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So-called gurus

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 5

People with a poor fund of knowledge sometimes takes shelter of so-called gurus and sādhus who are like crane, herons and vultures. Thus he is cheated both ways by not taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.
SB 5.13.16, Purport:

Sometimes the living entity in the forest of material existence takes shelter of creepers and desires to hear the chirping of the birds in those creepers. Being afraid of roaring lions in the forest, he makes friends with cranes, herons and vultures.

To be saved from the hands of Hari, the lion of death, one must take shelter of the supreme Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People with a poor fund of knowledge take shelter of nondevotee cheaters and pretenders in order to be saved from the clutches of death. In the forest of the material world, the living entity first of all wants to be very happy by taking shelter of the creeperlike arms of his wife and hearing her sweet voice. Later, he sometimes takes shelter of so-called gurus and sādhus who are like crane, herons and vultures. Thus he is cheated both ways by not taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.

SB Canto 7

Here are many so-called gurus who attract disciples by promising to cure their diseases or increase their material opulence by manufacturing gold.
SB 7.13.8, Translation and Purport:

A sannyāsī must not present allurements of material benefits to gather many disciples, nor should he unnecessarily read many books or give discourses as a means of livelihood. He must never attempt to increase material opulences unnecessarily.

So-called svāmīs and yogīs generally make disciples by alluring them with material benefits. There are many so-called gurus who attract disciples by promising to cure their diseases or increase their material opulence by manufacturing gold. These are lucrative allurements for unintelligent men. A sannyāsī is prohibited from making disciples through such material allurements. Sannyāsīs sometimes indulge in material opulence by unnecessarily constructing many temples and monasteries, but actually such endeavors should be avoided. Temples and monasteries should be constructed for the preaching of spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not to provide free hotels for persons who are useful for neither material nor spiritual purposes. Temples and monasteries should be strictly off limits to worthless clubs of crazy men. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we welcome everyone who agrees at least to follow the movement's regulative principles—no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. In the temples and monasteries, gatherings of unnecessary, rejected, lazy fellows should be strictly disallowed. The temples and monasteries should be used exclusively by devotees who are serious about spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.24.49, Translation:

Neither all the demigods, nor the so-called gurus nor all other people, either independently or together, can offer mercy that equals even one ten-thousandth of Yours. Therefore I wish to take shelter of Your lotus feet.

SB 8.24.51, Translation:

A materialistic so-called guru instructs his materialistic disciples about economic development and sense gratification, and because of such instructions the foolish disciples continue in the materialistic existence of ignorance. But Your Lordship gives knowledge that is eternal, and the intelligent person receiving such knowledge is quickly situated in his original constitutional position.

So-called gurus instruct their disciples for the sake of material profit.
SB 8.24.51, Purport:

So-called gurus instruct their disciples for the sake of material profit. Some guru advises that one meditate in such a way that his intelligence will increase in regard to keeping his body fit for sense gratification. Another guru advises that sex is the ultimate goal of life and that one should therefore engage in sex to the best of his ability. These are the instructions of foolish gurus. In other words, because of the instructions of a foolish guru one remains perpetually in material existence and suffers its tribulations. But if one is intelligent enough to take instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as enunciated in Bhagavad-gītā or the Sāṅkhya philosophy of Kapiladeva, one can very soon attain liberation and be situated in his original position of spiritual life.

One should not be misled by so-called gurus who are rascals and fools.
SB 8.24.53, Translation and Purport:

O Supreme Lord, for self-realization I surrender unto You, who are worshiped by the demigods as the supreme controller of everything. By Your instructions, exposing life's purpose, kindly cut the knot from the core of my heart and let me know the destination of my life.

