is seated within the heart of everyone. Understanding that God is seated within everyone's heart is not, however, sufficient. One has to be acquainted with God from both within and without, and one must take dictation from within and without to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage of the human form of life and the topmost perfection of all *yoga.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/3/15/45|3.15.45]]* **In the neophyte stage, Kṛṣṇa dictates to the devotee from without, through the spiritual master. In an advanced stage, He dictates from within as caitya-guru:** A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa.... In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness this dictation of the Lord is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts with submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa, under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. At this stage Kṛṣṇa dictates from within. From without, the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, and from within the Lord helps the devotee as *caitya-guru, *being seated within the heart of everyone. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **After one is fully trained by Kṛṣṇa's representative, the spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa acts as one's spiritual master directly, from within:** Kṛṣṇa can become the director and spiritual master of anyone who is serious about getting the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. The Lord sends the spiritual master to train a devotee, and when the devotee is advanced, the Lord acts as the spiritual master within his heart. > teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te [Bg [[bg/10/10|10.10]]] **"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."** Kṛṣṇa does not become the direct spiritual master unless one is fully trained by His representative spiritual master.... Kṛṣṇa helps as the *guru, *or spiritual master, from within and from without. From without He helps the devotee as His representative, and from within He talks personally with the pure devotee and gives him instructions by which he may return home, back to Godhead. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/7/15/76|7.15.76]]* **The Supersoul, the spiritual master within, directs the sincere soul to the external spiritual master, who trains him in devotional service. When the disciple becomes advanced, the Supersoul guides him from within:** The Supreme Personality of Godhead speaks directly to the individual soul when the devotee has completely purified himself by rendering devotional service to the Lord.... The Lord is the Supersoul seated in everyone's heart, and He acts as the *caitya-guru, *the spiritual master within. However, He gives direct instructions only to the advanced pure devotees. In the beginning, when a devotee is serious and sincere, the Lord gives him directions from within to approach a bona fide spiritual master. When one is trained by the spiritual master according to the regulative principles of devotional service and is situated on the platform of spontaneous attachment for the Lord (*rāga-bhakti*), the Lord also gives instructions from within. *Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam* [Bg [[bg/10/10|10.10]]]*. *This distinct advantage is obtained by a liberated soul. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/28/41|4.28.41]]* **When the spiritual master departs, the devotee, if he is pure in heart, is immediately guided by the Supersoul:** One who is sincere and pure gets an opportunity to consult with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature sitting within everyone's heart. The Paramātmā is always the *caitya-guru, *the spiritual master within, and He comes before one externally as the instructor and initiator spiritual master. The Lord can reside within the heart, and He can also come out before a person and give him instructions. Thus the spiritual master is not different from the Supersoul sitting within the heart. An uncontaminated soul or living entity can get a chance to meet the Paramātmā face to face. Just as one gets a chance to consult with the Paramātmā within his heart, he also gets a chance to see Him actually situated before him. Then one can take instructions from the Supersoul directly. This is the duty of the pure devotee: to see the bona fide spiritual master and consult with the Supersoul within the heart.... [When the spiritual master physically departs] the Supersoul immediately appears, provided the devotee is purified in heart by following the directions of the spiritual master. A sincere devotee who follows the instructions of the spiritual master certainly gets direct instructions from his heart from the Supersoul. Thus a sincere devotee is always helped directly or indirectly by the spiritual master and the Supersoul. This is confirmed in *Caitanya-caritāmṛta: guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/19/151|19.151]]]*. *If the devotee serves his spiritual master sincerely, Kṛṣṇa automatically becomes pleased. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. By *satisfying the spiritual master, one automatically satisfies Kṛṣṇa. Thus the devotee becomes enriched by both the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/28/52|4.28.52]]* **The Lord rectifies the conditioned souls from without as the spiritual master:** Although qualitatively one with the Lord, the living being, due to contamination of the material world, is pervertedly manifested, and therefore he experiences so-called happiness and distress in the material world.... There is, however, a regular current from the Lord Himself, from within and without, by which to rectify the fallen condition of the living being. From within, He corrects the desiring living beings as localized Paramātmā, and from without He corrects by His manifestations, the spiritual master and the revealed scriptures. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/13/48|1.13.48]]* **The Supreme Godhead, who is the original spiritual master, manifests as spiritual master both internally and externally to help the conditioned soul:** The Supreme Godhead in His Paramātmā feature is present in everyone's heart, and He is always trying to induce the individual soul to surrender unto Him and to engage in devotional service; therefore He is the original spiritual master. He manifests Himself as spiritual master both internally and externally to help the conditioned soul both ways. Therefore He has been mentioned herein as *gurum.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/21/36|4.21.36]]* **The Lord becomes the spiritual master to reclaim the conditioned souls:** The conditioned souls are being reclaimed by the Lord both ways, namely by the process of punishment by the external energy of the Lord, and by Himself as the spiritual master within and without. Within the heart of every living being the Lord Himself as the Supersoul (Paramātmā) becomes the spiritual master, and from without He becomes the spiritual master in the shape of scriptures, saints and the initiator spiritual master. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/7/5|1.7.5]]* **The spiritual master is the external manifestation of the Supersoul:** The supreme spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa, who is therefore known as *caitya-guru. *This refers to the Supersoul, who is sitting in everyone's heart. He helps from within as stated in *Bhagavad-gītā, *and He sends the spiritual master, who helps from without. The spiritual master is the external manifestation of the *caitya-guru, *or the spiritual master sitting in everyone's heart. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/8/44|4.8.44]]* **The Lord enlightens the devotees from within, and from without as the spiritual master:** **My dear Lord, Your two lotus feet are so beautiful that they appear like two blossoming petals of the lotus flower which grows during the autumn season. Indeed, the nails of Your lotus feet emanate such a great effulgence that they immediately dissipate all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul. My dear Lord, kindly show me that form of Yours which always dissipates all kinds of darkness in the heart of a devotee. My dear Lord, You are the supreme spiritual master of everyone; therefore all conditioned souls covered with the darkness of ignorance can be enlightened by You as the spiritual master.** PURPORT: The Lord is the supreme spiritual master, and the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord is also a spiritual master. The Lord from within enlightens the devotees by the effulgence of the nails of His lotus feet, and His representative, the spiritual master, enlightens from without. Only by thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord and always taking the spiritual master's advice can one advance in spiritual life and understand Vedic knowledge ... the *Vedas *enjoin that for one who has unflinching faith in the lotus feet of the Lord, as well as in the spiritual master, the real import of Vedic knowledge can be revealed. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/24/52|4.24.52]]* **Kṛṣṇa delivers the conditioned soul through the Vedic literatures, the realized spiritual master and the Supersoul:** **"The forgetful conditioned soul is educated by Kṛṣṇa through the Vedic literatures, the realized spiritual master and the Supersoul. Through these, he can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is, and he can understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa is his eternal master and deliverer from the clutches of *māyā*. In this way one can acquire real knowledge of his conditioned life and can come to understand how to attain liberation."** PURPORT: Being forgetful of his real position, the conditioned soul may take help from *śāstra, guru *and the Supersoul within his heart. Kṛṣṇa is situated within everyone's heart as the Supersoul.... As the *śaktyāveśa-avatāra, *Vyāsadeva teaches the conditioned soul through Vedic literatures. Kṛṣṇa externally appears as the spiritual master and trains the conditioned soul to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is revived, the conditioned soul is delivered from the material clutches. Thus a conditioned soul is always helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in three ways-by the scriptures, the spiritual master and the Supersoul within the heart. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/20/123|20.123]]* The three kinds of spiritual masters (dīksā, śiksā and vartma-pradarśaka) **The three kinds of gurus defined:** One who first gives information about spiritual life is called the *vartma-pradarśaka-guru *or spiritual master. The spiritual master who initiates according to the regulations of the *śāstras* is called *dīkṣā-guru, *and the spiritual master who gives instructions for elevation is called *śiksā-guru.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]* ****The nature and function of initiating ***(dīkṣā)*** and instructing ***(śikṣā)*** gurus:**** **I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord's incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies, and the primeval Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.** PURPORT: *Gurun *is* *plural in number because anyone who gives spiritual instructions based on the revealed scriptures is accepted as a spiritual master. Although others give help in showing the way to beginners, the *guru *who first initiates one with the *mahā-mantra* is to be known as the initiator, and the saints who give instructions for progressive advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are called instructing spiritual masters. The initiating and instructing spiritual masters are equal and identical manifestations of Kṛṣṇa, although they have different dealings. Their function is to guide the conditioned souls back home, back to Godhead. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/34|1.34]]* **A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master but can have unlimited instructing spiritual masters:** > mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana **I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.** PURPORT: A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept. Generally a spiritual master who constantly instructs a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/35|1.35]]* *** ***Two kinds of instructing spiritual masters:**** Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī states that the instructing spiritual master is a bona fide representative of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.... There are two kinds of instructing spiritual masters. One is the liberated person fully absorbed in meditation in devotional service, and the other is he who invokes the disciple's spiritual consciousness by means of relevant instructions. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Ādi-līlā* [[cc/adi/1/47|1.47]]* **The disciple adores his different gurus equally:** **All glories to Cintāmaṇi and my initiating spiritual master, Somagiri. All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown.... (K*ṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta)*** PURPORT: In the beginning of [*Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta,* Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura] has offered his obeisances to his different *gurus, *and it is to be noted that he has adored them all equally. The first spiritual master mentioned is Cintāmaṇi, who was his instructing spiritual master because she first showed him the spiritual path. Cintāmaṇi was a prostitute with whom Bilvamaṅgala was intimate earlier in his life. She gave him the inspiration to begin on the path of devotional service, and because she convinced him to give up material existence to try for perfection by loving Kṛṣṇa, he has first offered his respects to her. Next he offers his respects to his initiating spiritual master, Somagiri, and then to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was also his instructing spiritual master. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā [[cc/adi/1/57|1.57]]* **The initiating spiritual master is a personal manifestation of Śrīla Madana-mohana vigraha. The instructing spiritual master is a personal representative of Śrīla Govindadeva vigraha:** Śrī Govindajī acts exactly like the *śikṣā-guru *(instructing spiritual master) by teaching Arjuna *Bhagavad-gītā. *He is the original preceptor, for He gives us instructions and an opportunity to serve Him. The initiating spiritual master is a personal manifestation of Śrīla Madana-mohana *vigraha, *whereas the instructing spiritual master is a personal representative of Śrīla Govindadeva *vigraha. *Both of these Deities are worshiped at Vṛndāvana. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/1/47|1.47]]* **Definition of patha-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru:** **Dhruva was seated in the transcendental airplane, which was just about to start, when he remembered his poor mother, Sunīti. He thought to himself, "How shall I go alone to the Vaikuṇṭha planet and leave behind my poor mother?"** PURPORT: Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Sunīti. It was Sunīti who gave him the clue which had enabled him to now be personally carried to the Vaikuṇṭha planet by the associates of Lord Viṣṇu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Mahārāja's mother, Sunīti, was his *patha-pradarśaka-guru. Patha-pradarśaka-guru *means the *guru *or the spiritual master who shows the way. Such a *guru* is sometimes called *śikṣā-guru. *Although Nārada Muni was his *dīkṣā-guru *(initiating spiritual master), Sunīti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the *śikṣā-guru *or *dīkṣā-guru *to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to śāstric injunctions, there is no difference between *śikṣā-guru *and *dīkṣā-guru, *and generally the *śikṣā-guru *later on becomes the *dīkṣā-guru.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/12/32|4.12.32]]* **A non-brāhmaṇa may become a dikṣā-guru as well as a sikṣā or vartma-pradarśaka-guru:** > kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya [Cc Madhya [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]] **"Whether one is *a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra-*regardless of what he is-he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa."** PURPORT: If one becomes a *guru, *he is automatically a *brāhmaṇa. *Sometimes a caste *guru *says that *yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya *means that one who is not a *brāhmaṇa *may become a *śikṣā-guru *or a *vartma-pradarśaka-guru *but not an initiator *guru. *According to such caste *gurus, *birth and family ties are considered foremost. However, the hereditary consideration is not acceptable to Vaiṣṇavas. The word *guru *is equally applicable to the *vartma-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru *and *dīkṣā-guru.* *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/8/128|8.128]]* **Titles of respect applicable to the spiritual master** **The spiritual master can be addressed as "gosvāmī":** One who has control of the senses is called a *gosāñi *or a *gosvāmī, *master of the senses. The senses cannot be controlled unless one is engaged in the service of the Lord; therefore the bona fide spiritual master, who has full control over his senses, engages twenty-four hours a day in the Lord's service. He can therefore be addressed as a *gosāñi* or* gosvāmī.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/9/289|9.289]]* **The title "gosvāmī" can be given not according to heredity, but to a Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master:** The title *gosvāmī *cannot be inherited but can be given only to a bona fide spiritual master. There were six great Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana-Śrīla Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Dāsa Raghunātha-and none of them inherited the title of *gosvāmī*. All the Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana were bona fide spiritual masters situated on the highest platform of devotional service, and for that reason they were called *gosvāmīs*. All the temples of Vṛndāvana were certainly started by the Six Gosvāmīs. Later the worship in the temples was entrusted to some householder disciples of the Gosvāmīs, and since then the hereditary title of *gosvāmī *has been used. However, only one who is a bona fide spiritual master expanding the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and who is in full control of his senses can be addressed as a *gosvāmī. *Unfortunately, the hereditary process is going on; therefore at the present moment, in most cases the title is being misused due to ignorance of the word's etymology. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/9/289|9.289]]* **The spiritual master as paramahaṁsa:** The spiritual master who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no business other than the Lord's service is called the best of the *paramahaṁsas.* A* paramahaṁsa *has no program for sense gratification; he is interested only in satisfying the senses of the Lord. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā* [[cc/madhya/9/289|9.289]]* **The ācārya is called paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura:** Since he [the true *ācārya, *the spiritual master of the entire world"] is understood to be the most advanced devotee, he is called *paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura. Ṭhākura* is a title of honor offered to the *paramahaṁsa. *Therefore one who acts as an *ācārya, *directly presenting Lord Kṛṣṇa by spreading His name and fame, is also to be called *paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura.* *— *Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā *[[cc/antya/7/12|7.12]]* **The proper use of the titles gosāñi and ṭhākura:** Haridāsa Ṭhākura was so exalted that he was addressed as *ṭhākura *and *gosāñi, *and these titles are offered to the most advanced Vaiṣṇavas. The spiritual master is generally called *gosāñi, *and *ṭhākura* is used to address the *paramahaṁsas, *those in the topmost rank of spirituality. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/11/165|11.165]]* **The meaning of "jagad-guru":** One who trains his subordinate or disciple to worship Vāsudeva is the truly bona fide spiritual master. The word *jagad-gurum* is very important in this regard. Kaśyapa Muni did not falsely declare himself to be *jagad-guru, *although he actually was *jagad-guru *because he advocated the cause of Vāsudeva. Actually, Vāsudeva is *jagad-guru, *as clearly stated here (*vāsudevaṁ jagad-gurum*).* *One who teaches the instructions of Vāsudeva, *Bhagavad-gītā,* is as good as *vāsudevaṁ jagad-gurum. *But when one who does not teach this instruction-as it is-declares himself *jagad-guru, *he simply cheats the public. Kṛṣṇa is *jagad-guru, *and one who teaches the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as it is, on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, may be accepted as *jagad-guru. *One who manufactures his own theories cannot be accepted; he becomes *jagad-guru *falsely. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/16/20|8.16.20]]* **The qualifications of a jagad-guru:** A person who knows what is spiritual and what is material and who is firmly fixed in the spiritual position can be *jagad-guru, *the spiritual master of the entire world. One cannot become *jagad-guru *simply by advertising oneself as *jagad-guru *without knowing the essential principles for becoming *jagad-guru. *Even people who never see what a *jagad-guru* is and never talk with other people become puffed-up *sannyāsīs *and declare themselves *jagad-gurus. *Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like this. Any person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa and who is fully qualified in spiritual life can become *jagad-guru.* *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Antya-līlā* [[cc/antya/5/85|5.85]]* ***Aṣṭottara-śata*** (108) is added to the spiritual master's name to indicate one who is situated in the transcendental state:**** The living entity is constitutionally pure. *Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. *In the Vedic literature it is said that the soul is always pure and uncontaminated by material attachment. The identification of the body with the soul is due to misunderstanding. As soon as one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious it is to be understood that one is in his pure, original constitutional position. This state of existence is called *śuddha-sattva, *which means that it is transcendental to the material qualities. ... In pure devotional service one simply serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a matter of duty, without reason and without being impeded by material conditions. That is called *śuddha-sattva, *or *vasudeva, *because in that stage the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, is revealed in the heart of the devotee. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has very nicely described this *vasudeva, *or *śuddha-sattva, *in his *Bhāgavata-sandarbha. *He explains that *aṣṭottara-śata *(108) is added to the name of the spiritual master to indicate one who is situated in *śuddha-sattva, *or in the transcendental state of *vasudeva.* *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/3/23|4.3.23]]* **The term "Prabhupāda" means that the spiritual master occupies the post of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as His representative:** This word [*prabhu*] is* *applicable to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the spiritual master is addressed as Prabhupāda. *Prabhu *means "the Supreme Personality of Godhead," and *pāda *means "post." According to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the spiritual master occupies the post of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or in other words he is the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/8/69|4.8.69]]* **The meaning of "Prabhupāda":** When Pṛthu Mahārāja became spiritually powerful by the enhancement of his spiritual knowledge, *jñāna *and renunciation of material desires, he became a *prabhu, *or master of his senses (sometimes called *gosvāmī *or *svāmi*). This means that he was no longer controlled by the influence of material energy. When one is strong enough to give up the influence of material energy, he is called *prabhu ... *when one is completely self-realized and acts according to that position, he can be called *prabhu. *The spiritual master is addressed as "Prabhupāda," because he is a completely self-realized soul. The word *pāda *means "position," and *Prabhupāda *indicates that he is given the position of *prabhu, *or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one is a *prabhu, *or controller of the senses, he cannot act as spiritual master. He is authorized by the supreme *prabhu, *or Lord Kṛṣṇa. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/23/18|4.23.18]]* **The meaning of "Prabhu" and "Prabhupāda":** **When Kāśī Miśra heard the proposal, he said, "I am very fortunate that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord of all *prabhus, *will stay at my home."** PURPORT: In this verse the word Prabhupāda, referring to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is significant. Regarding this, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda comments, "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all His servants address Him as Prabhupāda. This means that there are many *prabhus *taking shelter under His lotus feet." The pure Vaiṣṇava is addressed as *prabhu, *and this address is an etiquette observed between Vaiṣṇavas. When many *prabhus *remain under the shelter of the lotus feet of another *prabhu, *the address Prabhupāda is given. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are also addressed as Prabhupāda. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu are all *viṣṇu-tattva, *the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore all living entities are under Their lotus feet. Lord Viṣṇu is the eternal Lord of everyone, and the representative of Lord Viṣṇu is the Lord's confidential servant. Such a person acts as the spiritual master for neophyte Vaiṣṇavas; therefore the spiritual master is as respectable as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya or Lord Viṣṇu Himself. For this reason, the spiritual master is addressed as Oṁ Viṣṇupāda or Prabhupāda. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/23|10.23]]* Things used by the spiritual master are worshipable **The guru and things used by him are worshipable:** **Lord Nityānanda Prabhu then obtained an external garment used by the Lord by requesting it from Govinda. Thus Nityānanda Prabhu delivered the old cloth to the care of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya sent it to the king. When the king received the old cloth, he began to worship it exactly as he would worship the Lord personally.** PURPORT: We should learn to worship everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is referred to by Lord Śiva as *tadīyānām. *In the *Padma Purāṇa *it is said: > ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam **"O Devī, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Greater than that is the worship of *tadīya, *or anything belonging to Viṣṇu."** Śrī Viṣṇu is *sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha *[Bs 5.1]*. *Similarly, the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viṣṇu are *tadīya. *The *sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, guru, *Vaiṣṇavas, and things used by them must be considered *tadīya *and without a doubt worshipable by all living beings. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/10/23|12.38]]* **Things used by the spiritual master are worshipable and should not be used by anyone else:** **"Now please sit in this place and take Your lunch. Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "This place is worshipable because it was used by Kṛṣṇa."** PURPORT: According to etiquette, things used by Kṛṣṇa should not be used by anyone else. Similarly, things used by the spiritual master should also not be used by anyone else. That is etiquette. Whatever is used by Kṛṣṇa or the spiritual master is worshipable. In particular, their sitting or eating places should not be used by anyone else. A devotee must be very careful to observe this. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/15/234|15.234]]* The disciple benefits by taking remnants of food left by the spiritual master **The remnants of food left by the spiritual master are purifying:** **When the rice thrown by Nityānanda Prabhu touched His body, Advaita Ācārya thought Himself purified by the touch of remnants thrown by Paramahaṁsa Nityānanda. Therefore He began dancing.** PURPORT: The remnants of food left by a pure Vaiṣṇava are called *mahā-mahā-prasāda. *This is completely spiritual and is identified with Lord Viṣṇu. Such remnants are not ordinary. The spiritual master is to be considered on the stage of *paramahaṁsa *and beyond the jurisdiction of the *varṇāśrama *institution. The remnants of food left by the spiritual master and similar *paramahaṁsas *or pure Vaiṣṇavas are purifying. When an ordinary person touches such *prasāda, *his mind is purified, and his mind is raised to the status of a pure *brāhmaṇa. *The behavior and statements of Advaita Ācārya are meant for the understanding of ordinary people who are unaware of the strength of spiritual values, not knowing the potency of foodstuffs left by the bona fide spiritual master and pure Vaiṣṇavas. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta *Madhya-līlā *[[cc/madhya/3/96|3.96]]* **Remnants of the spiritual master's meal may be taken as prasāda:** Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are part of a meal that was first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly persons, especially the spiritual master. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/17/8 bg 17.9 bg 17.10 bg 17.8-10|17.8-10]]* When the spiritual master can be rejected **When a guru can be rejected:** **Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, when Bali Mahārāja was thus advised by his spiritual master, Śukrācārya, his family priest, he remained silent for some time, and then, after full deliberation, he replied to his spiritual master as follows.** PURPORT: Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that Bali Mahārāja remained silent at a criticial point. How could he disobey the instruction of Śukrācārya, his spiritual master? It is the duty of such a sober personality as Bali Mahārāja to abide by the orders of his spiritual master immediately, as his spiritual master had advised. But Bali Mahārāja also considered that Śukrācārya was no longer to be accepted as a spiritual master, for he had deviated from the duty of a spiritual master. According to *śāstra, *the duty of the *guru* is to take the disciple back home, back to Godhead. If he is unable to do so and instead hinders the disciple in going back to Godhead, he should not be a *guru. Gurur na sa syāt* (*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/5/5/18|5.5.18]]). One should not become a *guru *if he cannot enable his disciple to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The goal of life is to become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that one may be freed from the bondage of material existence *(tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna* [Bg [[bg/4/9|4.9]]]*). *The spiritual master helps the disciple attain this stage by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now Śukrācārya had advised Bali Mahārāja to deny the promise to Vāmanadeva. Under the circumstances, therefore, Bali Mahārāja thought that there would be no fault if he disobeyed the order of his spiritual master. He deliberated on this point-should he refuse to accept the advice of his spiritual master, or should he immediately do everything to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He took some time. Therefore it is said, *tūṣṇīṁ bhūtvā kṣaṇaṁ rājann uvācāvahito gurum. *After deliberating on this point, he decided that Lord Viṣṇu should be pleased in all circumstances, even at the risk of ignoring the *guru's *advice to the contrary. Anyone who is supposed to be a *guru *but who goes against the principle of *viṣṇu-bhakti *cannot be accepted as a *guru. *If one has falsely accepted such a *guru, *one should reject him.... Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has advised that such a useless *guru, *a family priest acting as a *guru, *should be given up, and that the proper, bona fide *guru *should be accepted. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/20/1|8.20.1]]* **A spiritual master can be rejected if unworthy of the position:** Arjuna arrested Aśvatthāmā knowing perfectly well that he was the son of Droṇācārya. Kṛṣṇa also knew him to be so, but both of them condemned the murderer without consideration of his being the son of a *brāhmaṇa. *According to revealed scriptures, a teacher or spiritual master is liable to be rejected if he proves himself unworthy of the position of a *guru *or spiritual master. A *guru* is called also an *ācārya, *or a person who has personally assimilated all the essence of *śāstras *and has helped his disciples to adopt the ways. Aśvatthāmā failed to discharge the duties of a *brāhmaṇa *or teacher, and therefore he was liable to be rejected from the exalted position of a *brāhmaṇa. *On this consideration, both Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were right in condemning Aśvatthāmā. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/1/7/43|1.7.43]]* **A fallen teacher is fit to be abandoned:** According to scriptural codes, a teacher who engages in an abominable action and has lost his sense of discrimination is fit to be abandoned. *— Bhagavad-gītā As It Is [[bg/1/5|1.5]]* False spiritual masters **The conditioned soul can get no benefit, material or spiritual, from a false guru:** **Sometimes, to mitigate distresses in this forest of the material world, the conditioned soul receives cheap blessings from atheists. He then loses all intelligence in their association. This is exactly like jumping in a shallow river. As a result one simply breaks his head. He is not able to mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in both ways he suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-called *sādhus *and *svāmīs *who preach against the principles of the *Vedas. *He does not receive benefit from them, either in the present or in the future.** PURPORT: Cheaters are always there to manufacture their own way of spiritual realization. To get some material benefit, the conditioned soul approaches these pseudo *sannyāsīs* and *yogīs *for cheap blessings, but he does not receive any benefit from them, either spiritual or material. In this age there are many cheaters who show some jugglery and magic. They even create gold to amaze their followers, and their followers accept them as God. This type of cheating is very prominent in Kali-yuga.... One should approach a *guru *who can extinguish the blazing fire of this material world, the struggle for existence. People want to be cheated, and therefore they go to *yogīs *and *svāmīs *who play tricks, but tricks do not mitigate the miseries of material life.... One cannot become happy by accepting a false *guru.* A *guru *should be accepted as advised in *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *([[sb/11/3/21|11.3.21]]). *Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: *One should approach a bona fide *guru *to inquire about the highest benefit of life. Such a *guru* is described as follows: *śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. *Such a *guru *does not manufacture gold or juggle words. He is well versed in the conclusions of Vedic knowledge (*vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ* [Bg [[bg/15/15|15.15]]]). He is freed from all material contamination and is fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. If one is able to obtain the dust of the lotus feet of such a *guru, *his life becomes successful. Otherwise he is baffled both in this life and in the next. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/5/14/13|5.14.13]]* **Because people want to be cheated, they get a cheater guru:** **Reporter: **What frankly worries me is that since the arrival in Britain some time ago of an Indian *yogī, *who was the first "*guru*" that most people had ever heard of, a lot of "*gurus*"* *have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sometimes I get the feeling that not all of them are as genuine as they ought to be. Would it be right to warn people who are thinking of taking up spiritual life that they should make sure that they have a genuine *guru *to teach them? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes. Of course, to search out a *guru* is very nice, but if you want a cheap *guru, *or if you want to be cheated, then you will find many cheating *gurus. *But if you are sincere, you will find a sincere guru. Because people want everything very cheaply, they are cheated. We ask our students to refrain from illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. People think that this is all very difficult-a botheration. But if someone else says, "You may do whatever nonsense you like, simply take my *mantra*," then people will like him. The point is that people want to be cheated, and therefore cheaters come. No one wants to undergo any austerity. Human life is meant for austerity, but no one is prepared to undergo austerity. Consequently, cheaters come and say, "No austerity. Whatever you like, you do. Simply pay me, and I'll give you some *mantra, *and you'll become God in six months." All this is going on. If you want to be cheated like this, the cheater will come. **Reporter: **What about the person who seriously wants to find spiritual life but who happens to finish up with the wrong *guru?* **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **If you simply want an ordinary education, you have to devote so much time, labor, and understanding to it. Similarly, if you are going to take to spiritual life, you must become serious. How is it that simply by some wonderful *mantras, *someone can become God in six months? Why do people want something like that? This means that they want to be cheated. **Reporter: **I wondered how many people you think might have been taken in by fake *gurus.* **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Practically everyone. [laughter.] There is no question of counting. Everyone. **Reporter: **This would mean thousands of people, wouldn't it? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Millions. Millions have been cheated, because they want to be cheated. God is omniscient. He can understand your desires. He is within your heart, and if you want to be cheated, God sends you a cheater. **Reporter: **When you say that lots of people want to be cheated, do you mean that lots of people want to carry on with their worldly pleasures and at the same time, by chanting a *mantra *or by holding a flower, achieve spiritual life as well? Is this what you mean by wanting to be cheated? **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes, this is like a patient thinking, "I shall continue with my disease, and at the same time I shall become healthy." It is contradictory. The first requirement is that one become educated in spiritual life. Spiritual life is not something one can understand by a few minutes' talk. There are many philosophy and theology books, but people are not interested in them. That is the difficulty. For instance, the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is a very long work, and if you try to read this book, it may take many days just to understand one line of it. The *Bhāgavatam *describes God, the Absolute Truth, but people are not interested. And if, by chance, someone becomes a little interested in spiritual life, he wants something immediate and cheap. Therefore, he is cheated. Actually, human life is meant for austerity and penance.... Spiritual life means voluntarily accepting some austerities for the sake of God realization. That is why we insist on no illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, or intoxication for our initiated students. Without these restrictions, any *"yoga *meditation" or so-called spiritual discipline cannot be genuine. It is simply a business deal between the cheaters and the cheated. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **Accepting an unqualified spiritual master to control is useless for spiritual realization:** Sometimes pseudo spiritualists accept a spiritual master who is not even fit to become a disciple because they want to keep him under their control. This is useless for spiritual realization. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ā*di-līlā *[[cc/adi/7/72|7.72]]* **Blind, conditioned souls, not knowing the goal of life, accept bogus gurus:** > acakṣur andhasya yathāgraṇīḥ kṛtas tathā janasyāviduṣo 'budho guruḥ **As a blind man, being unable to see, accepts another blind man as his leader, people who do not know the goal of life accept someone as a *guru *who is a rascal and a fool....** PURPORT: The conditioned soul, being wrapped in ignorance and therefore not knowing the goal of life, accepts a *guru *who can juggle words and make some display of magic that is wonderful to a fool. Sometimes a foolish person accepts someone as a *guru *because he can manufacture a small quantity of gold by mystic yogic power. Because such a disciple has a poor fund of knowledge, he cannot judge whether the manufacture of gold is the criterion for a *guru. *Why would one not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, from whom unlimited numbers of gold mines come into being? *Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate* [Bg [[bg/10/8|10.8]]]*. *All the gold mines are created by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, why should one accept a magician who can manufacture only a small portion of gold? Such *gurus *are accepted by those who are blind, not knowing the goal of life. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/24/50|8.24.50]]* **Bogus spiritual masters are interested only in the material world, and they mislead many blind followers:** **Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or *guru *a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.** PURPORT: [Bogus] spiritual masters are not at all interested in Viṣṇu. Indeed, they are hopeful of material success *(bahir-artha-māninaḥ). *The word *bahiḥ *means "external," *artha *means "interest," and *māninaḥ *means "taking very seriously." Generally speaking, practically everyone is unaware of the spiritual world. The knowledge of the materialists is restricted within the four-billion-mile limit of this material world, which is in the dark portion of the creation; they do not know that beyond the material world is the spiritual world. Unless one is a devotee of the Lord, one cannot understand the existence of the spiritual world. *Gurus, *teachers, who are simply interested in this material world are described in this verse as *andha, *blind. Such blind men may lead many other blind followers without true knowledge of material conditions, but they are not accepted by devotees like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Such blind teachers, being interested in the external, material world, are always bound by the strong ropes of material nature. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/5/31|7.5.31]]* **Bogus gurus instruct their disciples in material advancement, and such disciples remain in material existence:** **A materialistic so-called *guru *instructs his materialistic disciples about economic development and sense gratification, and because of such instructions the foolish disciples continue in the materialistic existence of ignorance....** PURPORT: So-called *gurus *instruct their disciples for the sake of material profit. Some *guru *advises that one meditate in such a way that his intelligence will increase in regard to keeping his body fit for sense gratification. Another *guru *advises that sex is the ultimate goal of life and that one should therefore engage in sex to the best of his ability. These are the instructions of foolish *gurus. *In other words, because of the instructions of a foolish *guru *one remains perpetually in material existence and suffers its tribulations. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/8/24/51|8.24.51]]* **Many so-called svāmīs and yogīs fall prey to women and thus cannot help others cross the ocean of nescience:** Dangerous elements in the universe are compared to sharks in the ocean. Even though one may be a very expert swimmer, he cannot possibly survive if he is attacked by sharks. One often sees that many so-called *svāmīs* and *yogīs *sometimes advertise themselves as competent to cross the ocean of nescience and to help others cross, but in actuality they are found to be simply victims of their own senses. Instead of helping their followers to cross the ocean of nescience, such *svāmīs* and *yogīs *fall prey to *māyā*, represented by the fair sex, woman, and are thus devoured by the sharks in that ocean. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/22/40|4.22.40]]* **A sannyāsī (spiritual master) should not gather disciples through material allurements:** **A *sannyāsī *must not present allurements of material benefits to gather many disciples...** PURPORT: So-called *svāmīs* and *yogīs *generally make disciples by alluring them with material benefits. There are many so-called gurus who attract disciples by promising to cure their diseases or increase their material opulence by manufacturing gold. These are lucrative allurements for unintelligent men. A *sannyāsī* is prohibited from making disciples through such material allurements. *— *Śrīm*ad-Bhāgavatam [[sb/7/13/8|7.13.8]]* **Rascal gurus claim to be God:** In the world there are many rascal gurus who give their own opinion, but we can challenge any rascal. A rascal guru may say, "I am God," or, "We are all God." That is all right, but we should find out from the dictionary what the meaning of "God" is. Generally, a dictionary will tell us that the word "God" indicates the Supreme Being. Thus we may ask such a *guru*, "Are you the Supreme Being?" If he cannot understand this, then we should give the meaning of "supreme." Any dictionary will inform us that *supreme *means "the greatest authority." We may then ask, "Are you the greatest authority?" Such a rascal *guru*, even though proclaiming himself to be God, cannot answer such a question. God is the Supreme Being and the highest authority. No one is equal to Him or greater than Him. Yet there are many *guru*-gods, many rascals who claim to be the Supreme. Such rascals cannot help us escape the darkness of material existence. They cannot illumine our darkness with the torchlight of spiritual knowledge. *— The Science of Self-Realization* **False, impersonalist spiritual masters mislead their disciples by posing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa:** A disciple should always respect the spiritual master as a manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time one should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose themselves as identical with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in every respect to exploit the sentiments of their disciples, but such impersonalists can only mislead their disciples, for their ultimate aim is to become one with the Lord. This is against the principles of the devotional cult. *— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā [[cc/adi/1/46|1.46]]* **Bogus, self-made spiritual masters teach that all paths lead to the same goal:** **It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping that which is not supreme. All this was heard from the undisturbed authorities who clearly explained it.