Category:Becoming a Disciple
Theme Analysis
The relationship between a spiritual master and a disciple is the bedrock of Vedic spiritual life. Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly defines that the very word "disciple" implies a voluntary submission to discipline. To become a disciple means to surrender completely, accepting the instructions and orders of the guru without argument or counter-argument. This shift in consciousness is perfectly illustrated in the Bhagavad-gītā, where Arjuna, overwhelmed by perplexity, formally gives up his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa to become His disciple (śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam). It is only after this surrender that actual spiritual instruction begins.
Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns against the modern tendency of "blind following." Becoming a disciple is not a matter of social fashion or joining a popular movement simply because thousands of others are doing so. The Vedic injunction, as stated in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, requires a mutual period of observation, usually a year, where both the guru and the prospective disciple study each other. A candidate must demonstrate genuine humility, a sincere desire to understand the value of life, and the ability to control their senses (becoming a gosvāmī). Without sense control, one can be neither a true disciple nor a bona fide spiritual master.
The conditions for discipleship in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are rigorous and uncompromising. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that he never compromised his standards to collect followers. The first condition for anyone wishing to become his disciple is the strict adherence to the four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling.
Ultimately, becoming a disciple is an active, continuous state of being, not a one-time ceremony. Śrīla Prabhupāda states that a disciple is one who carries out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If someone accepts a guru but whimsically disobeys his orders, they are not a disciple. True discipleship is the ultimate purifier; by strictly following the bona fide spiritual master, the disciple's existence is purified, ensuring their swift elevation to the supreme perfectional stage of life and a permanent return to the kingdom of God.
- The Meaning of Discipleship: To become a disciple means to voluntarily accept discipline and surrender to the spiritual master, completely abandoning all arguments and counter-arguments.
- The Standard of Arjuna: The Bhagavad-gītā demonstrates that true spiritual knowledge is only imparted when one humbly surrenders as a disciple, just as Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa.
- Mutual Examination and Purity: Becoming a disciple is not a blind or fashionable choice; it requires mutual observation between guru and student, and demands strict adherence to sense control and the regulative principles.
- Continuous Obedience: A true disciple is defined by their ongoing, active obedience to the guru's orders; accepting a master only to disobey him invalidates the discipleship.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Becoming a Disciple - The Path of Absolute Surrender.
Pages in category "Becoming a Disciple"
The following 63 pages are in this category, out of 63 total.
A
- A disciple means who voluntarily agrees to be disciplined by the spiritual master. When one becomes disciple, he cannot disobey the order of the spiritual master
- A friend can deny to accept the instruction of the other friend, but a disciple cannot deny. That will be guror avajna (Padma Purana). Therefore Arjuna submitted himself, that - Now I become Your (Krsna's) disciple. You guide me
- Actually, one should not explain Bhagavad-gita or any Vedic sastra unless one has agreed to become a disciple. But devotees are so kind that they preach even amongst the nondisciples just to take them to Krsna consciousness
- Anyone who comes to become my disciple, this is my first proposal, that "If you agree, then you come." It is not that you can do anything nonsense you like, and you become my disciple
- Arjuna knew that Krsna is the Supreme PG. So he said, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam (BG 2.7): "Krsna, no more friendly talks. We are wasting time. Now I become Your disciple." Sisya means disciple. "You kindly advise me. I'm surrendering unto You
- Arjuna says that, "Krsna, no more friendly talking. I agree to become Your disciple." So when he agreed to become disciple of Krsna, then He explained Bhagavad-gita
- Arjuna teaches us submission by giving up his friendly relationship with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, - I have now become Your disciple. Please instruct me
- As friends, both of them (Krsna and Arjuna) were on the same level, but one of them voluntarily became a student of the other. Krsna was smiling because a friend had chosen to become a disciple. BG 1972 purports
- As soon as one comes to me for becoming disciple, I place before him that "You have to give up all these habits." When he agrees, then I accept him. And therefore I have got some selected, trained-up men
B
- Before becoming Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s disciple, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya considered Ramananda Raya an ordinary visayi because he was a householder engaged in government service
- Blind following and absurd inquiries. These things are condemned in this verse. Blind following means, "Oh, there is a svami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple." This is called blind following
- Brahmanas are not meant to be brahmanas alone: they should create other brahmanas also. If a man is found who agrees to become a brahmana’s disciple, he is also given the chance to become a brahmana
