One who eradicates the ajñāna, andhakāra, darkness. In the darkness, if somebody brings lamp, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā... The jñāna-rūpa, torchlight, he's guru. So maybe of different degrees, but anyone who opens the spiritual eyes, he's guru. So... But in the śāstra it is said, gurur api kāryākāryakam ajānataḥ. If I accept some guru, but if later on it appears that he did not know what is to be done, what is to be not to be done, then Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that such guru: parityāgo vidhīyate. Such guru should be rejected. But it doesn't matter that degree. Actually, if the guru teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he may be in lesser degree, but he's accepted as guru. There is no question of rejection. Because Kṛṣṇa is actually jñāna. One who teaches Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "One has to know Kṛṣṇa, one has to surrender to Kṛṣṇa," this kind of teaching is required. And if the guru says that "I am Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa," then, "daridra-kṛṣṇa, daridra-nārāyaṇa," he is not a guru. He's not a guru. He's misguiding. Misguiding. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt.
Guru should...
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
The Supreme Godhead, His incarnations or His devotees may pose themselves as ordinary men, but they are never to be considered as such. Nor should an ordinary man not supported by authorized statements of the śāstras and ācāryas be accepted as an incarnation or devotee. By the evidence of śāstra, Sanātana Gosvāmī detected Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be a direct incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although Lord Caitanya never disclosed the fact. It is therefore generally recommended that the ācārya, or guru, should not be accepted as an ordinary man.
SB Canto 5
One cannot become happy by accepting a false guru. A guru should be accepted as advised in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: One should approach a bona fide guru to inquire about the highest benefit of life. Such a guru is described as follows: śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Such a guru does not manufacture gold or juggle words. He is well versed in the conclusions of Vedic knowledge (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15)). He is freed from all material contamination and is fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. If one is able to obtain the dust of the lotus feet of such a guru, his life becomes successful. Otherwise he is baffled both in this life and in the next.
SB Canto 6
Lord Brahmā said: O best of the demigods, unfortunately, because of madness resulting from your material opulence, you failed to receive Bṛhaspati properly when he came to your assembly. Because he is aware of the Supreme Brahman and fully in control of his senses, he is the best of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore it is very astonishing that you have acted impudently toward him.
Lord Brahmā recognized the brahminical qualifications of Bṛhaspati, who was the spiritual master of the demigods because of his awareness of the Supreme Brahman. Bṛhaspati was very much in control of his senses and mind, and therefore he was a most qualified brāhmaṇa. Lord Brahmā chastised the demigods for not properly respecting this brāhmaṇa, who was their guru. Lord Brahmā wanted to impress upon the demigods that one's guru should not be disrespected under any circumstances. When Bṛhaspati entered the assembly of the demigods, they and their king, Indra, took him for granted. Since he came every day, they thought, they did not need to show him special respect. As it is said, familiarity breeds contempt. Being very much displeased, Bṛhaspati immediately left Indra's palace. Thus all the demigods, headed by Indra, became offenders at the lotus feet of Bṛhaspati, and Lord Brahmā, being aware of this, condemned their neglect.
In a song we sing every day, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, cakṣu-dāna dila yei, janme janme prabhu sei: the guru gives spiritual insight to the disciple, and therefore the guru should be considered his master, life after life. Under no circumstances should the guru be disrespected, but the demigods, being puffed up by their material possessions, were disrespectful to their guru. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.17.27) advises, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit/ na martya-buddhyāsūyeta: the ācārya should always be offered respectful obeisances; one should never envy the ācārya, considering him an ordinary human being.
Only one who is actually eager to receive knowledge to eradicate the darkness of ignorance is eligible to approach a guru, or spiritual master. The guru should not be approached for material benefits. One should not approach a guru just to cure some disease or receive some miraculous benefit. This is not the way to approach the guru. Tad-vijñānārtham: one should approach the guru to understand the transcendental science of spiritual life. Unfortunately, in this age of Kali there are many bogus gurus who display magic to their disciples, and many foolish disciples want to see such magic for material benefits. These disciples are not interested in pursuing spiritual life to save themselves from the darkness of ignorance. It is said:
- oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
- jñānāñjana-śalākayā
- cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
- tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him." This gives the definition of the guru. Everyone is in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore everyone needs to be enlightened with transcendental knowledge. One who enlightens his disciple and saves him from rotting in the darkness of ignorance in this material world is a true guru.