** PURPORT: Different results are achieved by different modes of worship. If we worship the Supreme Lord, we will certainly reach Him in His eternal abode, and if we worship demigods like the sun-god and moon-god, we can reach their respective planets without a doubt. And if we wish to remain on this wretched planet with our planning commissions and our stop-gap political adjustments, we can certainly do that also. Nowhere in authentic scriptures is it said that one will ultimately reach the same goal by doing anything or worshiping anyone. Such foolish theories are offered by self-made masters who have no connection with the *paramparā, *the bona fide system of disciplic succession. The bona fide spiritual master cannot say that all paths lead to the same goal and that anyone can attain this goal by his own mode of worship of the demigods or of the Supreme or whatever. For a common man it is very easy to understand that a person can reach his destination only when he has purchased a ticket for that destination. A person who has purchased a ticket for Calcutta can reach Calcutta, but not Bombay. However, temporary so-called masters say that any and all tickets can take one to the supreme goal. Such mundane and compromising offers attract many foolish creatures who become puffed up with their manufactured methods of spiritual realization. The Vedic instructions, however, do not uphold them. *— *Śrī* Īśopaniṣad Mantra 13* **In Kali-yuga, gurus create a disturbance by ignoring the authorized Vedic literatures:** > śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.* 1.2.101] **"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the *Upaniṣads, Purāṇas *and *Nārada Pañcarātra* is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society."** *(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu *1.2.101) Those who are very advanced in knowledge and are situated in the mode of goodness follow the Vedic instructions of the *śruti *and *smṛti *and other religious scriptures, including the *pāñcarātrikī-vidhi. *Without understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this way, one only creates a disturbance. In this Age of Kali, so many *gurus *have sprung up, and because they do not refer to the *śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāñcarātrikī-vidhi* [*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.* 1.2.101]*, *they are creating a great disturbance in the world in regard to understanding the Absolute Truth. However, those who follow the *pāñcarātrikī-vidhi *under the guidance of a proper spiritual master can understand the Absolute Truth. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/8/12/10|8.12.10]]* **Pseudoreligionists, lacking both knowledge and detachment, pose as spiritual masters and ācāryas and thus fall into hell:** The ignorant pseudoreligionists and the manufacturers of so-called incarnations who directly violate the Vedic injunctions are liable to enter into the darkest region of the universe because they mislead those who follow them.... The pseudoreligionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of altruistic and philanthropic activities and in the guise of religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative *ācāryas, *the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession. To mislead the people in general, they themselves become so-called ācāryas, but do not even follow the principles of the *ācāryas.* These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in *Bhagavad-gītā *([[bg/16/19|16.19-20]]) that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell. *Śrī Īśopaniṣad *confirms that these pseudoreligionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification. *— *Śrī* Īśopaniṣad Mantra 12* **Even if one temporarily contacts a bogus guru, if he is sincere, Kṛṣṇa will guide him to a genuine guru:** **Reporter: **Have you ever had people come to you who had previously been involved with a fake *guru?* **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **Yes, there are many. **Reporter: **Were their spiritual lives in any way spoiled by the fake *gurus?* **Śrīla Prabhupāda: **No, they were genuinely seeking something spiritual, and that was their qualification. God is within everyone's heart, and as soon as someone genuinely seeks Him, He helps that person find a genuine *guru.* *— The Science of Self-Realization* Lord Jesus Christ as spiritual master **Jesus Christ as spiritual master:** The *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *states that any bona fide preacher of God consciousness must have the qualities of *titikṣā *(tolerance) and *karuṇā *(compassion). In the character of Lord Jesus Christ we find both these qualities. He was so tolerant that even while he was being crucified, he didn't condemn anyone. And he was so compassionate that he prayed to God to forgive the very persons who were trying to kill him.... A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy to see the sufferings of others. Therefore, Lord Jesus Christ agreed to be crucified-to free others from their suffering. But his followers are so unfaithful that they have decided, "Let Christ suffer for us, and we'll go on committing sin." They love Christ so much that they think, "My dear Christ, we are very weak. We cannot give up our sinful activities. So you please suffer for us." Jesus Christ taught, "Thou shalt not kill." But his followers have now decided, "Let us kill anyway," and they open big, modern, scientific slaughterhouses. "If there is any sin, Christ will suffer for us." This is a most abominable conclusion. Christ can take the sufferings for the previous sins of his devotees. But first they have to be sane: "Why should I put Jesus Christ into suffering for my sins? Let me stop my sinful activities." ... Jesus Christ was such a great personality—the son of God, the representative of God. He had no fault. Still, he was crucified. He wanted to deliver God consciousness, but in return they crucified him—they were so thankless. They could not appreciate his preaching. But we appreciate him and give him all honor as the representative of God. Of course, the message that Christ preached was just according to his particular time, place, and country, and just suited for a particular group of people. But certainly he is the representative of God. Therefore we adore Lord Jesus Christ and offer our obeisances to him. Once, in Melbourne, a group of Christian ministers came to visit me. They asked, "What is your idea of Jesus Christ?" I told them, "He is our *guru. *He is preaching God consciousness, so he is our spiritual master." The ministers very much appreciated that. Actually, anyone who is preaching God's glories must be accepted as a *guru. *Jesus Christ is one such great personality. We should not think of him as an ordinary human being. The scriptures say that anyone who considers the spiritual master to be an ordinary man has a hellish mentality. If Jesus Christ were an ordinary man, then he could not have delivered God consciousness. *— The Science of Self-Realization* The physical demise of the spiritual master **When the spiritual master leaves his body, the disciple should cry:** **Being now alone and a widow in that forest, the daughter of Vidarbha began to lament, incessantly shedding tears, which soaked her breasts, and crying very loudly.