Is A Physically Present Spiritual Master Required?

[Guruvani]

my spiritual master Srila Prabhupada never acknowledged that Vipina Bihari Goswami was the spiritual master of Bhaktivinode.

 

therefore, I do not accept it.

 

I don't even know of an occasion where Srila Prabhupada even mentioned the name of Vipina Bihari Goswami.

 

Srila Saraswati Thakur went against that Nityananda vamsa and rejected their monopoly.

[Guest guest]

 

Need a real Guru?

Pray to Lord Sri Krsna to send you one from His very own camp of most dear associates.

No kidding.

Krsna can send armies of pure devotees if He so wishes.

Why not?

Why can't KRSNA give you a sat Guru?

 

Why put a limit on His causeless mercy?

Why can't he deliver you from 'nescience'?

Or is 'nesciece' or Maya more powerful than KRSNA Himself?

I have guru - his name is Srila Prabhupada. He answers all my prayers. My diksa is surrender to his instructions. It is non-controversial.

[Guest guest]

One word- Beautiful !

 

 

<font face="monotype corsiva" size=7 color="red"><B>Srila Govinda Maharaj said "If you are sincere you will not be cheated".

 

If you get cheated, look into youself to see why you made the choice to follow a false guru.</font></B>

[Guest guest]

This is just pure nectar! Thank you!

 

 

Need a real Guru?

Pray to Lord Sri Krsna to send you one from His very own camp of most dear associates.

No kidding.

Krsna can send armies of pure devotees if He so wishes.

Why not?

Why can't KRSNA give you a sat Guru?

 

Why put a limit on His causeless mercy?

Why can't he deliver you from 'nescience'?

Or is 'nesciece' or Maya more powerful than KRSNA Himself?

[Shakti-Fan]

 

I have guru - his name is Srila Prabhupada. He answers all my prayers. My diksa is surrender to his instructions. It is non-controversial.

 

He answers all my prayers.

If this is true then you are a mahabhagavat. If it is an exaggeration, it is an exaggeration. If you believe it then you are a prakrta sahajiya or imitationist.

[Guruvani]

 

If this is true then you are a mahabhagavat. If it is an exaggeration, it is an exaggeration. If you believe it then you are a prakrta sahajiya or imitationist.

where do you get the authority to make such judgements of others?

 

as if you aren't a prakrita sahajiya?

 

the worst sahajiyas of all are the sahajiyas who think that some formal diksha makes them better than other devotees.

 

now that is scam if I ever heard a scam

 

so, I guess you fancy yourself a Maha-Bhagavat to be calling other sincere devotees as sahajiya?

 

 

you are not a Maha-Bhagavat.

[Guest guest]

 

If this is true then you are a mahabhagavat. If it is an exaggeration, it is an exaggeration. If you believe it then you are a prakrta sahajiya or imitationist.

Your logic escapes me. Maybe I should have qualified my statement that SO FAR Prabhupada has answered all my prayers. I needed (and prayed for) spiritual enlightenment - that he has given through his books. I needed mental stability - that he has provided by instructing me to chant the Mahamantra sixteen rounds every day. I needed love -He has given me arcana - and the means of connecting to the Supreme through - the sincere devotees, his disciples -

Obviously my spiritual development is still work in progress - but believing I am properly situated is not maya, not sahaija - so long i maintain the sadhana. He has saved my life from sinful degradation. Is that not anwering all prayers?

Following in lotus footsteps is NOT imitation. That's what bogus gurus do.

[Shakti-Fan]

 

He has saved my life from sinful degradation. Is that not answering all prayers?

 

"He answers all my prayers." Here you are using "answering all" figuratively. In your previous post the word "answers" is used as a verb. The way it was used denotes at least the present and future.

 

Maybe I should have qualified my statement that SO FAR Prabhupada has answered all my prayers.

Yes, think before you write.

 

At this stage, Krsna, or the Supersoul, dictates from within, while from without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of Krsna. From within He helps the devotee as caitya, for He is seated within the heart of everyone. Understanding that God is seated within everyone’s heart is not, however, sufficient. One has to be acquainted with God from both within and without, and one must take dictation from within and without to act in Krsna consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage of the human form of life and the topmost perfection of all yoga. S.B. 3.15.45

[Guest guest]

 

"He answers all my prayers." Here you are using "answering all" figuratively. In your previous post the word "answers" is used as a verb. The way it was used denotes at least the present and future.

