If you are incapable of raising yourself to the standard of becoming spiritual master, that is not your spiritual master's fault, that is your fault

Expressions researched:
"If you are incapable of raising yourself to the standard of becoming spiritual master, that is not your spiritual master's fault, that is your fault"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

If you are incapable of raising yourself to the standard of becoming spiritual master, that is not your spiritual master's fault, that is your fault. If one cannot carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then how he can become a guru?

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: Universal. We present such God.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Moreover, we present a God that is lovable.

Prabhupāda: Lovable, yes. Practical. Anyone who comes in touch with Him, he becomes a lover of, immediately. Now how you can say that He is not God? You have to prove that He is not God. That you cannot. (pause)

Ātreya Ṛṣi: How many qualifications does a spiritual master has in terms of being a spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: One qualification: he is a devotee of God. That's all.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Also is he designated?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Does he have to be designated by the former spiritual master? He has to be devotee . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: . . . surrendered and designated. That is . . . identifies disciplic succession: both surrender and designation.

Prabhupāda: And by the result.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: And the result of activity. (pause)

Prabhupāda: So far designation is concerned, the spiritual master authorizes every one of his disciple. But it is up to the disciple to carry out the order, able to carry out or not. It is not that spiritual master is partial, he designates one and rejects other. He may do that. If the other is not qualified, he can do that. But actually his intention is not like that.

He wants that each and every one of his disciple become as powerful as he is, or more than that. That is his desire. Just like father wants every son to be as qualified or more qualified than the father. But it is up to the student or to the son to raise himself to that standard.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, I understand.

Prabhupāda: If you are incapable of raising yourself to the standard of becoming spiritual master, that is not your spiritual master's fault, that is your fault. He wants, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128), "By My order, every one of you become a guru." Now if one cannot carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then how he can become a guru?

The first qualification is that he must be able to carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then he becomes guru. So that carrying out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu depends on one's personal capacity. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. Acceptance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa, that is there in the śāstra: in the Upaniṣad, in Mahābhārata, in Bhāgavata.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: How are the references made?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: What references are given, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: You will find all this in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, references from Upaniṣad, from Bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that "I am Kṛṣṇa." But the devotees . . . you know Sanātana Gosvāmī corroborated. You know that? You have read that?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, I have. Yes.

Prabhupāda: So sādhu śāstra guru vākya. So we have to accept the authority of śāstra, guru and sādhu. So those who are sādhu, they accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The guru in the . . . they accept. And śāstra, there is acceptance. So therefore it is confirmed. Not only He; any avatāra, He must be confirmed by these three sources: sādhu, śāstra, guru. I accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu because my Guru Mahārāja accepted.

He accepted Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa; his Guru Mahārāja accepted. And the śāstra is there. When guru says that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, he quotes śāstra. The śāstra, guru, and those who are actually devotees, sādhu, they also accept. This is the evidence.