SB Canto 8
Anyone who is supposed to be a guru but who goes against the principle of viṣṇu-bhakti cannot be accepted as guru. If one has falsely accepted such a guru, one should reject him. Such a guru is described as follows (Mahābhārata, Udyoga 179.25):
- guror apy avaliptasya
- kāryākāryam ajānataḥ
- utpatha-pratipannasya
- parityāgo vidhīyate
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has advised that such a useless guru, a family priest acting as guru, should be given up, and that the proper, bona-fide guru should be accepted.
- ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
- mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
- avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
- vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ
"A scholarly brāhmaṇa expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaiṣṇava, but if a person born in a family of a lower caste is a Vaiṣṇava, he can become a spiritual master." (Padma Purāṇa)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
A, a guru does not mean that he has taken shelter of somebody else and he has become guru. That is not. Guru means one who has taken full shelter, complete surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Or he speaks only what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Just like we have, speaking in this Bhagavad-gītā, as it is. There is no malinterpretation. Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. The guru will teach his disciple that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is God, He is saying "Surrender to Me," and guru is saying "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore the statement is the same. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, so guru will say the same thing, that "You always think of Kṛṣṇa, you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you offer worship to Kṛṣṇa, you offer your obeisances." This is guru's business. Not that because in the śāstra it is said that guru should be honore as Kṛṣṇa, as bhagavān, therefore guru will think, "I have become bhagavān." No. That is māyāvāda. The disciple will offer as respect, as much respect he offers to Kṛṣṇa, to guru. That is the śāstric injunction. For that reason the real guru will not think that "I have become Kṛṣṇa." Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. By the mercy of guru, you get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. If, if guru approves, that "Here is a nice devotee," then Kṛṣṇa accepts, "Yes, here is a nice devotee."
In the śāstra (it) says, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. In this way, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A guru should not become a guru, a father should not become a father, a mother should not become a mother, nobody should become relatives, kinsmen, if one cannot save his son, his disciple, his friend, from the imminent danger of birth and death. The society should be like that. Everyone should be eager to save his friend, to save his son, to save his disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death. But they have no... Neither they do know how to stop it, neither they are interested. But that is the real problem, how to stop. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
But from the guru's side, a disciple may respect... May respect, must respect. It is not "may." Must respect guru as God. But guru should not say that "Now I have become God." Then he is immediately fallen. If guru says, "I am incarnation of God, so you simply worship me..." So many things are going on. Māyāvāda philosophy, "There is no difference between God..." But a real guru says that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of God." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Real guru will never claim, although He is given the honor of God, but He does not claim, never claims that He is God. He always claims that "I am the most fallen servant of God." This is the position.
Varāka means fools or childish. We are thinking that "I am this body." Such fools cannot understand how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, tad apy abhalatāṁ jātaḥ teṣām ātmābhimāninām, varākāṇām anāśritya, without taking shelter, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, the lotus feet of Govinda. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is canvassing... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me." This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution. The politicians should give education in their assemblies, congress. The guru should give education how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The father should educate, the mother should educate.
The order of guru should be the life and soul of the disciple, without caring for his personal salvation. This is the qualification of śiṣya. Śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), fully surrendered. And guru's duty is to guide them, guide him how to overcome this cycle of birth of death. These are the relationship between guru and disciple or father and son, mother and son, friend and friend, devatā...
Pitā na sa syāt jananī na sā syāt: "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a guru, one should not become a relative, one should not become a caretaker, one should not become the king..." Who? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One who cannot protect the dependent from the clutches of death." This is sastric injunction. So how much the father and the government or the guru should be strong so that he can save his dependents from the clutches of death.