Yes, think before you write.

I have thought it through quite well. Your turning everything on a semantic quibble. Word jugglery. The guru answers prayers is unambigous. If you choose to interpret it to mean that it happens all at once - you are deficient in thought.

[Guruvani]

Srila Prabhupada

 

 

One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, “I am a first-class devotee.” Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept any disciples. One has to become purified at home by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and preaching the principles enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thus one can become a spiritual master and be freed from the contamination of material life.

 

To become guru is to think oneself as first class devotee.

Srila Prabhupada advises that it is best if one does not accept any disciples.

 

There are many ISKCON devotees who now think they are "first class devotee".

So much for humility.

That has been tossed out the door and the stampede to become guru is looking like the running of the bulls in Pamplona Spain.

 

Best bet is to just get out of the way.

 

 

It is best not to accept any disciples.

 

Apparently, there are a bunch of ISKCON devotees who have decided not to do what is best, but have opted to do what is not best and initiate disciples.

[Guruvani]

 

 

Thus , Bhaktivinoda reveres his guru , Vipina Vihari Gosvami , whose parampara begins woth Vamsivadanananda Thakura . Vamsivadana is Gauranga's eternal associate and the incarnation of Krsna's flute . In the book Vamsisiksa by Prema dasa Misra , Sriman Mahaprabhu teaches the rasaraja doctrine to Vamsivadana just to prior to leaving Navadvipa to take sannyasa . In the beginning of Vamsi-siksa it is stated ,

 

 

CC Adi 1 summary,

 

 

The direct disciple of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī was Śrīladāsa Ṭhākura, who accepted Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī as his servitor. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted Śrīla Jagannāthadāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who in turn accepted Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of OḿŚrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the divine master of our humble self.

 

 

The subject matter of this book is not a mental concoction but a factual spiritual experience that one can realize only by accepting the line of disciplic succession described above. Any deviation from that line will bewilder the reader's understanding of the mystery of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, which is a transcendental literature meant for the postgraduate study of one who has realized all the Vedic literatures such as the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtra and their natural commentaries such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā.

did you hear that kiddies?

 

any deviation from the parampara concept that Srila Prabhupada gave above (Bhaktivinode's guru was Jagannatha das babaji) will bewilder the readers understanding of the MYSTERY of Sri Chaitanya Caritamrita.

 

No mention of Vipina Bihari Goswami in the disciplic succession according to Srila Prabhupada.

 

duh.......

 

Vipina Bihari Goswami gets NO recognition in the parampara according to Srila Prabhupada.

 

so much for siddha pranali and the diksha guru parampara...

[Guest guest]

A true spiritual master or guru is never subservient to any committee, disciple, God brother or group of God brothers.

 

 

"Everyone should therefore be very careful not to be jealous of an empowered Vaisnava, or a suddha-vaisnava. It is also an offense to consider an empowered Vaisnava an object of disciplinary action. It is offensive to try to give him advice or to correct him. One can distinguish between a neophyte Vaisnava and an advanced Vaisnava by their activities. The advanced Vaisnava is always situated as the spiritual master, and the neophyte is always considered his disciple. The spiritual master must not be subjected to the advice of a disciple, nor should a spiritual master be obliged to take instructions from those who are not his disciples".

 

 

Nectar of Instruction verse 6, purport

[muralidhar_das]

 

CC Adi 1 summary,

 

<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote --> Quote:

<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border: 1px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding-left: 3ex; padding-right: 3ex;" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"> The direct disciple of Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī was Śrīladāsa Ṭhākura, who accepted Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī as his servitor. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted Śrīla Jagannāthadāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who in turn accepted Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, the spiritual master of OḿŚrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the divine master of our humble self. </td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->

 

In the Iskcon edition of CC I have it says

 

"The direct disciple of Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, who accepted Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti as his servitor. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura accepted Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji, who initiated Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who in turn initiated Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, the spiritual master of Om Visnupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the divine master of our humble self."

