Srila Prabhupada explains Authorized and Unauthorized acaryas

Definition of authorized
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order” : SB 4.8: Dhruva Maharaja Leaves Home for the Forest : SB 4.8.54 : PURPORT :
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that His name should be heard in every nook and corner of the world. How is this possible unless one preaches everywhere? The cult of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is bhāgavata-dharma, and He especially recommendskṛṣṇa-kathā, or the cult of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He recommends that every Indian, considering this task to bepara-upakāra, or welfare activity, take the Lord’s message to other residents of the world. “Other residents of the world” does not refer only to those who are exactly like the Indian brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas, or like the caste brāhmaṇas, who claim to be brāhmaṇasbecause they were born in the families of brāhmaṇas. The principle that only Indians and Hindus should be brought into the Vaiṣṇava cult is a mistaken idea. There should be propaganda to bring everyone to the Vaiṣṇava cult. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose. There is no bar to propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement even among people who are born incaṇḍāla, mleccha or yavana families. Even in India, this point has been enunciated by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his book Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which is smṛti and is the authorized Vedic guide for Vaiṣṇavas in their daily behavior. Sanātana Gosvāmī says that as bell metal can turn to gold when mixed with mercury in a chemical process, so, by the bona fide dīkṣā, or initiation method, anyone can become a Vaiṣṇava. One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. I his is called dīkṣā-vidhāna. Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā,vyapāśritya: one should accept a spiritual master. By this process the entire world can be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness
Books : The Nectar of Devotion – 1970 Edition : NoD 7: Evidence Regarding Devotional Principles : To Follow in the Footsteps of Saintly Persons :
In the scripture known as Brahma-yāmala it is stated as follows: “If someone wants to pose himself as a great devotee without following the authorities of the revealed scriptures, then his activities will never help him to make progress in devotional service. Instead, he will simply create disturbances for the sincere students of devotional service.” Those who do not strictly follow the principles of revealed scriptures are generally called sahajiyā, those who have imagined everything to be cheap, and who have their own concocted ideas, and who do not follow the scriptural injunctions. Such persons are simply creating disturbances in the discharge of devotional service.
Books : The Nectar of Devotion – 1970 Edition : NoD 14: Devotional Qualifications :
The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers. A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized, and only on his owninitiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples. His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession
Unauthorized????

 

Jayatīrtha: Yesterday Nitāi found a quote from the Purāṇas that says, “There are many gurus who will take away your money, but rare is the one who will take away your miseries.”

Srila Prabhupāda: Guravo bahavaḥ santi vittāpahārakaḥ.

Nitāi: Yes, right.

Srila Prabhupāda:

guravo bahavaḥ
santi vittāpahārakaḥ
taṁ tu guruṁ na paśyāmi
śiṣyasantā-pahārakāḥ

“There are many gurus. They are very expert in plundering disciples’ money, but it is very difficult to find out a guru who can take out all the anxieties of the disciple.” Śiṣya santa-pahārakāḥ. Guru is meant for taking away the santāpa. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-lokatrāṇāya kārunya-ghanāghanatvam **. “The śiṣya will be peaceful”—objective of life—that is the business of guru, not to take away his money.

Haṁsadūta: In one lecture you were explaining those prayers, saṁsāra, and you said the first business of the guru is to take away the anxiety of the disciple.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, our people, they have got some hope that they’re going back to home, back to Godhead. And all other rascals-zero. Who is endeavoring for zero? What is this endeavor?

Haṁsadūta: There’s nothing to do for that.