Sometimes it is argued that people do not know who is a spiritual master and that finding a spiritual master from whom to get enlightenment in regard to the destination of life is very difficult. To answer all these questions, King Satyavrata shows us the way to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the real spiritual master. The Supreme Lord has given full directions in Bhagavad-gītā about how to deal with everything in this material world and how to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore, one should not be misled by so-called gurus who are rascals and fools. Rather, one should directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the guru or instructor. It is difficult, however, to understand Bhagavad-gītā without the help of the guru. Therefore the guru appears in the paramparā system.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

In India there are many so-called gurus, and they are limited to a certain district or a province. They do not even travel about India, yet they declare themselves to be jagad-guru, the guru of the whole world.
CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

In India there are many so-called gurus, and they are limited to a certain district or a province. They do not even travel about India, yet they declare themselves to be jagad-guru, the guru of the whole world. Such cheating gurus should not be accepted. Anyone can see how the bona fide spiritual master accepts disciples from all over the world. The guru is a qualified brāhmaṇa; therefore he knows Brahman and Parabrahman. He thus devotes his life for the service of Parabrahman. The bona fide spiritual master who accepts disciples from all over the world is also worshiped all over the world because of his qualities. Lokānām asau pūjyo yathā hariḥ: the people of the world worship him just as they worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these honors are offered to him because he strictly follows the brahminical principles and teaches these principles to his disciples. Such a person is called an ācārya because he knows the principles of devotional service, he behaves in that way himself, and he teaches his disciples to follow in his footsteps. Thus he is an ācārya or jagad-guru. Even though a person is born in a brahminical family and is very expert in performing sacrifices, he cannot be accepted as a guru if he is not a strict Vaiṣṇava. A guru is a brāhmaṇa by qualification, and he can turn others into brāhmaṇas according to the śāstric principles and brahminical qualifications. Brahmanism is not a question of heredity.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So-called guru has to be killed.
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

If Kṛṣṇa wants that you should kill your guru, then you have to do it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, Kṛṣṇa will not ask you to kill guru, but... Because guru and Kṛṣṇa are the same. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya (CC Madhya 19.151). We get Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. So real guru is never to be killed, but the so-called guru has to be killed. The so-called, pseudo guru, false guru, he should be killed. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. While Prahlāda Mahārāja... He was standing. Here is, Nṛsiṁhadeva is killing his father. Father is guru.

Your so-called grandfather or so-called guru, as you say, your teacher, they are not this body. So in this fight, if your grandfather or teacher is killed, why you are lamenting?
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is trying to convince Arjuna that "Why you are hesitating to fight? Do your duty. Your so-called grandfather or so-called guru, as you say, your teacher, they are not this body. So in this fight, if your grandfather or teacher is killed, why you are lamenting? They are eternal." That is also explained, that "They were existing in the past, they are existing at present, and they will continue to exist. Simply the body will change. So why you are lamenting? Rather, it is a great facility that your grandfather has got now old body, he is not very comfortable, but he will get next life a very new body. So it is good for him if you kill him." Of course, that is not the point. (laughter) You cannot kill without any reason. That is not point. But here, "It is fight. It is duty. They have come to kill you."

Guru is only one.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

Indian: Ajñāna timirāndhasya. About jñāna, nothing has been said whether it is spiritual jñāna or material jñāna. So in order to understanding you and, through yourself, also Kṛṣṇa, all these so-called gurus, or, I may say, teachers, they have contributed towards understanding or developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, leaving aside these material teachers I am taking the, taking one spiritual guru who gave me Kṛṣṇa consciousness first and who taught me to worship God, Kṛṣṇa, and to maintain a temple at my own house and to learn the ślokas from Gītā or the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. And I have learned by rote the grandness of adhyāyas of Bhāgavatam and the Gītā. But you see I could not understand anything. Now, after going through your literatures, complete literatures, now the whole light has come to me, and I have began to understand even that the guru who gave me such Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I don't challenge or question the other findings of their(?) gurus. Just like a boy who absent from class, not attending his class, there is no fault of the guru. Guru has been attending his lectures. But I am truant. I am not attending class. So you see I can't blame that guru. But now I have understood everything from Your Grace, and now that ajñāna has been removed. I have now become more Kṛṣṇa conscious than before. So should I give credit to all those gurus who have helped me to understand? Or should I now select, or should I exercise any choice that I should accept this guru or that guru only? So that doubt should be cleared.

Prabhupāda: Hmmm. Guru is only one. Guru means, as you explained,

ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

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.

You shall go to a guru who is brahma-niṣṭham, a great devotee. He is guru, not a so-called guru, gold-making guru.
Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

The knowledge is there, but we are so fool that we do not take knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā. We manufacture our own knowledge. This is called māyā. Māyā is so strong that she'll not allow to take real knowledge from the real person, but we shall read volumes of books who are defective with their four kinds of imperfectness, namely they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they are cheater and their senses are imperfect.

