Padmagarbha Das
"One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari [the highest stage of spiritual realization] " (The Nectar of Instruction, text 5,
purport)
"There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down,
even though he may mix with non-devotees to preach. Conviction and
faith gradually increase to make one an uttama-adhikari, a first-class
devotee." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.71, purport]
"When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is
to be accepted as a guru and worshipped exactly like Hari, the
Personality of Godhead. ONLY such a person is eligible to occupy the
post of a guru." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 24.330,
purport)
"It is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly tied by
the ropes of illusion. [...] Because the bound cannot help the bound,
the rescuer must be liberated. Therefore, only Lord Krishna, or His
bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the
conditioned soul." (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.14, purport, 1972 ed.)
"A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time
eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the
Supreme Lord [...]"
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, purport)
"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 parampara system."
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 5.71, purport)
"You are correct when you say that when the Spiritual Master speaks it
should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A Spiritual
Master must be liberated."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, June 10th, 1969)
".... such an acarya, or spiritual master, should be considered
non-different from Krishna, that is, he should be considered the
incarnation of Lord Krishna's potency. Such a personality is
krsnalingita-vigraha, that is, he is always embraced by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krishna [...] He is the guru, or spiritual
master, for the entire world, a devotee on the topmost platform, the
maha-bhagavata stage, and a paramahamsa-thakura, a spiritual form only
fit to be addressed as paramahamsa or thakura." (Sri Caitanya-
caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25.9, purport)
"Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual
Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual
Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance
[...] So to summarize the whole thing, it is to be understood that a
bona fide Spiritual Master is a resident of Krishna Loka." (Srila
Prabhupada Letter, June 10th, 1969)
"One should understand the Spiritual Master to be as good as I am,
said the Blessed Lord [...] `the Spiritual Master is the sum total of
all demigods. That is, the acarya has been identified with God
Himself." (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, February 1936)
"The spiritual master, or acarya, is always situated in the spiritual
status of life. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him
[...] therefore, after the disappearance of an acarya, his body is
never burnt to ashes, for it is a spiritual body. The spiritual body
is always unaffected by material conditions." (Srimad-Bhagavatam
10.4.20, purport)
"The conclusion is that a spiritual master who is authorized and
empowered by Krishna and his own guru should be considered as good as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the verdict of
Visvanatha Cakravarti: saksad-dharitvenasa. [...] As Hari is free to
act as He likes, the empowered spiritual master is also free. As Hari
is not subject to mundane rules and regulations, the spiritual master
empowered by Him is also not subject." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,
Madhya-lila 10.136, purport)
"Unless one takes shelter of a bonafide, fully Krsna conscious spiritual master,
there is no chance of understanding Krsna... ....Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Krsna can understand Krsna." [SB 7-5-32]
"Unless one is initiated by a bonafide spiritual master, ALL his devotional activities are USELESS.
A person who is not properly initiated can again descent into the animal specie." [Madhya Lila 15 .
"One should take initiation from a bonafide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is AUTHORIZED by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called dikshan-vidhana. [SB 4.8.54]
"A siksa guru [instructing guru or priest] who instructs against the instructions of the spiritual master
he is not a siksa guru. He is a demon! Sometimes the diksa guru [initiating guru] is not present
always. Therefor one can take learning, instructions from an advanced devotee. That is called siksa-guru.
But siksa-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the diksa-guru. He is not a siksa-guru. He is a rascal. Because that is offense. Guru avjna, defying the authority of guru.
This is the first offense. So, one who is offensive, how can he make advance in chanting? He cannot make. Then everything is finished, in the beginning!" [Bg. 17:1-3, 07-4-74, Hawaii]
"Guru cannot be self-made. No. There is NO such single instance throughout the whole vedic literature.
And nowadays, so many rascals they are becoming guru without any authority. That is NOT guru.
You MUST be authorized!" [Bg. 4.2]
"As for your next question, can only a pure devotee deliver others,.......anyone
if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he is on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will go to hell, like the blind man leading the blind." [letter to Tusta Krsna dasa, 12-14-72]
"Therefore, having a bonafide spiritual master and serving him, and pleasing him, and getting his mercy is essential. Otherwise there can be NO advancement in Krsna consciousness. And unless the spiritual master is a pure devotee of Krsna, then he has no potency to give Krsna. He is simply a cheating rascal!
So, in fact, above all the rules and regulations and offenses I have mentioned, the most important thing, the essential thing, which is required, if you want to come to the stage of purely chanting the Hare Krsna mantra,
is, you MUST have a bonafide spiritual master, who is a pure devotee of Krsna. Without having a bonafide spiritual master you can chant Hare Krsna forever, but will not be able to advance, because Krsna does
not reveal Himself in this way. He ONLY reveals Himself to those devotees who surrender to, and serve, and please His pure devotee!" [letter to his London disciples, July 1969]
"Unless one takes shelter of a bonafide, fully Krsna conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Krsna.... Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Krsna , and has taken the dust of his lotus feet can understand Krsna..... One must take shelter of a self-realized spiritual master, that is the way to return home, back to Godhead." [SB 7.5.32 purport]
"It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver the disciple". [S.B. 28.7]
May 28, 1977, Vrndavan
Satsvarupa Maharaja:"Then our next question concerns initiations in the future, PARTICULAR AT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER WITH US . We want to know how initiations would be conducted."
Srila Prabhupada:"Yes, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acarya." [ 'Officiating' is the performance of a function on behalf of another]
Tamal Krsna Maharaja: "Is that called ritvik-acarya?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Ritvik. Yes".
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