Never imitate

Expressions researched:
"never attempt to imitate" |"never authorized to imitate" |"never imitate" |"never to imitate" |"never, even within his mind, imitate"

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

One who is not a great controller should never imitate the behavior of ruling personalities, even mentally.

SB 10.33.30, Translation:

One who is not a great controller should never imitate the behavior of ruling personalities, even mentally. If out of foolishness an ordinary person does imitate such behavior, he will simply destroy himself, just as a person who is not Rudra would destroy himself if he tried to drink an ocean of poison.

CC Adi-lila

One should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.

CC Adi 1.46, Purport:

As mentioned previously, 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.

CC Antya-lila

One must understand this subject very seriously and never attempt to imitate such activities.

CC Antya 5.20, Purport:

Because there was no question of personal sense gratification when Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya was serving the girls, his mind was steady and his body untransformed. This is not to be imitated, nor is such a mentality possible for anyone but Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu will explain. The example of Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya is certainly unique. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta has given this description because in perfect devotional service one can attain such a position. Nevertheless, one must understand this subject very seriously and never attempt to imitate such activities.

"Certainly one who is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead should never, even within his mind, imitate the activities of the transcendental rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa."

CC Antya 5.45-46, Purport:

The class of men known as prākṛta-sahajiyās, who consider the transcendental pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa something like the behavior between a man and a woman in the material field, artificially think that hearing the rāsa-līlā will help them by diminishing the lusty desires of their diseased hearts. But because they do not follow the regulative principles but instead violate even ordinary morals, their contemplation of rāsa-līlā is a futile attempt, which sometimes results in their imitating the dealings of the gopīs and Lord Kṛṣṇa. To forbid such habits of the prākṛta-sahajiyās, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has excluded their material intelligence by using the word viśvāsa ("faith"). In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.30), Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī says:

naitat samācarej jātu manasāpi hy anīśvaraḥ

vinaśyaty ācaran mauḍhyād yathā rudro ‘bdhijaṁ viṣam

"Certainly one who is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead should never, even within his mind, imitate the activities of the transcendental rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. If out of ignorance one does so, he will be destroyed, just as if he were to imitate Lord Śiva, who drank poison produced from the ocean."

1968 Correspondence

In all circumstances you should try to follow the footprints of authorities but never to imitate them.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 20 September, 1968:

If the husband and wife can voluntarily restrain by powerful advancement of Krishna Consciousness. That is the best method. It is not necessary that because one has got wife, therefore you must have sex life. The whole scheme is to avoid sex life as far as possible. And if one can avoid it completely then it is a great victory for him. Married life is a sort of license for sex life on condition of raising children. So you should try to understand these principles of married life and use your discretion. You should not imitate great personalities like Bhaktivinode Thakura, but you must follow His footprints. But it is not always possible to have the same success as great personalities like Bhaktivinode Thakura achieved. So in all circumstances you should try to follow the footprints of authorities but never to imitate them. Unless Jadurani develops a better health and strength, I do not advise her to become pregnant. I think you will understand the instruction as I have given and try to follow it as far as possible.

1973 Correspondence

In the beginning we must treat the Lord with awe and veneration. Later one when we are perfectly on the spiritual platform, we treat Krsna more intimately, and therefore we forget the exalted position of Krsna. But, we never imitate the Brijbasis from the beginning as do the sahajiyas.

Letter to Acyutananda -- New Delhi 1 November, 1973:

Regarding your two questions addressed through Tamala Krsna, the reply to your question about Arjuna's relationship with Krsna, is that Arjuna is an eternal devotee, so on the higher platform the devotee is so intimately related that he forgets Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But, in the lower stage of devotional service Krsna is looked upon with awe and veneration. When Arjuna saw the virata murti of Krsna, actually he came down one step below his position. Therefore he asked for forgiveness from Krsna. So this is a teaching to the common man that we should not take Krsna immediately as intimately as the gopis, cowherds boys, and other advanced devotees treated Him. In the beginning we must treat the Lord with awe and veneration. Later one when we are perfectly on the spiritual platform, we treat Krsna more intimately, and therefore we forget the exalted position of Krsna. But, we never imitate the Brijbasis from the beginning as do the sahajiyas. In the beginning a devotee must follow strictly viddhi-marga or regulated principles. When one is on the swarupa siddha stage, the devotee can treat Krsna on an equal level or sometimes he becomes even higher than Krsna. Just like Mother Yasoda treated Krsna a being completely dependent upon her. So these stages are appreciated in many advanced stages of devotional life.