So this is the first business, that "Where we shall take knowledge?" Tad-vijñānārtham. Vedic lesson is that tad-vijñānārthaṁ gurum eva abhigacchet: "You should go to guru." Just like Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. When Arjuna was puzzled, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am kṣatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am declining. Although You are requesting me to fight, still I am declining. So I am puzzled. Anyway, I can understand You can drive away my, this puzzling position. Therefore I am becoming Your śiṣya." Śiṣyas te 'ham. "I become Your disciple. I am not going to argue with You on equal footing." Śiṣya means he is always subordinate. Whatever the guru will say, he will accept. That is the guru and śiṣya. So Kṛṣṇa became guru and Arjuna became a śiṣya, disciple, not friend. Of course, he knew what is Kṛṣṇa. So śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. So similarly, we have to find out guru for perfect instruction. That is the only way. Otherwise we shall keep ourself in ignorance, in mistake, in illusion, in imperfectness and so many other things.

So this is the injunction of the Vedas, that "If you want real knowledge, you must go to guru." "Now, there are so many gurus. So whom shall I...? Where shall I go?" No. You shall go to a guru—samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). You shall go to a guru who is brahma-niṣṭham, a great devotee. He is guru, not a so-called guru, gold-making guru. (laughter) Then another cheater. You see? So the Vedic injunction is brahma-niṣṭham. That is guru, one who has full knowledge in Brahman.

So this guru, the so-called guru, he thought, "Oh, if Kṛṣṇa, the vāmana God, if He takes away everything from my disciple, then how I shall live? I am living at his cost, and if he becomes a beggar, then I also become beggar."
Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa as Vāmanāvatāra, incarnation of Vāmana... Dwarf. Vāmana means dwarf. He went to Bali Mahārāja, and He was brāhmaṇa. So as a brāhmaṇa boy, so He asked some charity because the kṣatriyas, the kings, are meant for give in charity. So he was very much pleased to see that beautiful dwarf boy: "Yes, what do You want? I will give You charity." But his spiritual master, so-called spiritual master, he could understand that "This boy is Viṣṇu, God Himself. He has come to cheat this Bali." So he asked his disciple, "Don't promise any charity to Him. Because He is God, He will take your everything. Once you agree to offer something, then He will take yourself also." God is very intelligent. Once you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no way out. You cannot go out. You cannot go out. He is so kind. As once you become sincerely a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, then there is no way out. You have to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You have to continue to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. You cannot do otherwise. So this guru, the so-called guru, he thought, "Oh, if Kṛṣṇa, the vāmana God, if He takes away everything from my disciple, then how I shall live? I am living at his cost, and if he becomes a beggar, then I also become beggar." So he was very cautious. He said, "Don't promise. Don't promise." "Why? He is a little boy. Let me give Him something." "No, no, He is not little boy. He is God." "Oh! He is God! Oh, then you ask me not to give Him? And you formerly taught me that everything should be given to God. Now God is at my door, and you ask me not to give? Oh, I reject you. I don't want you, a spiritual master like you." So any so-called spiritual master who is against God, he should be at once rejected just like Bali Mahārāja.

They do not know what is śāstra, neither they follow the principle. Still, they gather some people, and the world is full with such not bona fide gathering. So but they have faith in their—so-called guru that some way or other, so-called meditation... These things are going on.
Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

So Arjuna is asking, "So there are many who actually do not follow the principles of śāstra, but they have got some faith. Then what is the result of such mentality?" Ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya: "Not following the śāstra-vidhi, the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstra," yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ, "they also make one guru or incarnation or this or that. There are so many going on. So what is the result of such activities?" This is very important question because there are so many pseudo so-called gurus. They do not know what is śāstra, neither they follow the principle. Still, they gather some people, and the world is full with such not bona fide gathering. So but they have faith in their—so-called guru that some way or other, so-called meditation... These things are going on.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

"Don't try to become a guru or don't try to accept a so-called guru."
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Nobody knows how to become perfect. They are struggling very hard to become perfect individually, socially, nationally. But how they can be perfect? They do not know what is perfection. This is perfection. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you do not take another material..., and do not accept another material body, this is the final..., that is perfection. That is perfection. That is the injunction of the śāstra: na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum, gurur na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt. These are the injunction of the śāstra. "Don't try to become a guru or don't try to accept a so-called guru." Who? Who cannot save you from this repetition of birth and death. This is the injunction. Not that "Guru has given me some mantra. I am now a poor man. I become very rich man." No. That is not. Real purpose of life—how to get out of this repetition of birth and death. That is wanted.

