An acarya is an ideal teacher

Expressions researched:
"An acarya is an ideal teacher" |"acarya, or the ideal teacher" |"ideal acarya" |"ideal teacher and acarya" |"ideal teacher, or acarya" |"This man is ideal"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

One who teaches in that way is called ācārya, or the ideal teacher

BG 3.21, 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 before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called acarya, or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of sastra (scripture) to teach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures, like Manu-samhita 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 such standard sastras

SB Preface and Introduction

As an ideal teacher and ācārya, Lord Caitanya was very strict in the routine work of a sannyāsī

SB Introduction: The Lord maintained that it is dangerous for a sannyasi to be in intimate touch with worldly money-conscious men and with women. The Lord was an ideal sannyasi. No woman could approach the Lord even to offer respects. Women's seats were accommodated far away from the Lord. As an ideal teacher and acarya, He was very strict in the routine work of a sannyasi. Apart from being a divine incarnation, the Lord was an ideal character as a human being. His behavior with other persons was also above suspicion. In His dealing as acarya, He was harder than the thunderbolt and softer than the rose.

CC Adi-lila

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

CC Adi 3.98, Purport: The third-class prisoners, being less materially opulent than the first-class prisoners, endeavor to imitate them, for they also have no information of the real nature of their imprisonment. Thus they also are misled by the illusory material nature. The function of the acarya, however, is to change the activities of both the first-class and third-class prisoners for their real benefit. This endeavor makes him a very dear devotee of the Lord, who says clearly in the Bhagavad-gita 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 acaryas of the Age of Kali are more concerned with exploiting the resources of their followers than mitigating their miseries; but Sri Advaita Prabhu, as an ideal acarya, was concerned with improving the condition of the world situation.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was an ideal ācārya. An ācārya is an ideal teacher who knows the purport of the revealed scriptures

CC Adi 7.37, Purport: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was an ideal acarya. An acarya is an ideal teacher who knows the purport of the revealed scriptures, behaves exactly according to their injunctions and teaches his students to adopt these principles also. As an ideal acarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu devised ways to capture all kinds of atheists and materialists. Every acarya has a specific means of propagating his spiritual movement with the aim of bringing men to Krsna consciousness. Therefore, the method of one acarya may be different from that of another, but the ultimate goal is never neglected.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is an ideal ācārya, and those who follow in His footsteps should practice the methods of devotional life that He teaches us

CC Adi 7.59, Purport: By offering His obeisances to the Mayavadi sannyasis, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very clearly exhibited His humbleness to everyone. Vaisnavas must not be disrespectful to anyone, to say nothing of a sannyasi. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, amanina mana-dena: one should always be respectful to others but should not demand respect for himself. A sannyasi should always walk barefoot, and therefore when he enters a temple or a society of devotees he should first wash his feet and then sit down in a proper place. In India it is still the prevalent custom that one put his shoes in a specified place and then enter the temple barefoot after washing his feet. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an ideal acarya, and those who follow in His footsteps should practice the methods of devotional life that He teaches us.

CC Madhya-lila

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as an ideal teacher, or ācārya, explained Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very elaborately Himself

CC Madhya 25.267, Purport: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as an ideal teacher, or acarya, explained Srimad-Bhagavatam very elaborately Himself. He sometimes also empowered His devotees to speak while He listened. This is the way an acarya should train his disciples. Not only should he describe the bhagavata cult personally, but he should also train his disciples to speak on this sublime subject.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Ācaraṇa means behavior. Ācārya. "This man is ideal. One should follow him." That is called ācārya

Morning Walk -- December 20, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupada: No, no, I am already in charge, but who is following me? (laughter) That is the difficulty. [break] ...one who is to be followed, that is called acarya. So who is following the acarya? Nobody is following. Acarya is there, but nobody is following acarya. Acarana. Acarana means behavior. Acarya. "This man is ideal. One should follow him." That is called acarya. [break] ...to allow us one day to have chanting and speaking something about God consciousness.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

They must be all ideal ācārya-like

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamala Krsna: Of course, if someone has a falldown, just like in the past some GBC men have fallen down...

Prabhupada: He should be replaced.

Tamala Krsna: Then he should be replaced. But that's a serious falldown, not some minor discrepancy.

Prabhupada: They must be all ideal acarya-like. In the beginning we have done for working. Now we should be very cautious. Anyone who is deviating, he can be replaced.