 

 

 

And there is also this thing in BTG, March 1960

Viswanath Chakrabarty accepted Jagannath Das Babajee from whom Srila Bhaktivinode Thakore was initiated and Srila Gour Kishore Das Babajee the spiritual master of Om Vishnupada Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad-the Divine spiritual Master of our humble self.

 

However Bhaktivinode Thakur says:

 

 

Vipina-vihari hari tara shakti avatari Vipina-vihari prabhu-vara, sri-guru-gosvami-rupe dekhi more bhava-kupe uddharilo apana kinkara

"Vipina-vihari, my exalted Master is the manifestation of the potency of Hari, Who plays in Vraja's forests. Seeing me in the dark hole of mundane existence, he appeared in the form of a Guru Gosvami, to save this servant of his."

- Bhaktivinoda Thakur's: Amrta Pravahara Bhaysa (commentary on Chaitanya-caritamrita)

 

 

Note the words "sri-guru-goswami-rupe".

 

Guruvani is engaging in self-deceit and cheating-of-others when he continues asserting that Vipina-vihari was not the diksa guru of Bhaktivinode Thakur. <!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->

[Guruvani]

 

In the Iskcon edition of CC I have it says

 

 

 

And there is also this thing in BTG, March 1960

 

However Bhaktivinode Thakur says:

 

 

 

<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->

 

I don't know how my copy and paste got butchered and Narottama das Thakur is missing.

 

I just copied and pasted it, but somehow Narottama das got lost.

 

I don't understand how.

[Guruvani]

 

 

Guruvani is engaging in self-deceit and cheating-of-others when he continues asserting that Vipina-vihari was not the diksa guru of Bhaktivinode Thakur.<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote -->

 

Actually, Muralidhar is accusing Srila Prabhupada of deceit because he doesn't include Vipina Bihari Goswami in the parampara of ISKCON.

 

So, little Muralidhar is now big and bad enough to start criticising Srila Prabhupada as if little Muralidhar has a clue about what he is talking about.

 

Well, now we see the kind of poison and venom that little Muralidhar is capable of.

 

It must be some venom he is learning at the now defunct Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha with it's renegade acharya system that has blatantly defied Sridhar Maharaja's order that Govinda Maharaja operate as a ritvik successor.

 

As Govinda Maharaja has admitted that he came from a family of sahajiyas, he obviously found it impossible to follow the orders of Sridhar Maharaja.

 

There are no sahajiyas in Srila Prabhupada's parampara, but apparently there are some branches of Gaudiya Math that include sahajiyas in the parampara.

[muralidhar_das]

 

Actually, Muralidhar is accusing Srila Prabhupada of deceit because he doesn't include Vipina Bihari Goswami in the parampara of ISKCON.

 

Bhaktivinode Thakur said Bipin Bihari Goswami was his Guru. That is the way things were. If you want to believe in something other than REALITY then you are deceiving yourself as well as the foolish people who cannot see that you are wrong.

[Guruvani]

 

Bhaktivinode Thakur said Bipin Bihari Goswami was his Guru. That is the way things were. If you want to believe in something other than REALITY then you are deceiving yourself as well as the foolish people who cannot see that you are wrong.

But my spiritual master did not include Vipina Bihari in the disciplic succession, so your little opinion doesn't matter.

 

Srila Prabhupada had good reason to exclude Vipina Bihari Goswami, but it appears that you and the camp you come from don't see the wisdom in that and think you know better than the world acharya who took Krishna consciousness all over the world while the bell ringers stayed in India criticising Srila Prabhupada for not being their patsy.

 

Srila Prabhupada cut out that siddha pranali cult and followed a pure current that didn't have sahajiyas in the parampara.

[Guruvani]

 

Bhaktivinode Thakur said Bipin Bihari Goswami was his Guru. That is the way things were. If you want to believe in something other than REALITY then you are deceiving yourself as well as the foolish people who cannot see that you are wrong.

 

Bhaktivinode was also Christian at one time in his life too.

Bhaktivinode followed Brahmoism at one time in his life too.

 

Srila Prabhupada never deviated an inch from the Lotus Feet of Krishna from the day he was born.

 

Srila Prabhupada was no less that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur or Srila Saraswati Goswami.