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Therefore if one is serious about understanding the value of life, the goal of life, he should approach a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Prapadyeta. Prapadyeta means to surrender. Not that guru should be approached for challenging. No. If you challenge then you'll be cheated. First of all, you must find out a person who if you can surrender there. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Praṇipāt, surrender, that is required first. If you think somebody that he's not worth surrendering, then don't make him guru. Don't make a fashion. First of all you test that "Whether I can surrender?" Praṇipātena. Then try to understand. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Not only surrendering, but also render service so that guru may be pleased that "This disciple is very humble, meek and giving service." Anywhere, even in material world, if you want to take something from somebody, if you please him by service, it is very easy. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsa (SB 11.3.21).
Guru should be... Guru means one who has control over the six engagements. Manaḥ, to control the urge of the mind. The mind wants to do this. "No, if it is not profitable, don't do this." Then control over the mind. Control over the senses, control the words. I am angry, I want to abuse somebody with some ill names. "No, why shall I..." Control of the... Talking unnecessary useless talk, that is control over the tongue. Vāco vegam. Krodha-vegam: "I am just going to be very angry upon you." No, we have to control. In this way when one is able to control over these things, especially jihvā-vegam udaro-vegam upastha-vegam, straight line—the urge of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the urge of the genital—then we become svāmīs, gosvāmīs. Artificially, it is not to be suppressed. Nidrāhāra-vegam, these are material things.
The guru should give education how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The father should educate. The mother should educate. Therefore Bhāgavata says, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta. Guru na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. There are some negative definition, that there are so-called gurus, so-called swamis, but Bhāgavata says that "You should not become a swami or guru. Kindly don't become if you cannot save your disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death." Guru na sa syāt. This is the injunction. "No rascal should become a guru unless he can save his disciples from the cycle of birth and death." In other words, anyone who wants to become guru, if he cannot teach his disciples how to surrender, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, anāśritya, how to take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda, he should not become guru. That is cheating. That is cheating.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Sanātana Gosvāmī submitted to his guru. This is the actually necessity of approaching a guru, not that guru should be approached for some material gains, for some medical help: "Guru Mahārāja, I am suffering from this disease. Give me your blessing," and he gives some powder and you are cured. So for this purpose there is no necessity of guru. You can go to a medical man. Then he can help you. Why should you search out a guru? But that has become a fashion. For some material gain they would go to guru. And if the guru can manufacture gold, then what to speak of? This is going on. But śāstra does not say that you should approach a guru for some material benefit. No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). You should approach a guru—what purpose? Jijñāsuḥ, if you are inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What is that jijñāsuḥ? Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta. Jijñāsā, enquiry, means not for any other purpose, any political, social or this... So many things are there in this material world. But real jijñāsā is brahma-jijñāsā. That is, the Vedānta-sūtra begins.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
A guru is worshiped... Just like my disciples. They are offering respect exactly like God. That is their duty. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: "All the śāstra recommends that guru should be respected as good as God." But that does not mean guru is foolishly thinking, "I am God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. Uktaḥ means "said," "it is recommended." Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: "Those who are exalted, advanced, they accept this truth, that guru should be respected as good as God." But why he is respected as such? Because kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "Because he is very, very dear to God." The guru will never think that "My disciples are worshiping me exactly like God; therefore I have become God." He is not guru, he is rascal. Guru is always in the position of servant. And because he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is to be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. Because in our present position we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa sends His representative; therefore he is respected as Kṛṣṇa. Now, how one can become guru and representative of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone will say, "I am a representative of Kṛṣṇa. I am guru." No. That is enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You just become guru on My order." So guru means who is carrying out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not a self-made guru. Guru means the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. He is guru.
General Lectures
Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative, former ācāryas' representative. Kṛṣṇa's... All ācāryas are representative of Kṛṣṇa; therefore guru should be offered the same respect as you offer to God. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. Because guru is bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God, so if you surrender to guru, bona fide guru, that means you surrender to God. God is accepting your surrender through the guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. If you surrender to guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) surrender. That somebody argues, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I shall surrender." No. You surrender to His representative, then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.
Guru should be worshiped as God, but guru will never claim that he is God. That is not guru. Guru will always claim that he is servant of God. Because the śiṣyas worship him as... Śiṣya... Guru does not say that "You simply worship me." He directs that "You worship God." But because one gets God's connection through guru, therefore guru is worshiped as God. Just like in our country there was viceroy. He was given the same respect as the king because he is representative of..., the royal representative.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You have to carry out his order. That's all. God's representative is guru. So he's asking you to do this, to do that. If you do that, that is pleasing. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If you displease him, then you are nowhere. Therefore we worship guru. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. A guru should be accepted as God. That is the injunction of all śāstras.
