Gurus, liberated souls, maha-bhagavatas can also fall down

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GURU CAN FALL:

 

Cc Madhya 24.330 purp

 

The spiritual master should study the disciple's inquisitiveness for no less

than six months or a year. A spiritual master should not be very anxious to

accept a disciple because of his material opulences. Sometimes a big

businessman or landlord may approach a spiritual master for initiation. Those

who are materially interested are called visayis (karmis), which indicates that

they are very fond of sense gratification. Such visayis sometimes approach a

famous guru and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion. Sometimes

visayis pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their

activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge. In

other words, they want to attain material success. A spiritual master must be

very careful in this regard. Such business is going on all over the world. The

spiritual master does not accept a materially opulent disciple just to

advertise the fact that he has such a big disciple. He knows that by

associating with such visayi disciples, he may fall down. One who accepts a

visayi disciple is not a bona fide spiritual master. Even if he is, his

position may be damaged due to association with an unscrupulous visayi.

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Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.36, Tokyo, January 30, 1974

 

But when one leaves a spiritual master, the spiritual master, there may be some

reason. That reason is also given in the sastra, gurur api avaliptasya

karyakaryam ajanatah(?). Karya akarya. If the spiritual master does not know

what is actually to be done, what is actually not to be done, and he acts

against the rules and regulations of the sastra, then such spiritual master may

be given up. But so long you do not find the spiritual master is doing against

the principles of sastra or guru, then if you give up the company of spiritual

master, that is not good for you. That is your downfall.

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6

 

"If a preceptor accepts as his disciple one who refuses to be wholly guided by

him, or if a disciple submits to a preceptor who is not wholly good, such

preceptor and such disciple are, both of them, doomed to fall from their

spiritual state."

 

"The disciple retains the right of renouncing his allegiance to the preceptor

the moment he is satisfied that the preceptor is a fallible creature like

himself. Nor does a good preceptor accept any one as his disciple unless the

latter is prepared to submit to him freely."

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>From Hari-nama-cintamani by Thakura Bhaktivinoda

Sastha pariccheda: Gurvavagya

 

Kon sthane guru tyaga korite haibe-

 

Now I will discuss the situation when one can give up one's spiritual master.

 

Tave jodi erupa ghatana kabhu haya.

Asatsange gurura jogyata haya ksaya..

 

It unfortunately happens sometimes that by bad association, the spiritual

master looses his qualifications.

 

Prathame chilena tini sadguru-pradhana.

Pare nama-aparadhe haina hatagyana..

 

In the beginning when the guru gave initiation to the disciple, he was

sadguru-pradhana or a very qualified bona-fide spiritual master but later due

to get involved with the ten offenses, his knowledge was diminished.

 

Vaisnava vidvaya kori' chadi' nama-rasa.

Krame krame hana artha-kaminira basa..

 

He gave up relishing the chanting of the Holy Names due to his envy towards the

Vaisnavas. Due to this he gradually came under the control of the desires for

money and women.

 

Sei guru chadi' sisya Sri Krsnakrpaya.

Sadguru labhiya punah suddhanama gaya..

 

One should reject such guru and again accept an advanced bonafide spiritual

master and thus again relish the pure chanting of the Holy Name.

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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Jaiva Dharma; Chapter 20, page 213

 

He explains the second instance in which one should reject his spiritual

master.

 

dvitiya karana ei ye. guru-varana samaye gurudeva vaisnava o tattvajna chilena,

kintu sanga-dose pare mayavadi va vaisnava- vidvesi hoiya jan; erupa guruke

partyaga kara kartavya; grhita guru yadi mayavadi va vaisnava-vidvesi va

papasakta

 

The second instance in which one may reject the guru is when the guru was at

the time of one's initiation a Vaisnava conversant in the Absolute Truth but

later due to bad association became a mayavadi or an offender to the Vaisnavas.

That guru should be rejected.

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LIBERATED SOULS CAN FALL:

 

SB 5.188.4 purp

 

A liberated soul is a person who has sufficient knowledge of this material

world and is therefore unattached to the bodily conception of life. But because

of association with the modes of material nature for a very long time, even

liberated souls sometimes become captivated by the illusory energy due to

inattentiveness in the transcendental position.

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MAHA-BHAGAVATA CAN FALL:

 

Cc Adi 7.110 purp

 

The Mayavadi philosophers have presented their arguments in such attractive,

flowery language that hearing Mayavada philosophy may sometimes change the mind

of even a maha-bhagavata, or very advanced devotee.

 

SB 5.7.1

 

bharatas tu maha-bhagavato

 

SB 5.8 Summary

 

Although Bharata Maharaja was very elevated, he fell down due to his attachment

to a young deer.

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Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana das