Guru to Reincarnate

[Guest guest]

> Have you seen any explicit statement of the sort by Srila Prabhupada?

 

In the bhakti-yoga process, the role of the spiritual master is most

important and essential. Although the spiritual master will always come back

until his devotees have achieved God realization, one should not try to take

advantage of this. We should not trouble our spiritual master but should

complete the bhakti-yoga process in this life. The disciple should be

serious in his service to the spiritual master, and if the devotee is

intelligent, he should think, "Why should I act in such a way that my

spiritual master has to take the trouble to reclaim me again? Let me realize

Krsna in this life." That is the proper way of thinking. We should not

think, "Oh, I am sure that my spiritual master will come and save me.

Therefore I will do as I please." If we have any affection for our spiritual

master, we should complete the process in this life, so that he does not

have to return to reclaim us. (PoP 8: Failure and Success in Yoga)

 

Prabhupada: Who is fallen is called yoga-bhrasta. So yoga-bhrasta means he

has fallen from the instruction of the spiritual master. But a spiritual

master sometimes is so kind that he delivers him in the next birth also. But

it is not our duty to bring the spiritual master to save me again in the

next life. It is not very good disciple. (Bhagavad-gita 7.4 -- Nairobi,

October 31, 1975)

 

In this life we want to finish this material existence for good. That should

be the responsibility, that "We are going to finish this material existence

for good. No more coming." Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [bg. 4.9]. If you

take responsibility in that way, then everything will be adjusted. Serious.

My Guru Maharaja used to say like that, that "Finish this business in this

life. Don't delay for the next life." He was telling also that "Don’t give

me trouble again to come here to deliver you." That is the responsibility of

spiritual master. Spiritual master responsibility is to take the disciple to

Krsna, until he is able to do, to help him, to help him, to help him. That

is the verdict of the sastras. Just like Bilvamangala Thakura. His spiritual

master delivered him, taking the shape of a prostitute. So these stories are

there. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971)

 

There are probably more quotes. I did just a brief search.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Your servant, bh. Jan

 

www.veda.harekrsna.cz (Bhakti-yoga Vedic Encyclopedia Vedic Library)