We should always remember that a person who is reluctant to accept a spiritual master for initiation is sure to become baffled in his endeavour to go back to Godhead. Such person who is not properly initiated may present himself as a great devotee but in fact he is sure to encounter many many stumbling blocks on his way of progressive march towards spiritual realisation and the net result is that he has to continue the term of his material existence without any relief. Such helpless person is compared with a ship without a rudder as such a careless ship cannot reach her destination. It is imperative therefore to accept a spiritual master if at all anyone desires to gain the favour of the Lord. Service of the spiritual master is essential in this matter.
Srila Prabhupada - "If there is no chance of directly serving the spiritual master,
then the devotee does serve him by remembering his instructions only.
There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself."
If there is no chance of directly serving the spiritual master, then the devotee does serve him by remembering his instructions only. There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. In his absence, therefore, his words of direction shall be the guide of the disciple. If a man thinks that he is above all suspicion and therefore there is no need of consulting any other else including the spiritual master, he becomes at once an offender in the lotus feet of the Lord and an offender can never go back to home back to Godhead. It is imperative also that a seriously inclined person must accept a bonafide spiritual master in terms of the Shastric injunction and give up the company of a pseudo spiritual master in terms of social usages and hereditary or customary and ecclesiastic conventions.
[Identity of Lord Chaitanya, Back To Godhead Magazine, Volume 3, Part 16, March 20, 1960]
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