Bob: The guru should be accepted as representative of God?
Prabhupāda: Yes, guru is representative. Guru is the external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa.
Bob: But different than, like the incarnations of Kṛṣṇa that come?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bob: In what way is the external manifestation of the guru different than the external manifestation of, let us say, Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya when They come to earth.
Prabhupāda: Guru is one, representative of Kṛṣṇa. So there are symptoms who is guru. The general symptoms are described in the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). The first symptom is śrotriyam. Guru is in disciplic succession. One who has thoroughly heard about the Vedas through his spiritual master. This is general description. So another description is in the Bhāgavatam:
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Actually, at the present age, nobody is interested in spiritual subject matter. Nobody is interested. So nobody is coming to surrender to you. Therefore you have to canvass, "Please surrender. Please surrender." This is our position. Otherwise, the... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One should come to the guru. But nobody comes to the guru, therefore guru has to come to U.S.A. to canvass. This is the position. Nobody went to me in India, but I had to come here to canvass you. Because it is Kali-yuga. Real process is one should go to the guru. But intelligent man goes: "My life is meant for spiritual realization. So I must find out a guru." That is his business, but people are so fallen in this age that nobody's interested in that subject matter, that he has got a spiritual value and he has to achieve this knowledge and make his life perfect. Nobody knows it. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught preaching. These rascals, they are so fallen, they'll never search out guru. So guru should go and canvass.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: It is aparādha. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. This is forbidden. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīr... Just like everyone knows... The atheist class will say, "Oh, here is a stone statue, and these rascals are worshiping as Kṛṣṇa."
Dr. Patel: That is wrong.
Prabhupāda: So everyone knows that is a stone statue. But we are so fool that we are worshiping a stone statue? Therefore this is offense. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara... Similarly guru. Although he's working, moving just like ordinary human being, one should not consider that he's ordinary human being. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ.
Dr. Patel: That is how the guru can be accepted by...
Prabhupāda: Everyone knows that "Here is a stone statue." Then so many hundred and thousands of people are coming to worship that stone statue? Somebody can argue. The atheist will argue. And when... So... We have got millions of temples. Especially in South India and Jagannātha Purī and many where. So are they going, spending so much money to worship a statue? That is forbidden. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guru should not be considered in that way. If he's actually guru.
Prabhupāda: Actually, it is a process, a guru should not instruct anybody who is not a disciple.
Dr. Patel: That's right.
Prabhupāda: Because he's not submissive, it is useless waste of time. That is... That is the... Guru should not speak to anyone...
Dr. Patel: Therefore you are speaking to me. So I am...
Prabhupāda: According to our Vaiṣṇava principles, ādau gurvāśrayam, the first business is to accept a spiritual master. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Then one has to inquire about sad-dharma. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. One should follow the footprints of the previous ācāryas. This is the process, one after another. So first thing is ādau gurvāśrayam, one has to accept a guru. So you may, you should, I mean to say, check whether he's guru or not. That is allowed. It is said for one year the śiṣya and the guru should meet together...
Dr. Patel: And don't talk.
Prabhupāda: Eh? No, the guru, I mean, the aspirant śiṣya will hear and study whether he's actually fit for becoming guru. Similarly, the guru will also study that whether he's actually fit for becoming a... Just like in our society. We don't accept immediately. We don't give initiation immediately. First of all lives for some time. Then when he becomes eager, we give the first initiation, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Then after one year, when he's fit, he's doing everything well, then we initiate him. This is our process.