There are some negative definitions, 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."
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

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... gurur na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt. There are some negative definitions, 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." Gurur na sa syāt. This is the injunction. "No rascal should become a guru unless he can save his disciple from the cycle of birth and death." Or, 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.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā.
Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

We are misguided by the so-called leaders that we are neglecting this valuable literature which is spoken by Bhagavān. We are talking of some nonsense. That is our misfortune. So we have to take knowledge from Bhagavān and spread it all over the world. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... So He says that "You become guru." He says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: (CC Madhya 7.128) "By My order." Don't become a so-called guru, manufactured guru. "You become guru by following My instruction." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā.

You have to change your body. And that will be selected not by you, not by your government, not by your father, not by your so-called guru. It will be decided by the laws of nature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

If we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we are defeated in every sphere of life. And then, after death, karmaṇā daiva netreṇa yantra dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. You have to change your body. And that will be selected not by you, not by your government, not by your father, not by your so-called guru. It will be decided by the laws of nature. That you cannot avoid. You should always remember that Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal.

They want to be cheated. They do not know what is the purpose of going to guru. They do not know. They do not know what is the problem of my life and why shall I go to guru. They do not know. And the so-called gurus also take advantage of this ignorance of the public, and they become a guru. This is going on. The guru does not know what is his responsibility, and the rascal public, they do not know what for one should go to guru. This is the difficulty.
Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

First of all, it is said about guru, anyone who takes care of his subordinate, he is guru. The first charge is that you should not become a guru unless you are completely in awareness how to save your dependent from the path of birth and death. That is the first question. Not that "I am your guru. I can cure some colic pain in your belly." They go to guru also for that purpose. People generally go to guru, rascals go to guru, to another rascal. What is that? "Sir, I have got some pain. Give me some acid bath (?) so that my pain may be cured." "But why you have come here, rascal, here for curing your pain? In the village you can go to some doctor, or you can take some tablet. Is it the purpose of coming to visit guru?" But generally they come to guru and ask for blessing for some material benefit. They are rascals, and therefore Kṛṣṇa also gives them a rascal guru. They want to be cheated. They do not know what is the purpose of going to guru. They do not know. They do not know what is the problem of my life and why shall I go to guru. They do not know. And the so-called gurus also take advantage of this ignorance of the public, and they become a guru. This is going on. The guru does not know what is his responsibility, and the rascal public, they do not know what for one should go to guru. This is the difficulty.

So we have to accept a spiritual master who are strictly in these four line of disciplic succession. Then we shall be gainer. If we accept a so-called guru, then it will not be possible.
Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So Svayambhū means Lord Brahmā. Svayambhūḥ nāradaḥ śambhuḥ. Śambhu means Lord Śiva. So each of them, out of these twelve mahājana, four are very prominent, that is, Svayambhū means Brahmā, and then śambhuḥ, Lord Śiva, and then kumāraḥ. And there is another sampradāya, Śrī sampradāya, from Lakṣmījī. So we have to accept a spiritual master who are strictly in these four line of disciplic succession. Then we shall be gainer. If we accept a so-called guru, then it will not be possible. We have to accept guru in the disciplic succession. Therefore it is recommended here, tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā: we have to serve him faithfully and always honestly. Then our purpose will be served. And if you take to this line of action, dedicating life to Kṛṣṇa and always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa under the direction of tat-puruṣa—means who has no other business than to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then our life is successful. We become free from all sinful reaction, and without being purified... Because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is pure. Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ brahma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme pure." So unless we are pure we cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement in the śāstra. Without becoming fire, you cannot enter into fire. Similarly, without becoming completely pure, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That is accepted by all religious system. The Christian system is also like that, that without becoming pure you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

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."
Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:

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. Similarly, one should not become father. The father and mother should have determination that "The child I produce, I give birth, if I cannot teach him Kṛṣṇa conscious, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, I shall not beget any child." This is real contraceptive method, not to beget child like cats and dogs. Sva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-khara. So Bhāgavata says, "One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become relative, one should not become king, one should not become guru if they cannot save their dependents from this cycle of birth and death."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

The Vedic injunction is that you must have not a so-called guru but... That is also given definition. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta, jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ, brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. That is the symptoms of guru.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his personal behavior how to approach the bona fide spiritual master and submit before him and putting himself praṇipā, blank. Not that "I know something, and what my spiritual master can teach? I know everything. There is no need of spiritual master." No. This will spoil our life. The Vedic injunction is that you must have not a so-called guru but... That is also given definition.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
(SB 11.3.21)

That is the symptoms of guru. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, because we are discussing Caitanya-caritāmṛta, He said that you become, all of you, become guru.

Therefore Vedic injunction is that if you want to be learned, then go to guru, bona fide guru, not the so-called guru.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.102 -- Baltimore, July 7, 1976:

So we are after knowledge, but so many things are unknown to us. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his practical behavior to approach the spiritual master, and putting his case that "I am suffering in this way." He was minister, there was no question of suffering. He was very well situated. That he has already explained, that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya kari māni. "There are so many questions I cannot answer. There is no solution. Still, people say that I am very learned man—I accept it foolishly." Nobody is learned man unless he goes to the guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore Vedic injunction is that if you want to be learned, then go to guru, bona fide guru, not the so-called guru.

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

Guru means one who has seen the Absolute Truth. That is guru. Tattva-darśinaḥ, tattva means the Absolute Truth, and darśinaḥ, one who has seen. So this movement, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is for this purpose, to see the Absolute Truth, to understand the Absolute Truth, to know the problems of life and how to make a solution. These things are our subject matter.

Philosophy Discussions

The so-called gurus are there, many. That is no doubt. So he might have seen some bogus guru, he did not like. But the principle of accepting guru cannot be avoided.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: He did not like to accept any guru.

Hayagrīva: Self-reliance.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hayagrīva: This seems to be a self-reliance.

Prabhupāda: Then how he accepts Indian pleasure(?)?

Hayagrīva: Well on the one hand at least he didn't accept...

Prabhupāda: He must...

Hayagrīva: On the one hand he says he wanted a guru.

Prabhupāda: Huh.

Hayagrīva: Previously.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: But here, after going to Calcutta, perhaps it was the, the so-called gurus that he met that discouraged...

Prabhupāda: The so-called gurus are there, many. That is no doubt. So he might have seen some bogus guru, he did not like. But the principle of accepting guru cannot be avoided. That is not possible.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

What is your answer? How do you explain? You are realized or not? What is that? Why don't you explain?
Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...how do you know that guru is qualified, spiritual master is qualified? Then I said everything is written in the śāstras, so we have to follow according to the injunctions written in the śāstras. So all the qualifications of a pure devotee, of a bona fide guru, is written there. Just like you are a professor of physics in the university. Before you came, you had some qualification, degree of doctors. And then there is a committee to decide you whether you are qualified for the post. So it is selected by a committee of members and then they interview and then they find out your qualifications. If they find that you are qualified for the post, so you are selected as a professor. It's like that in the spiritual field also. There are revealed scriptures and there everything is written what will be the qualification of a guru and then how to choose a bona fide one. So everything is written, you should follow the injunctions of the revealed scriptures accordingly.

Prabhupāda: Committee is his spiritual master, he orders that you do this.

Jayatīrtha: The test is to see how much one is actually following the orders of his spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Listening to another so-called guru, everywhere we go, especially in Los Angeles, they always talk of other gurus. They always talk of spiritual knowledge, but they don't find out what the real test is.

Prabhupāda: What is your answer?

Rāmeśvara: So we show them our books and say that these are the real scriptures, real quality. The (indistinct) have to be the quality of the spiritual knowledge.

Prabhupāda: How do you explain? You are realized or not? (indistinct)

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, when you say that this is the knowledge that's been realized...

Prabhupāda: What is that? Why don't you explain? (indistinct) That means they do not know.

Devotee (2): One who is developing in spiritual life is becoming detached from material things. These persons who are following other gurus are attached to material things. They're still smoking, having sex life, drinking.

