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Only at the Time of Sri Gurudeva’s Disappearance Can One Recognize the Actual Identity of His Disciples
by Bhakti Sri Rupa Siddhanti Maharaja, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada Independence from, or disobeying the order of Sri Guru is the cause of so many difficulties. But it is not always easy to detect during the physical presence of Sri Guru… Only at the time of Sri Gurudeva’s disappearance can one recognize the actual identity of his disciples. One can then understand who has approached Sri Guru with what intention. Even after taking shelter of a sad-guru’s lotus feet, some disciples secretly strive to occupy the seat of Sri Gurudeva at the time of his disappearance. Their acceptance of the shelter of Sri Guru’s feet was…
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Further Dangers of Rittvik
Here Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada contrasts the guidance received from a physically departed spiritual master, Jesus Christ (or Srila Prabhupada), and a physically manifest guru. This is not only applicable to current rittvik advocates but all current followers of Srila Prabhupada since there is no known physically manifest pure devotee. From Amrita Vani, the Spiritual Master by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 40. If Jesus Christ was a jagad-guru and his instructions capable of bringing us deliverance, why do we need a spiritual master? We accept both the universal spiritual master and the initiating spiritual master. By accepting only the jagad-guru, we may…
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Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta – Ādi-līlā 1.35
mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana SYNONYMS mantra–guru — the initiating spiritual master; āra — and also; yata — as many (as there are); śikṣā–guru–gaṇa — all the instructing spiritual masters; tāṅhāra — of all of them; caraṇa — unto the lotus feet; āge — at first; kariye — I offer; vandana — respectful obeisances. TRANSLATION I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters. PURPORT Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his thesis Bhakti-sandarbha (202), has stated that uncontaminated devotional service is the objective of pure Vaiṣṇavas and that one has to execute…
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“Become A Spiritual Master”
Srila Prabhupada’s Class on Bhagavad-gita 2.2, August 3, 1973, London Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) śrī bhagavān uvāca kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna (BG 2.2) (break) śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutaḥ—wherefrom; tvā—unto you; kaśmalam—dirtiness; idam—this lamentation; viṣame—this hour of crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anārya—persons who do not know the value of life; juṣṭam—practiced by; asvargyam—that which does not lead to higher planets; akīrti—infamy; karam—the cause of; arjuna—O Arjuna. Translation: “The Supreme Person, Bhagavān, said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They…
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Selection From Amrita Vani, The Spiritual Master
by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 60. Who can act as our spiritual master? Only that great personality who has been sent by the Lord from the spiritual world into this world to deliver fallen souls like us, who delivers people who are afflicted with the threefold miseries and sends them back to Godhead, who is most dear to the Supreme Lord and who represents Him, and who is the messenger of transcendental subject matter, is capable of acting as our spiritual master. He is an actual devotee and an actual spiritual master whose ax-like words remain always sharpened to sacrifice our propensities for material…
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Srila Prabhupada on Who is Guru (and Who is Not!)
Answers to a Questionnaire From Bhavan’s Journal 2, New Vrindavana, June 30, 1976 Excerpt below begins at 33:05 Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can I ask another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Question number nine: “Is a guru essential to one to enter the spiritual path and attain the goal? And how does one recognize one’s guru?” Prabhupāda: Yes. That is explained, that guru is necessary. In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were talking as friend, there was no conclusion. The talking was going on, but no conclusion was made. Therefore Arjuna decided to accept Kṛṣṇa as his guru. Find out this verse: kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ. Hari-śauri: kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi…