Prabhupāda: The guru should train up the disciple in such a way that the disciple or the child or the student will not have to accept any more material body. (indistinct) The whole Vedic education system how to stop acceptance of material body. That is called mukti. Mukti, the definition of mukti is given in the Bhāgavata, muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. Mukti means when one is able to give up another form of body. He has got his own body, spiritual body, but so long as he has to accept another form of body, he is conditioned. Bhāgavata, muktir hitvānyathā rūpam sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti means to stay in his original spiritual form. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate people how to achieve the original consciousness, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The guru should train up the disciple in such a way that the disciple or the child or the student will not have to accept any more this material body. That is education. And the whole Vedic education is meant for this purpose. (break) ...in his original spiritual life, that is mukti. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that—to educate people how to achieve his original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Yaśomatīnandana: Isn't there some conditioning between the guru and śiśya, that "The guru should be like this and a śiśya should be like this"?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Yaśomatīnandana: Not that anybody can say, "I am śiśya," and not anybody can say, "I am guru."
Prabhupāda: Saṁsara-dāvā. You are singing daily. Saṁsara-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. One who can deliver from this entanglement of material, miserable condition of life, he is guru. That is the first definition of guru. Saṁsara-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa—one who has obtained this qualification—vande guroḥ śrī caraṇāra..., he is guru.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Spiritual master is to be worshiped. Why? Because he does not cheat. He gives the right information. That is his credit. Guruṣu nara-mati. Therefore one should not take guru as ordinary human being. Ordinary human being, he'll cheat you, or he'll give some information, he's cheating. But a guru, real guru, he'll not cheat you. Therefore he should be worshiped as good... God does not cheat you. Therefore guru should not be taken as ordinary human being. Guruṣu nara-mati. "I see that he is like ordinary man. His son is calling him 'father.' His wife is..." That's all right, but because he's giving the right information, he is not ordinary human being. Therefore he should be worshiped as good as God. He does not cheat. That is the test of guru. He'll never say that "You give me some bribe and you'll become God by meditation, transcendental." He'll never say that. This is cheating.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, Bob Cohen our geology.... Sometime Prabhupāda had trouble with this boy?
Devotee: In a Back to Godhead article.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We are going to contact him. So how do we explain these things?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: How do we explain from our point of view? The upside down of the rocks.
Prabhupāda: I cannot. First of all, we do not bother for all these things.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they are going to bring up these points, and the guru should say something. But we must know somehow how to counteract them. One point is that the...
Prabhupāda: It can be explained, that when there is devastation...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: ...the rock...
Devotee: Turn over.
Prabhupāda: ...roll, it was like that.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Catastrophism.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then the whole thing would be filled up with water. So water course is very heavy. So it can turn even big, big rocks, mountains rolling.
Indian man: Right. In fact, several people, even in our community in Poughkeepsie, received letters from Satya Sai Baba's followers that "Here is a letter. Make ten copies and send the ten copies to ten different people. If you don't, Satya Sai Baba's thunderbolt will come and strike your family, and they'll be destroyed." Now no guru ever puts a thunderbolt on his devotee, and I said, "If that is a guru, I'll stay ten thousand miles away from him, because my guru is very kind and he'll bless me." I said, "No guru should ever put a thunderbolt on his devotee."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. You can turn towards this.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: They are not followers. If they do not follow their guru, then what kind of follower...?
Dr. Patel: Same with the Vallabhācārya's followers.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Unless guru trains the disciple rightly, there will be difficulty.
Dr. Patel: Their chief belief is that God comes in the form of the guru, and so guru should be worshiped as God even after his death. God comes in the form of guru...
Prabhupāda: And kick out God. And kick out God.
Dr. Patel: That is the thing. "God comes in the form of guru" is all right. So yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Otherwise you cannot get...
Prabhupāda: Guru is manifestation of God, but that does not mean we kick out God.
Correspondence
1976 Correspondence
The photos of my murti are very nice. The murti of the Spiritual Master should be treated as good as the Deity. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair, uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih/kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya, The guru should be treated as good as God. This is stated in all the sastras. The difference is that God is master-God and guru is servant-God. So the installation ceremony for such a murti should be similar to that done for other Deities. All Temples can have this Deity if they like. But Temples which have only Panca-tattva painting worship should not be given this Deity.
You should make a murti of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and then they may be worshiped together as is now being done in our Krishna Balarama Temple. They should be placed with Gaura Nitai—Guru Gauranga.
| Page Title: | Guru should... |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas |
| Created: | 16 of Nov, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=6, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=14, Con=12, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 33 |