Jayatīrtha: It's difficult to (indistinct) detached to material things. One should be attached to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That attachment will become. That is the special (indistinct). You cannot be completely detached. If you be detachment from something, you must be attached to something. Otherwise you have no perception(?). So you should be detached from matter and attached to Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Then you cannot go to the so-called.
Morning Walk -- December 4, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So we are always suffering. But still they're thinking that "We are happy." The disease is already there. Ah? Just like the Arabian do not want to give you petrol. That means there's suffering caused by other nations. So this is going on. They're simply trying to settle up. But the suffering is there. But they're not in their knowledge, that in spite of all their endeavors, the sufferings are there. What is the cause? Then whom shall I go to ask why the suffering is there? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum (MU 1.2.12). Therefore you must approach a person who knows how the suffering should be mitigated.

Yaśomatīnandana: But there's so many so-called gurus, Prabhupāda, how...

Prabhupāda: Then you cannot go to the so-called.

Yaśomatīnandana: How can you convince that we are the real genuine people?

Prabhupāda: That you will have to learn, just like you have to go to school, there is injunction. But if you do not know what is school, go to a cow farmer(?), then that is your fault. If I say, "You go and purchase this from the market," suppose you have to purchase gold, but you go to a storefront, milk seller, how you will get the gold? That intelligence you must have, that where gold can be had. You must go to the person who is dealing really with gold. But if you do not know, then you will be cheated. That much knowledge you must have.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

The gurus, so-called gurus, there are. These Māyāvādīs, all they say. "I am God."
Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvāda says, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is God within you." The Dr. Radhakrishnan said, the rascal. "Kṛṣṇa is within. The outside is material body." You have read that.

Dr. Patel: There is no within and without... I have not read that. There is no within and without so far God is concerned. God is everywhere.

Prabhupāda: And similarly, similarly, guru also—no within, no without. Otherwise how we can say, sākṣād-dharitvena. Directly, if you make distinction, how he can be directly?

Dr. Patel: Within, without is (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. But he has attained that position on account of his being very, very dear to God. Because doing God's work. Eh? God says, "Surrender unto Me." Guru is preaching... That is real guru. He's preaching, "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll never say, "Surrender unto Me."

Dr. Patel: No guru says so.

Prabhupāda: All rascals says. All rascals say.

Dr. Patel: But rascals are not gurus.

Prabhupāda: No, no. The gurus, so-called gurus, there are. These Māyāvādīs, all they say. "I am God."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

So we are training from dog to humanity. That is our special activities. We do not keep them as dog. We bring them to become godly. Then things will be all right. Other so-called gurus, they keep the disciple to remain as dog.
Morning Walk -- August 7, 1975, Toronto:

Indian Man (2): Prabhupāda, these people, dogs, mostly are atheist? Atheist, they take the birth as the dog?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless one is atheist, how he takes to dog? Theist takes to God, and they takes to dog. That's it. Not only animal dog, but they associate with a human dog, two-legged dogs. There are four-legged, and there are two-legged dogs-human being, but dog. He is also like dog, although he has got two legs and they have got four legs. In the parks it is by law prohibited to take dog, but he is dog. He violate the dog's law. Therefore he is no better than dog. (break) ...defect of modern civilization—they are keeping people as dog, and they want to make them human beings by law. They are thinking, "If we impose this law, things will be all right." But how things will be all right? If you keep them dog, how the things will be all right? So we are training from dog to humanity. That is our special activities. We do not keep them as dog. We bring them to become godly. Then things will be all right. Other so-called gurus, they keep the disciple to remain as dog. Please pay him, and he... Asikbada—he will be all right. This is going on.

