Spiritual master must

Expressions researched:
"spiritual master must"

SB Canto 1

The spiritual master must be bona fide.

SB 1.16.3, Purport:

Even for a king like Mahārāja Parīkṣit there was need of a spiritual master for guidance. Without such guidance one cannot make progress in spiritual life. The spiritual master must be bona fide, and one who wants to have self-realization must approach and take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master to achieve real success.

SB Canto 2

The spiritual master must be satisfied with the disciple.

SB 2.1.10, Purport:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is recognized Vedic wisdom, and 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 spiritual master must also be well versed and learned so that he may be able to answer all these inquiries from the devotees.

SB 2.8.7, Purport:

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 the disciple.

SB Canto 3

The spiritual master must be in the proper chain of disciplic succession, called the paramparā system.

SB 3.7.39, Purport:

Even Lord Caitanya, although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, accepted a spiritual master; even Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted a spiritual master, Sāndīpani Muni, in order to be enlightened; and all the ācāryas and saints of the world had spiritual masters. In Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master, although there was no necessity of such a formal declaration. So, in all cases, there is no question about the necessity of accepting a spiritual master. The only stipulation is that the spiritual master should be bona fide; i.e., the spiritual master must be in the proper chain of disciplic succession, called the paramparā system.

The spiritual master must be in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa.

SB 3.29.17, Purport:

In Bhagavad-gītā, Thirteenth Chapter, it is clearly stated that one should execute devotional service and advance on the path of spiritual knowledge by accepting the ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam: one should worship an ācārya, a spiritual master who knows things as they are. The spiritual master must be in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. The predecessors of the spiritual master are his spiritual master, his grand spiritual master, his great-grand spiritual master and so on, who form the disciplic succession of ācāryas.

The spiritual master must not accept a disciple who is not qualified.

SB 3.32.42, Purport:

The word dīyatām means that knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be offered by the spiritual master. The spiritual master must not accept a disciple who is not qualified; he should not be professional and should not accept disciples for monetary gains. The bona fide spiritual master must see the bona fide qualities of a person whom he is going to initiate. An unworthy person should not be initiated. 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.

SB Canto 7

The spiritual master must be in the line of authorized disciplic succession.

SB 7.7.17, Purport:

A devotee of the Lord desires for everyone to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, however, people sometimes do not have staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master who comes by the disciplic succession, and therefore they are unable to understand transcendental knowledge. The spiritual master must be in the line of authorized disciplic succession, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, who received the knowledge from Nārada. If the class friends of Prahlāda Mahārāja, the sons of demons, were to accept the truth through Prahlāda, they would certainly also become fully aware of transcendental knowledge.

CC Adi-lila

A Vaiṣṇava, especially one who acts as a spiritual master must not act in such a way.

CC Adi 12.52, Purport:

"Thus one becomes unpopular in the eyes of the people in general, for this damages his religiosity and fame. A Vaiṣṇava, especially one who acts as a spiritual master must not act in such a way. One should always be conscious of this fact.""

CC Madhya-lila

The spiritual master must observe how inquisitive the disciple is and how eager he is to understand the transcendental subject matter.

CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

A serious disciple must be alert when selecting a bona fide spiritual master. He must be sure that the spiritual master can deliver all the transcendental necessities. The spiritual master must observe how inquisitive the disciple is and how eager he is to understand the transcendental subject matter. The spiritual master should study the disciple's inquisitiveness for no less than six months or a year. A spiritual master should not be very anxious to accept a disciple because of his material opulences.

A spiritual master must be very careful in this regard.

CC Madhya 24.330, Purport, Purport:

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.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

A spiritual master must be a qualified brāhmaṇa; that is, he must be qualified by his activities.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 16:

Such a devotee and spiritual master must be respected as God Himself. Even though a person may be born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, he cannot become a bona fide spiritual master if he is not a devotee of the Lord. One should not mistakenly think that a bona fide spiritual master has to be born in a so-called brāhmaṇa family. The idea is that a spiritual master must be a qualified brāhmaṇa; that is, he must be qualified by his activities.