 

Srila Prabhupada was born a devotee and was a pure devotee his whole life.

He was never a meat-eater or a Christian or a hater of Vaishnavism and the Bhagavat as Srila Bhaktivinode was.

 

So, I certainly never consider Srila Prabhupada as any less than Bhaktivinode Thakur.

 

Bhaktivinode's whole life is a story of growth, change and improvement.

 

Srila Prabhupada was a pure devotee since he was in the womb.

[Guest guest]

Guruvani is just like that other sahajiya Jagat

 

He is criticising Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other devotees because the things Bhaktivinoda Thakura says are inconvenient truths that don't fit in with his distorted concept of Krsna Consciousness.

[Guruvani]

 

Guruvani is just like that other sahajiya Jagat

 

He is criticising Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other devotees because the things Bhaktivinoda Thakura says are inconvenient truths that don't fit in with his distorted concept of Krsna Consciousness.

 

The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara

<hr> BY SWAMI B.G. NARASINGHA

EDITORIAL, Jun 22 (VNN) — In a recent editoral, (Bhaktivinode Thakura's Relationship With Bipin Bihari Goswami, by Bhakta Rupa Prabhu) the author attempts to vindicate the position of Bipin Bihari Goswami. The author also attempts to discredit numerous statements in the book 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' indicating that Bipin Bihari Goswami was a caste-conscious Goswami and that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura took initiation from the Goswami only for decorum's sake. It is stated in 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' that Bipin Bihari Goswami was in the sahajiya community that is known as 'Jati-gosani.' In other words, Bipin Bihari Goswami was a sahajiya.

Bhakta Rupa Prabhu certainly disagrees with our conclusions. In email correspondence to which he makes reference, Bhakta Rupa Prabhu states that in his opinion Bipin Bihari Goswami was the 'Vanguard' of Vaishnavism at the turn of the century. I could not disagree more with his conclusion.

Bhakta Rupa Prabhu suggests that the author of 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara', my insignificant self, is not a bona fide source of information because I have a siksa-guru from Gaudiya Matha -thus I am an unreliable reference source. This seems quite ironic, since Bhakta Rupa Prabhu himself is a siksa disciple of someone outside of ISKCON, namely Fakir Mohan, a disciple of Ananta Vasudeva, who caused an epidemic of sahajiyasim in the early 1940's, thus reducing the sincere followers of Saraswati Thakura to tears (see page 82 of The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara).

But then that might explain Bhakta Rupa Prabhu's affinity for Bipin Bihari Goswami. Bhakta Rupa Prabhu and I have discussed this matter by email and I am surprised that he continues to insist that I was wrong about Bipin Bihari Goswami or that I have no valid reference source. Although I have no intention here to 'beat the dead horse,' I am nonetheless compelled to say a few words supporting the validity of 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara.'

Bhakta Rupa Prabhu doubts that Srila Sridhar Maharaja ever said anything about Bipin Bihari Goswami being a sahajiya, because I have not given him proof 'in writing'. Possibly he thinks I would invent such statements or that I have a poor memory, as he has stated in his article. In both cases he is sadly mistaken. At this time we are pleased to announce that the Srila Sridhar Maharaja Folio, consisting of six hundred transcribed lectures, darshans, and numerous books by Srila Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaja, is now completed and available to a limited audience on CD ROM.

In this folio there are literally mountains of the sweetest devotional nectar and even a few verifications of my statements concerning Bipin Bihari Goswami being a sahajiya!

A sample from the folio verification is quoted here 'in writing', from a darshan with Srila Sridhar Maharaja, given on Febuary 4, 1982, in Navadwip.

"Bipin Bihari Goswami, he was the formal guru, diksa guru, of Bhaktivinode Thakura. His son Bhagavata Goswami, he was a good scholar and was principal of sanskrit college. And his father was Bipin Goswami.

Bhaktivinode Thakura took his initiation from him. But later on Jati Goswami (Bipin Bihari), he was overconfident of his fresh brahmanism and he spoke out that Raghunatha Dasa Goswami he is a sudra, born of a sudra family so I can bless him. That excited very much our Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

"Prabhupada. Bhaktivinode Thakura was living, he put this to Bhaktivinode Thakura -that Bipin Goswami says so and he is very proud that you are his disciple. And by his ill advice he is doing disservice to the sampradaya.

