The greatest offence!

[Sarva gattah]

 

 

 

“The greatest offence is to defy the spiritual master and to act sinfully, thinking in the strength of chanting. If a man thinks that chanting will save him from all kinds of sinful reaction deliberately committee. by him, then he becomes the greatest offender”.

 

Srila Prabhupada - "When you left us I simply prayed to Krishna for your return to Krishna Consciousness because that was my duty. Any good soul who approaches me once for spiritual enlightenment is supposed to be depending on my responsibility to get him back to Krishna, back to home.

The disciple may misunderstand a bonafide spiritual master being obliged to do so under pressure of Maya's influence.

But a bonafide spiritual master never lets go a devotee once accepted. When a disciple misunderstands a bonafide spiritual master, the master regrets for his inability to protect the disciple and sometimes he cries with tears in the eyes.

We had an experience while my Guru Maharaja was alive. One of His disciples who accepted sannyasa was one day forcibly dragged by his wife. My Guru Maharaja lamented with tears in His eyes saying that He could not save the soul.

We should always, therefore, be careful in the matter of being attacked by Maya's influence and the only means of guarantee is to chant Hare Krishna offenselessly.

The greatest offence is to defy the spiritual master and to act sinfully, thinking in the strength of chanting. If a man thinks that chanting will save him from all kinds of sinful reaction deliberately committee. by him, then he becomes the greatest offender.

By chanting Hare Krishna certainly we become free from all sinful reactions, but that does not mean that we shall deliberately commit sins and counteract it by chanting". November 23, 1967 Calcutta, India to Umapati,