The spiritual master must see whether each other is eligible to become either a bona fide spiritual master or a bona fide student.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 16:

In this way there are symptoms which the prospective devotee evinces, and both the disciple and the spiritual master must see whether each other is eligible to become either a bona fide spiritual master or a bona fide student. One should then know that the only worshipable object is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should learn the various mantras and sacred songs.

A bona fide spiritual master must always condemn such independent mental speculators.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 18:

Those who are under the spell of material energy do not follow the instructions of the disciplic succession but try to manufacture something of their own and thereby step outside the sphere of Vedānta study. A bona fide spiritual master must always condemn such independent mental speculators. If the bona fide spiritual master directly points out the foolishness of a disciple, it should not be taken otherwise.

Nectar of Devotion

The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers.

Nectar of Devotion 14:

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.

Sri Isopanisad

The spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself.

Sri Isopanisad 10, Purport:

One can become a dhīra only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. Arjuna, for example, became a dhīra by submissively hearing from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead Himself. Thus the perfect disciple must be like Arjuna, and the spiritual master must be as good as the Lord Himself. This is the process of learning vidyā (knowledge) from the dhīra (the undisturbed).

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

A spiritual master must have sufficient knowledge, so many other qualifications. No. Even without any qualifications, one can become a spiritual master.

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra sarva-deśa, tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). He's asking everyone to become a spiritual master. So how everyone can become a spiritual master? A spiritual master must have sufficient knowledge, so many other qualifications. No. Even without any qualifications, one can become a spiritual master. How? Now the process is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya: "On My order." That is the crucial point.

A spiritual master must have seen Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Now, one may question, "Whether you have seen Kṛṣṇa?" So how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Yes. A spiritual master must have seen Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing, he cannot be spiritual master. But how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Kṛṣṇa can be seen by love. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So guru means śrotriyam, who has heard nicely, perfectly from his spiritual master. And his spiritual master must have heard from his spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So this is the process of knowledge. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That paramparā, by disciplic succession. So guru means śrotriyam, who has heard nicely, perfectly from his spiritual master. And his spiritual master must have heard from his spiritual master. In this way, you go on, ultimately, Kṛṣṇa becomes the spiritual master. Just like Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna. And if you follow the principles of Arjuna, as he heard, as he understood, then you also hear from Kṛṣṇa.

1968 Correspondence

The Spiritual Master must be bona fide, that is, he must come down from a bona fide Spiritual Master.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:

As I have repeatedly said, that Krishna Consciousness is developed by following two parallel lines, means service of Krishna, and service of the Spiritual Master. This is the secret of success. The Spiritual Master must be bona fide, that is, he must come down from a bona fide Spiritual Master and must act according to the directions of the Spiritual Master, and by doing so, he gives proper directions about Krishna and the devotees serve Krishna under the direction of such Spiritual Master, and Krishna accepts service, and in this way the whole thing becomes beautiful and successful. I am very much pleased that you are following the same principle and there is no doubt that you will develop more and more in the service of Krishna. I always pray to Krishna for your advancement, and what I can do more than this.

The Spiritual Master must be bona fide representative of Krishna, by disciplic succession, receiving orders from the superior.

Letter to Nathan Baruch -- Montreal 7 August, 1968:

Everyone of us has got a certain amount of good energy derived from Krishna, and when that energy is employed under the expert direction of Spiritual Master, one's life becomes successful. That is the secret of Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master must be bona fide representative of Krishna, by disciplic succession, receiving orders from the superior, and the disciple must agree to abide by the orders of the Spiritual Master. This is the simple method of spiritual advancement; if you remember this principle it will be very nice.

1969 Correspondence

A Spiritual Master must be liberated. It does not matter if he has come from Krishna Loka or he is liberated from here. But he must be liberated.

Letter to Mukunda -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

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. It does not matter if he has come from Krishna Loka or he is liberated from here. But he must be liberated. The science of how one is liberated is explained above, but when one is liberated, there is no need of distinction whether he has come directly from Krishna Loka or from the material world. But in the broader sense everyone comes from Krishna Loka. When one forgets Krishna he is conditioned, when one remembers Krishna he is liberated. I hope this will clear up these points. I hope this will meet you in good health.