Bhaktivinode Thakura did not do much but only very mildly protested. That this does not view well. Then Bhaktivinode Thakura connected with Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja and took his babaji dress from him and accepted him as guru.

"Then one incident happened. Bhaktivinode Thakura passed away and our Prabhupada began to make disciples. In the district of Jashore, in a particular locality, there were some disciples of Prabhupada, who took initiation from Prabhupada, our Guru Maharaja Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Then one man in competition with the disciples of Prabhupada, he came direct to Bipin Goswami, the guru of Bhaktivinode Thakura, and he took initiation from Bipin Goswami and he showed that his position was higher because Bhaktivinode Thakura is his guru-bhai, God-brother. So he must be given respect.

"But followers of Prabhupada did not care for him. That you have gone to that sahajiya guru Bipin Goswami, Jati Goswami, you took initiation, we don't care for you! Then that man was lost. He does not get any recognition amongst the disciples of Prabhupada. And they very forcibly, they are preaching their cult in a novel way as Prabhupada wanted to do. Then again he (that man) left Bipin Goswami and took initiation from Prabhupada and afterwards took sannyasa also from our Prabhupada and was a good preacher.

That also we found that Bhaktivinode Thakura's guru, Bipin Goswami, from him that gentleman, that was Bharati Maharaja, he took initiation first from Bipin Goswami and then when he found that he is not getting any place in the sampradaya, he left him and again took initiation from Guru Maharaja. And Guru Maharaja gave him initiation, though already initiated, taken initiation from Bhaktivinode Thakura's gurudeva. That also we know.

So absolute consideration and relative as I told, I am telling always." - Srila Sridhar Maharaja, Febuary 4, 1982 Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha, Sri Navadwip Dham, West Bengal, India

The faulty position of Bipin Bihari Goswami is clearly known among the bona fide followers of Srila Saraswati Thakura, although Bhakta Rupa Prabhu suggests that their authority is no authority whatsoever. Actually it is only those who have leant their ear to the anti-party and other sahajiya sections, avoiding the association of the successor Acharyas of Srila Saraswati Thakura, that are not clear on this matter.

We do not like to write articles simply criticizing devotees, even the fallen ones. What has been said about Bipin Bihari Goswami in 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' was said only out of necessity to counter the line of argument presented by the anti-party. Bhakta Rupa Prabhu does not grasp this point very well. Had I intended to simply throw mud for the sake of mud slinging, I could have easily presented other historical facts about certain anti-party members that would have been better suited for the pages of PADA.

The verification of the contents of the book 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' rests on the tradition of hearing from a bona fide spiritual master. Bhakta Rupa Prabhu demands written evidence about the histories of Gaudiya-sampradaya at the beginning of this century but the fact is that such 'written evidence', if any, is scarce. Therefore we must naturally rely upon the divine relationship which exists between guru and disciple. We should remember that sravanam, or hearing from the pure devotees, is not only valid but it is the most authorized way to obtain spiritual enlightenment and accurate information.

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a bona fide spiritual master.

Surrender to him and inquire from him and render service at his lotus feet.

The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you, for he has seen the truth." (Gita 4.34)

In the future, the book 'The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' may itself be a source of 'written evidence' for future generations of devotees in the matter of defending the Saraswata Parampara against the anti-party propaganda. Indeed, it already is.

[Guruvani]

 

Once Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his son-cum-assistant went to see Bhaktivinoda's 'guru', Vipin Bihari Goswami (Bipin Behari Goswami).

Vipin Bihari Goswami was coming in the disciplic succession from Sri Gadadhar Pandit the plenary portion of Srimati Radharani. The followers of this line are generally Raganuga Bhaktas, worhipping Sri Gaura Gadahara in a loving spontaneous mood of 'bhava'. This mode of worship is not for those who are materially confined by the dictates of the body and senses, but for those who are already experiencing their eternal loving relationship with the Divine couple Sri Radha Krsna.