The so-called gurus, they get some mystic power, yoga-siddhi, and they show it and they mislead people that he is God. That is the difficulty.
Room Conversation -- August 21, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So many gurus are there; they are manufacturing. They are becoming Kṛṣṇa. That is nonsense. That is nonsense. You cannot become Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Bhagavān sakala hṛdaya... (break) Can you stay in everyone's heart? You are claiming God. This one instance. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛdeśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. He is aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ. He is within this universe, and He is within the atom. You are claiming to be Īśvara, God. Are you within the atom? Are you within everyone's heart? Then how do you claim that you are Īśvara? Practical. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ (BG 18.61). Īśvara, God, God is everyone's heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭhaḥ (BG 15.15). (Bengali) ...on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā... (Bengali) And as soon as you manufacture something, then it is spoiled. (Bengali) That is going on. The so-called gurus, they get some mystic power, yoga-siddhi, and they show it and they mislead people that he is God. That is the difficulty.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prabhupāda: ...recently I said all these so-called gurus are either rascals, miscreant, lowest of the mankind, or they have no knowledge. Not directly, indirectly.
Morning Walk -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: ...recently I said all these so-called gurus are either rascals, miscreant, lowest of the mankind, or they have no knowledge. Not directly, indirectly.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How's that, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That is fact. These rascals come here for women and money, that's all. They do not know what is spiritual life. If I say like that, you think it is right or wrong?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You're right.

Devotee: Good idea. You didn't compromise.

Prabhupāda: Why compromise?

So-called gurus, they are so-called gurus. They are not gurus. That is already explained. If one does not speak what Kṛṣṇa speaks, he is not guru. If you accept so-called guru, that is your misfortune. What can be done?
Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What about the so-called gurus that take a little bit here and a little bit there?

Prabhupāda: So-called gurus, they are so-called gurus. They are not gurus. That is already explained. If one does not speak what Kṛṣṇa speaks, he is not guru. If you accept so-called guru, that is your misfortune. What can be done?

So the so-called gurus, they are cheater. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are cheater.
Evening Darsana -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: He is guru who is preaching what Kṛṣṇa has taught. He is guru, not that anyone and everyone becomes guru. No. If you want to be cheated by such rascal guru, that is your business, but who is guru, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. No? Anyone who preaches the teachings of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You become a guru on My order." "How shall I become guru? I have no knowledge." Oh, you don't require any knowledge to manufacture. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Simply repeat the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, you become guru." Everyone can become. The instruction is there. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We say the same thing, not that I have become Kṛṣṇa, not my... You say that "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Then you become guru. Kṛṣṇa instruction, not to become Kṛṣṇa. If you want to become Kṛṣṇa, then you are not guru; you are cheater. Suppose you are working for master. If you say, "My master has fixed up this price. You cannot change it," then you are honest salesman. And if you place yourself that "I am the master," then you are cheater. The cheater cannot be teacher. Teacher is he who simply teaches what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all. He's teacher. That is not difficult. Everyone can do. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you simply speak to him the instruction of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become guru. And if you don't say that, if you manufacture your own words, then you are cheater, you are not teacher. So the so-called gurus, they are cheater. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are cheater. And it is very easy thing. If you cheat people that "You take this mantra, and you become God..." Is God so easy thing, to become God? But they want to be cheated. "Purchasing mantra, I shall become God." They want to be cheated. They do not think that "Whether I can actually become God?" They do not take the weight of His existence.

The so-called gurus, they're cheaters. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are cheater.
Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: He is guru, who is preaching what Kṛṣṇa has taught, he's guru. Not that anyone and everyone becomes a guru. If you want to be cheated by such rascal guru, that is your business, but who is guru, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who preaches the teachings of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "You become a guru on My order." "How shall I become guru? I have no knowledge." Oh, you don't require any knowledge to manufacture. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "Simply repeat the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, you become guru." Everyone can become. The instruction is there. Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We say the same thing. Not that "I have become Kṛṣṇa, not..." We say "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Then you become guru. Kṛṣṇa's instruction, not to become Kṛṣṇa. If you want to become Kṛṣṇa, then you are not guru, you are cheater. Suppose you are working for master. If you say "My master has fixed up this price; you cannot change it," then you are honest salesman. And if you place yourself that "I am the master," then you are cheater. The cheater cannot be teacher. Teacher is he who simply teaches what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all. He is teacher. That is not difficult. Anyone can do it. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Whomever you meet, you simply speak to him the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Then you become guru. And if you don't say that, if you manufacture your own words, then you are cheater, you are not teacher. The so-called gurus, they're cheaters. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are cheater. And it is very easy thing if you cheat people, that "You take this mantra and you become God." Is it so easy thing to become God? But they want to be cheated. "Purchasing mantra, I shall become God." They want to be cheated. They do not think that "Whether I can actually become God." They do not take the weight of His existence. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Time? So what is the time now?

