Bona fide guru means

Expressions researched:
"bona fide guru means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

That bona fide guru means one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. He is bona fide guru. That is bona fide guru.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974: Just like my disciples, because they have accepted me as guru, whatever I say, they accept it. Otherwise I have not bribed them. These European, Americans... I have no money. I went to New York with seven dollars. What money I have got? But they have accepted. So this is the process. You must find out somebody whom you can accept as guru. That guru must be bona fide. Otherwise what is the use of accepting a bogus guru? So what is that bona fide guru? That bona fide guru means one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. He is bona fide guru. That is bona fide guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Kṛṣṇa says that "This system of yoga, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, was first of all described by Me to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha: [Bg. 4.1] "And the sun-god again handed over the knowledge to his son Manu." Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt: "And Manu explained the same thing to his son Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptaṁ rājarṣayaḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So that means the knowledge is actually coming from Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972: "Have you ever gone to the medical college and taken instruction from the bona fide teachers?" Then, if you have got the certificate, then you are medical practitioner. Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He must receive the order from the superior. And the superior must be bona fide. Then he's bona fide, not self-made. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. The direction is that one must go to a guru. But who is guru? Śābde ca pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the descriptions.

Festival Lectures

Bona fide guru means he presents himself as servant of God.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971: If one has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yathā deve, and similar faith in guru... Of course, we must make guru bona fide. Then it is disciplic succession. And that is also not very difficult to select, who is bona fide guru. Bona fide guru means he presents himself as servant of God. He does not pose himself falsely that "I am God." This is bona fide. It is not difficult to find out bona fide. But this is the test. If anyone says that "I am guru," er, "I am God," then he cannot be guru. Because he has no knowledge. How he is God? But he can cheat some people. That is different thing. You can cheat all people for some time and some people for all time, but not all people for all time. That is not possible.

So therefore to find out a bona fide guru means that he does not change the words of Kṛṣṇa.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971: Kṛṣṇa directly says, "unto Me." He says, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Misleading. Such misleading guru will not help you. So therefore to find out a bona fide guru means that he does not change the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is his position. He places everything as it is, and he has understood thoroughly the science. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Guru, what is the symptom of guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Those who are inquisitive to understand higher scientific knowledge, uttamam. Uttama means higher. Uttama, madhyama, adhama. There are three words. First-class, second-class, third-class. So spiritual knowledge is uttamam.