There is an interesting little story which captures the mood of Bhaktivinoda and that of his son, then named Siddhanta Saraswati. In their 'siddha deha' as pure 'nitya siddha', eternal associates of Lord Krsna, Bhaktivinoda Thakura is Kamala Manjari, one of the maid servants of the 'gopis', and Siddhanta Saraswati is her assistant Nayana Manjari. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's dealings with his 'diksa guru' were always exemplary, even though Vipin Bihari Goswami was not very advanced, being a 'kanistha adhikari guru', whereas the Thakura was an 'uttama adhikari', 'paramahamsa' of the highest order. Still Bhaktivinoda always played the humble disciple. On one such occasion in the presence of young Siddhanta Saraswati, Bhaktivinoda Thakura paid his respectful obeisances to his 'guru'. Vipin Bihari Goswami replied by placing his feet on the Thakura's head. For the young fiery Siddhanta Saraswati this was too much! It was one thing that his father had accepted him as his formal initiating spiritual master, but this was going too far. Srila Siddhanta Saraswati was only seven years old at the time, but when Bhaktivinoda Thakura left the room leaving the two of them alone, Siddhanta Saraswati decided to set things straight.

"You are acting like a big, big 'guru' and you place your feet on the heads of those who you don't know. If you knew who the Thakura is you would not do it. But you do not know! My father is a great exalted 'nitya siddha', eternal associate of Sri Radha and Krsna who has come here to fulfil Their mission. Do you think that you are so advanced that you can place your feet on the head of such a person? I think not. You have proven yourself to be a 'kanistha adhikari' (neophyte) by not being able to distinguish between those who are advanced and those who are less advanced, therefore I suggest that you desist from this practice any further." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura then re-entered the room and the conversation changed. Later that day Vipin Bihari Goswami mentioned to Bhaktivinoda, "Your son is bold to the point of being rude." Later Thakura Bhaktivinoda found out about the conversation and used to jokingly glorify his exalted son to his friends, saying how he is fearless, that he even chastised my 'guru' Vipin Bihari Goswami.

 

[krsna]

Guru must speak as acaryas spoke or else:

 

Letter (75-11-28/Nov. 10, 1975) :

"One who assumes the dress and position of an acharya (and)

who speaks against the conclusion of the Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures . . . certainly goes to hell for countless lifetimes along with his disciples and whoever else hears such non-devotional talks.":deal:

Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.101

[Guest guest]

 

Bipin Bihari Goswami, he was the formal guru, diksa guru, of Bhaktivinode Thakura. .. Bhaktivinode Thakura took his initiation from him.

 

[krsna]

 

"The expert spiritual master knows well how to engage his disciple's energy in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus he engages a devotee in specific devotional service according to his special tendency. A devotee must have ONLY ONE initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept. Generally a spiritual master who constantly INSTRUCTS a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on.... There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. IN HIS ABSENCE, THEREFORE, HIS WORDS OF DIRECTION SHOULD BE THE PRIDE OF THE DISCIPLE."(CC Adi 1.35)

[suchandra]

 

 

"The expert spiritual master knows well how to engage his disciple's energy in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus he engages a devotee in specific devotional service according to his special tendency. A devotee must have ONLY ONE initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden. There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept. Generally a spiritual master who constantly INSTRUCTS a disciple in spiritual science becomes his initiating spiritual master later on.... There is no difference between the spiritual master's instructions and the spiritual master himself. IN HIS ABSENCE, THEREFORE, HIS WORDS OF DIRECTION SHOULD BE THE PRIDE OF THE DISCIPLE."(CC Adi 1.35)

 

Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor, Adi Kesava dasa, a godbrother of Srila Prabhupada who assisted him in Vrindavana and contributed articles to the Back to Godhead magazine, once expressed concern that Prabhupada’s disciples might eventually suffer from insularity by not taking advantage of the association of other advanced devotees and the entirety of the Gaudiya scriptural cannon. Furthermore, he suggested, they might succumb to offensive thinking toward other advanced devotees, thinking only Srila Prabhupada as worthy of hearing from. Srila Prabhupada replied that he looked at his disciples as young trees around which he had built a fence to protect them in their early stages of growth. He said that as they grew to maturity they would naturally reach beyond that fence. Firmly rooted in one place in exclusive devotion to their spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, they would then also be able to take advantage of the association of others without being confused.