** PURPORT: Figuratively the Queen is supposed to be the disciple of the king; thus when the mortal body of the spiritual master expires, his disciples should cry exactly as the Queen cries when the king leaves his body. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/47|4.28.47]]* **The disciple becomes bereaved when the spiritual master passes away:** **That most obedient wife thus fell down at the feet of her dead husband and began to cry pitifully in that solitary forest. Thus the tears rolled down from her eyes.** PURPORT: Just as a devoted wife becomes afflicted at the passing away of her husband, when a spiritual master passes away, the disciple becomes similarly bereaved. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/49|4.28.49]]* **When the spiritual master departs, the devotee, if he is pure in heart, is immediately guided by the Supersoul:** One who is sincere and pure gets an opportunity to consult with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature sitting within everyone's heart. The Paramātmā is always the *caitya-guru, *the spiritual master within, and He comes before one externally as the instructor and initiator spiritual master. The Lord can reside within the heart, and He can also come out before a person and give him instructions. Thus the spiritual master is not different from the Supersoul sitting within the heart. An uncontaminated soul or living entity can get a chance to meet the Paramātmā face to face. Just as one gets a chance to consult with the Paramātmā within his heart, he also gets a chance to see Him actually situated before him. Then one can take instructions from the Supersoul directly. This is the duty of the pure devotee: to see the bona fide spiritual master and consult with the Supersoul within provided the devotee is purified in heart by following the directions of the spiritual master. A sincere devotee who follows the instructions of the spiritual master certainly gets direct instructions from his heart from the Supersoul. Thus a sincere devotee is always helped directly or indirectly by the spiritual master and the Supersoul. This is confirmed in *Caitanya-caritāmṛta: guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja* [*Cc *Madhya* *[[cc/madhya/19/151|19.151]]]*. *If the devotee serves his spiritual master sincerely, Kṛṣṇa automatically becomes pleased. *Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. *By satisfying the spiritual master, one automatically satisfies Kṛṣṇa. Thus the devotee becomes enriched by both the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/52|4.28.52]]* **After his disappearance, the spiritual master's body is never burnt to ashes:** 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. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/10/4/20|10.4.20]]* **The perfect disciples try to relieve the disorder which may follow the ācārya's disappearance by sincerely following his instructions:** Whenever an *ācārya *comes, following the superior orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, he establishes the principles of religion.... 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.... 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. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/4/28/48|4.28.48]]* Other instructions **Under the guidance of the spiritual master, the whole world can be spiritualized:** Utilization of the human energy in the service of the Lord is the progressive path of salvation. The whole cosmic creation becomes at once identical with the Lord as soon as service in relation with the Lord is rendered under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. The expert spiritual master knows the art of utilizing everything to glorify the Lord, and therefore under his guidance the whole world can be turned into the spiritual abode by the divine grace of the Lord's servant. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* [[sb/1/5/23|1.5.23]]* **Thousands of spiritual masters are now needed to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world:** There is no bar against anyone; anyone can become a spiritual master provided he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa. This is the only qualification, and this science in essence is contained in *Bhagavad-gītā. *At the present moment, thousands of spiritual masters are needed to spread this great science throughout the world. ... All living entities, beginning from Brahmā, the highest demigod, down to the lowest ant, have the right to use natural resources. Nārada Muni points out that we can use these resources as much as we require, but if we take more than required, we become thieves.... Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord, and we can accept whatever we need, but not more. That is knowledge. By the Lord's arrangement the world is so made that there is no scarcity of anything.... The perfection of spiritual communism is found in the knowledge that everything belongs to God. By knowing the science of Kṛṣṇa, we can easily cross over the ignorance of false proprietorship. We are actually suffering due to our ignorance. In the law court ignorance is no excuse. If we tell the judge that we are not aware of the law, we will be punished anyway.... The whole world is lacking this knowledge, and therefore thousands of teachers of the science of Kṛsṇa are needed. There is a great necessity for this knowledge now. *— Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers* **The whole jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy-Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master:** The cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material. The Lord has generally three energies-namely, the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy, and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external or material energy. Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities, who are called marginal energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal spiritual energy, their activities are called Kṛṣṇa conscious. This means that those who are great souls or great devotees do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy. Any activities done in devotional service or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are directly under the control of spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. In the *Caitanya-caritāmṛta, *by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Kṛṣṇa the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy-Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world. *— The Nectar of Devotion* **Devotional service performed under the direction of the spiritual master and the śāstra, and devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world, are the same, although one is unripe and the other ripe:** Devotional service in the association of devotees is the cause of the development of further devotional service. By devotional service only is one elevated to the transcendental planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, and there also there is only devotional service, for the activities of devotional service both in this world and in the spiritual world are one and the same. Devotional service does not change. The example of a mango can be given here. If one gets an unripe mango, it is still a mango, and when it is ripe it remains the same mango, but it becomes more tasteful and relishable. Similarly, there is devotional service performed according to the direction of the spiritual master and the injunctions and regulative principles of *śāstra, *and there is devotional service in the spiritual world rendered directly in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they are both the same. There is no change. The difference is that one stage is unripe and the other is ripe and more relishable. It is possible to mature in devotional service only in the association of devotees. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/4/9/11|4.9.11]]*