Srila Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. In Bhāgavata also—gurur na sa syāt. He should not be guru unless he is able to protect his disciple from the imminent danger of death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupetamṛtyum. This cycle of birth and death is going on. Guru’s business is how to stop this cycle of birth and death. And it is not very difficult. Teach him to understand Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is assuring, “If anyone understands Me nicely, then after giving up this body he comes to Me.” Where is the difficulty? Give him Kṛṣṇaconsciousness, and he is saved from birth and death. There is nothing wonderful. There is no jugglery. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janmanaiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. [break] …only institution for mitigating the sufferings of humanity. But they don’t know what is the real suffering of humanity. Dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti. That is the real suffering, cycle of birth and death. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hiviṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they do not know what is the goal of life, svārtha, self-interest. Unless he comes to Viṣṇu, there is no question of svārtha-gati. [break] …reclaim this portion, eh… [break] …strong and stout. Not all. [break] Yesterday it was a very nice city, and today it is finished. This is called māyā. [break] And there is no God. Just see how intelligent they are. To pour water whole night thousands of miles, can the scientists arrange? So who is arranging for that? His father? His father, of course, arranges, but he does not agree to offer respect to the father.
Conversations : 1975 Conversations : February, 1975 : Morning Walk — February 4, 1975, Hawaii
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. I don’t mind what will happen next.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, though, that Kṛṣṇa….

Srila Prabhupāda: Don’t talk like foolish. That desire everyone has. He is serving. He is serving so many things, but he doesn’t want to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is his foolishness. He is serving māyā; still, he denies to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is his misfortune. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍabhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. So unless one is very fortunate, he does not agree to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Madhudviṣa: So that future is determined by the great souls, such as yourself.

Srila Prabhupāda: No, that…

Madhudviṣa: Because you are creating people’s good fortune.

Srila Prabhupāda: Fortune, there. It is already there. I am simply informing.

Madhudviṣa: No, but you actually engage them in ajñātasukṛti, meritorious activities, even unwillingly performed.

Srila Prabhupāda: But this is the duty of everyone. One should not…. That is enjoined in the…. Gurur na sa syāt: “One should not become a guru if he cannot do that.” Otherwise he is cheating. Why he should become guru? Why he should accept service from so many people if he cannot rightly direct them? Then he becomes bound up by the karma laws. If I take one paisa from you without any service, I have to pay you four paisa.

Mahāṁśa: In the spiritual world the living entity is full of knowledge, so does he…

Srila Prabhupāda: That is enjoined, ordered, “You should not become guru if you cannot save him. You should not become father if you cannot save him.” This is sastric injunction. First word is gurur na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. Why you are claiming? Just like…. We are not going to become guru like that…. What is that rascal? Yogi…?

Gurukṛpā: Guru Mahārāja.

Revatīnandana: Which one? There’s many rascals.

Srila Prabhupāda: That big rascal, transcendental meditation.

Madhudviṣa: Maharishi.

Srila Prabhupāda: Maharishi. He is giving assurance, “If you practice this yoga, then you’ll be very able to do your business nicely. Your…” These things are…. And he is guru.

Mahāṁśa: And he charges them a fabulous amount of money.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. No, unless…

Gurukṛpā: That verse, guravo bahavo santi śiṣya-śāntopahārakāḥ...

Srila Prabhupāda: No, no, they say to their friend that “These people want to be cheated. Why shall I not cheat?” He says. One of his secretaries came to him…. “If you want God, then go to Bhaktivedanta Swami.”

Pañcadraviḍa: He said that.

Srila Prabhupāda: He said, this Mahesh Yogi. “My business is cheating because the rascals wanted to be cheated. So why shall I not cheat and get some money?”

Gurukṛpā: But he doesn’t give the money to you, though. He knows you are real.

Srila Prabhupāda: No…. Not…. That is another thing, but he knows that “God consciousness you can get there.”

Mahāṁśa: Yesterday you said that one cheater takes from the other cheater; so he is a cheater, he is taking from other cheaters.

Gurukṛpā: You mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that one cheater takes the money, another cheater takes it…

Srila Prabhupāda: No, no, his business is cheating. His business is cheating. He said, “These rascals want to be cheated, so why not cheat?”

Madhudviṣa: So we shouldn’t be so angry at him. Some people are serving coffee because people want coffee. Some people are selling bīḍīs because people want bīḍīs. So if some people want to be cheated, so he is simply performing a function of society.

Srila Prabhupāda: That is the world. Therefore the whole world is the society of cheater and cheated. That is the version of my GuruMahārāja. The whole so-called human society means a bunch of cheaters and cheated. That’s all.

Pañcadraviḍa: Īśopaniṣad says, asuryā nāma te lokāḥ. He is going to hell even though he knows that he is cheating. He is also going to hell even if he is consciously cheating.

