Category:A Spiritual Master Is Not An Ordinary Man
Theme Analysis
The compilation of quotes emphatically warning that the spiritual master is not an ordinary man highlights one of the most critical guardrails in devotional service. The Vedic scriptures strictly forbid considering the guru's body to be material or his activities to be mundane. One who entertains such a hellish conception is doomed; all their austerities and Vedic studies become entirely useless, like the bathing of an elephant. Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly explains that because the spiritual master acts as the direct representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he belongs completely to the transcendental realm.
- The Hellish Conception: Thinking of the deity as stone or the spiritual master as an ordinary man is the symptom of hellish intelligence (nārakī).
- The Uselessness of Spiritual Endeavors: If one disrespects the guru by viewing him materially, all their spiritual practices and Vedic studies are frustrated.
- The Direct Representative: The guru must be respected exactly like the Supreme Lord because he flawlessly delivers the Lord's perfect knowledge.
- Beyond Material Afflictions: A bona fide spiritual master is situated in the spiritual status of life and is untouched by the material modes of nature.
- The Offense of the Sahajiyās: Envious persons or prākṛta-sahajiyās who view the ācārya as an ordinary human or a member of a certain caste fall down from the spiritual path.
- The Absolute Injunction: The śāstras repeatedly command that one should never neglect, envy, or bring the authorized spiritual master down to the material platform.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Why A Spiritual Master Is Not An Ordinary Man.
Pages in category "A Spiritual Master Is Not An Ordinary Man"
The following 48 pages are in this category, out of 48 total.
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- One should never consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being
- One who considers the arca-murti, the worshipable Deity of Lord Visnu, to be stone, the spiritual master to be an ordinary human being, and a Vaisnava to belong to a particular caste or creed is possessed of hellish intelligence
- The third offense is to think of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being
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- A contaminated brahmana considers the guru to be an ordinary human being, and he objects when a Vaisnava is created by the Krsna consciousness movement
- A person may appear to be an ordinary human being, but because he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme spiritual master, he is not to be neglected as ordinary
- A spiritual master is honored. Not only honored - in the sastra it is said, navamanyeta karhicit. The spiritual master should not be, taken as ordinary human being
- As enjoined in the sastras, arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matih: "No one should treat the Deity in the temple as stone or metal, nor should one think that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being"
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- If anyone thinks, the Deity in the temple, siladhih, stone and wood, if anyone considers a Vaisnava under certain particular race or caste, if one considers guru as ordinary human being, then he is hellish
- If one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are all useless, like the bathing of an elephant
- If one thinks that the worshipable salagrama-sila is a mere stone, that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being he is considered a naraki, a candidate for hellish life
- If the family members of the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being, this does not mean that he becomes an ordinary human being
- If the spiritual master is considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance to advance further
- In the Vedic literature it is said, acaryam mam vijaniyan navamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27): the spiritual master should not be regarded as an ordinary human being. Similarly, a king or president is also not treated like an ordinary human being
- It is enjoined, gurusu nara-matih: one should stop thinking of the spiritual master as an ordinary human being with a material body
- It is stated by Lord Krsna, "My dear Uddhava, the spiritual master must be accepted not only as My representative but as My very self. He must never be considered on the same level with an ordinary human being"
- It is the injunction of the Vedas that the Spiritual Master should not be treated as ordinary man even if sometimes the Spiritual Master behaves like ordinary man
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- Narada Muni, Haridasa Thakura and similar acaryas especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Lord cannot be brought down to the material platform. Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the acarya is an ordinary human being
- Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaisnava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision. When you come to this vision, that is bhakti
- Never think of the arca-murti as wood or stone - never think of the spiritual master as ordinary human being - never think of a Vaisnava as belonging to a certain caste or nation
- No one should consider the Deity in the temple to be made of stone or wood, nor should one consider the spiritual master an ordinary human being
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- One is forbidden to accept the guru, or spiritual master, as an ordinary human being
- One is forbidden to regard the guru as an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matir. .. naraki sah). The spiritual master, or acarya, is always situated in the spiritual status of life. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him
- One may argue by saying that since the spiritual master's relatives and the men of his neighborhood consider him an ordinary human being, what is the fault on the part of the disciple who considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being?
- One should not accept the spiritual master as an ordinary human being
- One should not take guru as ordinary human being. Ordinary human being, he'll cheat you, or he'll give some information, he's cheating. But a guru, real guru, he'll not cheat you
- One should not treat the spiritual master as an ordinary human being, for he is the substitute for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- One should strictly follow this sastric injunction and worship the Deity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without offenses. The spiritual master is the direct representative of the Lord, and no one should consider him an ordinary human being
- One should treat the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and never be envious of him or consider him to be an ordinary human being
- One who considers the worshipable Deity of Lord Visnu, to be stone, the spiritual master to be an ordinary human being, & a Vaisnava to belong to a particular caste or creed is possessed of hellish intelligence. One who follows such conclusions is doomed
- One who sees a Vaisnava guru as an ordinary human being, or one who materially conceives of a Vaisnava as belonging to a particular caste is naraki, a resident of hell
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- That person is a resident of hell who considers the spiritual master an ordinary man, and who thinks that the body of a Vaisnava fully dedicated to the service of the Lord belongs to the material modes of nature
- The acarya should always be offered respectful obeisances; one should never envy the acarya, considering him an ordinary human being
- The authentic scriptures are compiled by personalities like Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita and Parasara, who are not ordinary men. All the followers of the Vedic way of life have accepted these famous personalities
- The Deity in the temple is not material - He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Similarly, considering the spiritual master an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matih) is also an impediment
- The Deity of Visnu, if one thinks, "This is made of stone; this is made of wood, this is made of metal," and spiritual master as ordinary human being, these are hellish consideration
- The Lord's representative spiritual master should not be considered an ordinary human being. The representative spiritual master never gives any false knowledge to his disciple, but only perfect knowledge. Thus he is the representative of Krsna
- The sastra warns, arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matih. One who thinks that the worshipable Deity in the temple is made of wood or stone, one who sees a Vaisnava guru as an ordinary human being is naraki, a resident of hell
- The spiritual master should never be considered an ordinary man. One should strictly adhere to the instructions of the spiritual master, for if he is pleased, certainly the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased
- The Supreme Lord & His representative always want to give protection, but a person must take advantage of their personal contact. If one thinks that the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative is an ordinary man, he will certainly fall down
- The third offense is to think of the spiritual master who spreads the glories of the Lord as an ordinary human being
- They (prakrta-sahajiyas) are envious of a bona fide spiritual master who is addressed as Prabhupada, and they commit offenses by considering a bona fide spiritual master an ordinary human being or a member of a certain caste