Bona fide sampradaya

Expressions researched:
"Bona fide sampradaya" |"bona fide sampradayas"

SB Preface and Introduction

Vedānta is studied by all the bona fide sampradāyas, but they have their own interpretations

SB Introduction: Those who are followers of the Śaṅkara cult are generally known as Vedāntists. This does not, however, mean that Vedānta is a monopoly study of the Śaṅkara-sampradāya. Vedānta is studied by all the bona fide sampradāyas, but they have their own interpretations. But those in the Śaṅkara-sampradāya are generally known to be ignorant of the knowledge of the Vedāntist Vaiṣṇavas. For this reason the Bhaktivedanta title was first offered to the author by the Vaiṣṇavas.

SB Canto 4

Pṛthu Mahārāja, however, showed by his example that one should receive knowledge from a bona fide sampradāya

SB 4.17.5, Purport: . Intelligent persons, however, know that such mantras will never be successful, and as such they never patronize such upstart spiritual groups. People should be very careful of these nonsensical sampradāyas. To get some facility for sense gratification, unfortunate people in this age receive mantras from these so-called sampradāyas. Pṛthu Mahārāja, however, showed by his example that one should receive knowledge from a bona fide sampradāya. Therefore Mahārāja Pṛthu accepted Sanat-kumāra as his spiritual master.

SB Canto 6

If one wants to advance in spiritual power, one must receive his mantras from one of these bona fide sampradāyas

SB 6.8.42, Purport: All mantras should be received through the authorized guru, and the disciple must satisfy the guru in all respects, after surrendering at his lotus feet. In the Padma Purāṇa it is also said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ. There are four sampradāyas, or disciplic successions, namely the Brahma-sampradāya, the Rudra-sampradāya, the Śrī sampradāya and the Kumāra-sampradāya. If one wants to advance in spiritual power, one must receive his mantras from one of these bona fide sampradāyas; otherwise he will never successfully advance in spiritual life.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

One sampradāya must give his commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra. Otherwise he is not a bona fide sampradāya

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974: So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu met all the Vārāṇasī Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he had sixty thousand disciples. So they asked. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You are a sannyāsī. So you do not study Vedānta-sūtra. It is the," I meant to say, "vow of the sannyāsīs that they must." Vedānta-sūtra is the crucial point of sampradāya. One sampradāya must give his commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra. Otherwise he is not a bona fide sampradāya. So especially in the Śaṅkara sampradāya, they are very much fond of studying Sāṅkhya philosophy and Vedānta-sūtra.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

If you do not follow any bona fide sampradāya, then your path of spiritual advancement will be baffled

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972: These mahājanas are described in the śāstra like Lord Brahma, Lord Śiva, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ [SB 6.3.20]. They are all mentioned. So you follow any one of these great personalities, Brahmā... Brahmā is the greatest personality within this universe, and he has got his sampradāya which is known as Brahma-sampradāya. Similarly Lord Śiva has also a sampradāya which is called Rudra-sampradāya. Similarly, Nārada-Pañcarātra, Kumāra-sampradāya. So follow the sampradāya. Sampradāya vihīnā te mantrās te viphalaṁ matāḥ. If you do not follow any bona fide sampradāya, then your path of spiritual advancement will be baffled. You will simply waste your time. Viphalaṁ matāḥ. So we should follow the footsteps of great ācāryas. Then our progress is positive. There is no fear.

1968 Correspondence

These are four bona fide Sampradayas that are accepted by the bona fide spiritualists

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 13 February, 1968: There are four Sampradayas from the beginning of the creation. One is called Brahma Sampradaya, and is coming down by disciplic succession from Brahma; another Sampradaya is coming down from Laksmi, called Sri Sampradaya; another is coming down from the Kumaras, they are known as Nimbarka Sampradaya; another Sampradaya is coming from Lord Siva, Rudra Sampradaya or Viṣṇu Svāmī. These are four bona fide Sampradayas that are accepted by the bona fide spiritualists. The Impersonalist Sampradaya is not original neither the Impersonalist Sampradaya or party can help us. At the present moment there are so many Sampradayas, but we have to test them about their method of disciplic understanding. Anyway, all the four Sampradayas above mentioned, they are after worshiping the Supreme Lord Visnu, in His different Expansions, and some of them are in favor of worshiping Radha Krishna.

You have already mentioned one such non-bona fide sampradaya, Jaya Krishna Sampradaya

Letter to Acyutananda, Jayagovinda -- Montreal 21 August, 1968: Don't be allured by cheap disciples. Go on steadfastly to render service first. If you immediately become Guru, then the service activities will be stopped; and as there are many cheap gurus and cheap disciples, without any substantial knowledge, and manufacturing new sampradayas, and with service activities stopped, and all spiritual progress choked up. You have already mentioned one such non-bona fide sampradaya, Jaya Krishna Sampradaya.