No, no. First of all we... That's all right, but you have to ask whether are you guru? Yes. You are not guru, you are goru. Goru means cow. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. You are not guru. You are speaking against Kṛṣṇa so you are not guru.
Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Indian lady: I'm asking a question. How to stop this which is going on only if we chant God's name, this poor activity...?

Prabhupāda: This is also chanting. If you speak Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, this is also chanting.

Indian lady: Preach to everybody as it is.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Present Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Indian lady: You must know what is in Gītā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian lady: Then nobody can fool you. And you know in our so-called guru baba's speeches, without guru-kṛpā you can't get anything. They want to enter...

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all we...

Indian lady: Without guru-kṛpā we can't get. You can't achieve the goal.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but you have to ask whether are you guru?

Indian lady: That sense you must have. You must know what is what.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are not guru, you are goru. Goru means cow. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. You are not guru. You are speaking against Kṛṣṇa so you are not guru. Guru is Arjuna. Because a confidential instruction is given to Arjuna, so we accept Arjuna as guru. Or one who is following Arjuna, he is guru. Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). You accept Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma. You want to become paraṁ brahma. You are cheating people. You do not say Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma, but you are replacing Him. Then you are cheater, you are not guru. That has to be done. So organize this. Very plain thing. Very plain thing. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. You become guru.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Mostly Hindus they do not eat. But they are accustomed now. Just like Bengal, fish eating is no offense. Oh, yes. Brāhmaṇa, gosāis, so-called gurus.
Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Onion is used. Onions. In India both Hindus and Muslims eat. More than potato, it is said.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Potato is king of vegetables.

Prabhupāda: We have seen many canvassers. (calling like street vendor:) "Bataka."(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Kada bataka.(?) Everyone has to eat. The Maharastrians, they eat, even the brāhmaṇas. In 1927, I came to Bombay and stayed in the Empire Hindu Hotel. I think it is still there. Very nice hotel. So it is under Maharastrians. Very neat and clean everything. Gave me onions. "What is this? Onions?" I was surprised. "I don't eat."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He must have been surprised that you wouldn't eat it.

Prabhupāda: Well, they know... Mostly Hindus they do not eat. But they are accustomed now. Just like Bengal, fish eating is no offense.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even the brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Brāhmaṇa, gosāis, so-called gurus.

Correspondence

1974 Correspondence

Nowadays so called gurus are promising us that we ourselves can become equal to God or that God is impersonal, or that everyone is God, but nowhere is this stated in the Bhagavad-gita or any other Vedic literature, nor is it taught by any of the great spiritual masters above mentioned.
Letter to Trista Hubbarth -- Bombay 3 May, 1975:

You have very thoughtfully asked me what do I think of the Self Realization yoga and meditation. We are not concerned with other religions or yogas in terms of competition or sectarian spirit. Actual spiritual knowledge is to take the authoritative statements from the scriptures and from the great acaryas, spiritual masters in disciplic succession. Other's opinions are not important. For example, in the Bhagavad gita, Lord Krsna gives His opinion, but He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the great sages of the Vedic philosophy including Vyasadeva the compiler of all the scriptures, as well as Narada, Brahma, Siva and in the modern time, Ramanuja, Sankaracarya, Lord Caitanya, etc. They all confirm that Krsna is the supreme truth, the Personality of Godhead. Although this is plainly described throughout the Vedas, you will not find it in the teachings of the so called swamis and yogis who are teaching nowadays. Therefore you have intelligently discovered that in my Bhagavad-gita the approach is very different from what you have found elsewhere. That is because I am not trying to avoid Krsna or give some misinterpretation, but I have accepted the actual Bhagavad-gita, wherein Krsna says, Mattah parataram nanyat (BG 7.7), there is no higher than Me. Nowadays so called gurus are promising us that we ourselves can become equal to God or that God is impersonal, or that everyone is God, but nowhere is this stated in the Bhagavad-gita or any other Vedic literature, nor is it taught by any of the great spiritual masters above mentioned.

Page Title:So-called gurus
Compiler:Kanupriya, MadhuGopaldas
Created:27 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=6, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=16, Con=11, Let=1
No. of Quotes:35