Srila Prabhupāda: So don’t be cheater; don’t be cheated. That is intelligence.

Pañcadraviḍa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is our fortune that we’ve come in contact with a qualified guru? What have we done to qualify to come in contact with you?

Revatīnandana: In other words, why do some come and others not come?

Srila Prabhupāda: It is the ajñātasukṛti, say. Ajñātasukṛti. You might have done something, very pious activities, which you do not know, but on the effect of…

Madhudviṣa: So it seems like it’s up to chance, then.

Srila Prabhupāda: No chance. Just like a sinful man. Some saintly person comes to him and he gives some money to him. He does not know that “I am doing very pious activity,” but because he has given, he becomes pious.

Revatīnandana: If not even a blade of grass moves unless Kṛṣṇa sanctions it, then why does someone have the opportunity to perform such ajnatasukrti, another person not?

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa wants…. Suppose a saintly person comes to a very sinful man. He needs some money. ImmediatelyKṛṣṇa says, “Give him some money. He requires.” So he says, “All right, sir, take it.” So Kṛṣṇa’s desires, he gives. Unless Kṛṣṇadictates from within, how he can give?

Hariśauri: So then where is the question of free will? If I want to give or not give…

Srila Prabhupāda: No, no, free will under Kṛṣṇa. You can become free will and become a big man immediately. Your free will sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. You are not so free that whatever you like, you can do.

Madhudviṣa: So even if I want to perform some ajnatasukrti, it is only by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy that I will do it.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

As soon as he gives to a saintly person, bhakta, he immediately acquires some asset of future development. Immediately.

Acyutānanda: If someone gives to a person for spiritual…, consciously for spiritual improvement…

Srila Prabhupāda: There is no question of…

Acyutānanda: …and the person misuses the money, does he benefit?

Srila Prabhupāda: Eh?

Acyutānanda: If a man says, “I am giving you this donation because it is a spiritual organization,” but if the money is misused, does that man benefit?

Srila Prabhupāda: If money is misused, then both of them become implicated. If it is not used for Kṛṣṇa, then both of them becomes under the laws of karma.
Conversations : 1976 Conversations : March, 1976 : Morning Walk — March 14, 1976, Mayapur :
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 19: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Instructs Srila Rupa Gosvami : Madhya 19.160 : PURPORT : ‘nisiddhacara’, ‘kutinati’, jiva-himsana’ ‘labha’, ‘puja’, ‘pratisthadi’ yata upasakha-gana :
The unwanted creepers have been described by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He states that if one hears and chants without trying to give up offenses, one becomes materially attached to sense gratification. One may also desire freedom from material bondage like the Māyāvādīs, or one may become attached to the yoga-siddhis and desire wonderful yogic powers. If one is attached to wonderful material activities, one is called siddhi-lobhī, greedy for material perfection. One may also be victimized by diplomatic or crooked behavior, or one may associate with women for illicit sex. Others may make a show of devotional service like the prākṛta-sahajiyās, or one may try to support his philosophy by joining some caste or identifying himself with a certain dynasty, claiming a monopoly on spiritual advancement. Thus with the support of family tradition, one may become a pseudo guru or so-called spiritual master. One may become attached to the four sinful activities-illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat eating, or one may consider a Vaiṣṇava to belong to a mundane caste or creed. One may think, “This is a Hindu Vaiṣṇava, and this is a European Vaiṣṇava. A European Vaiṣṇava is not allowed to enter the temples.” In other words, one may consider Vaiṣṇavas in terms of birth, thinking one a brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, a śūdra Vaiṣṇava, a mleccha Vaiṣṇava and so on. One may also try to carry out a professional business while chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or one may try to increase his monetary strength by illegal means. One may also try to be a cheap Vaiṣṇava by chanting in a secluded place for material adoration, or one may desire mundane reputation by making compromises with nondevotees, compromising one’s philosophy or spiritual life, or one may become a supporter of a hereditary caste system. All these are pitfalls of personal sense gratification. Just to cheat some innocent people, one makes a show of advanced spiritual life and becomes known as a sādhu, mahātmā or religious person. All this means that the so-called devotee has become victimized by all these unwanted creepers and that the real creeper of bhakti-latā-bīja has been stunted.

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