D
- Disciple may understand that, "Here is a person whom I can accept as my guru," and the guru also can see that, "Here is a person who is fit for becoming my disciple." Then the business is nice
- Don't accept any guru all of a sudden as fanatic. No, don't do that. That is the injunction. And guru also must study the disciple who wants to become a disciple; must study him, whether he's fit for becoming a disciple
I
- I am pleased that she (Srilaxmi Dasi) has become my disciple, now let her very seriously take up this process and she can know it for certain that there will be no more coming back to this place of miseries
- I become very much proud of nonsense rascal disciples like you. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu represented Himself as a nonsense rascal to understand Vedanta philosophy
- I think George does not require to become my formal disciple because he is already more than my disciple. He has sympathy for my movement and I have all blessings for him
- It is clearly mentioned herewith that Narada is not only well behaved, meek and obedient, but also self-controlled. One who is not self-controlled, specifically in sex life, can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master
- It is said in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa that one year should be taken to study one another, the guru and the disciple. The guru also will see whether the person is fit to become a disciple, and the disciple also will see
N
- Narada is not only well behaved, meek and obedient, but also self-controlled. One who is not self-controlled, specifically in sex life, can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master
- No, Prabhupada... No. We want everyone to become Krsna's disciple. That is our mission. We are disciplic succession. The original master is Krsna
- Not only does a pure devotee purify his own personal existence, but whoever becomes his disciple also becomes purified and is ultimately able to enter the kingdom of God without difficulty
- Now go on teaching in this school and distributing our literatures more and more, and try to recruit some local men for becoming our disciples and helping you there
O
- One must be master of the senses. That is defined by Rupa Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami. When they were ministers they were not gosvami. But when they become disciples of Lord Caitanya, Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, & was trained by Him, they became gosvami
- Our preaching is: Let one man understand Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We don't want disciples. I never collected disciples. I never compromised that "You can do whatever you like, and you become my disciple"
- Our students are forbidden not to accept any intoxication. They do not drink even tea or coffee, or smoke, what to speak of other things. That is our first condition to become disciple: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling
R
- Real knowledge begins in the Bhagavad-gita. Those who have read Bhagavad-gita, the first understanding, Arjuna was given lesson. When he was perplexed and he became a disciple of Krsna, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam
- Rupa Gosvami was a minister in the Muhammadan government, but he left the government to become a disciple of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When he first went to see the Lord, Rupa Gosvami approached Him with the following verse - CC Madhya 19.53
S
- Sisyas te 'ham prapannam (BG 2.7): "I am Your surrendered disciple." So Krsna becomes guru, and Arjuna becomes the disciple. Formerly they were talking as friends. But when there is some serious matter, it must be spoken between authorities
- Sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam (BG 2.7). He (Arjuna) accepted Him (Krsna) as the master, and he became disciple to understand Bhagavad-gita. This is the way
- So our method is very easy. We are challenging everyone. Just like there are many scientific disciples. So I am not a science man. I have never studied science. But scientists, they are becoming my disciple
- Sometimes even at a risk, a sannyasi in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu may accept even a person who is not thoroughly fit to become a disciple. Later on, by the mercy of such a bona fide spiritual master, the disciple is gradually elevated
- Sometimes pseudo spiritualists accept a spiritual master who is not even fit to become a disciple because they want to keep him under their control. This is useless for spiritual realization
- Srila Narottama dasa Thakura said, ei chaya gosani yara, mui tara dasa. He is prepared to become the disciple of anyone who follows in the footsteps of the six Gosvamis
T
- The business is tad viddhi pranipatena (BG 4.34): one must be prepared to surrender. So unless that character is there, surrendering, how he can become his disciple? It is not possible
- The chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple. In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything. Neither do I offer anything new
- They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting
- This chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it. But the chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple
- This is humbleness, and this is the qualification of becoming a disciple. When one becomes humble, when actually one understands that he is fool number one, he has to go to guru to understand the value of his life, then he is intelligent
- This is the influence of Kali-yuga. One becomes disciple of a spiritual master, then he whimsically disagrees. So why, if you disagree, why should you accept somebody as spiritual master
- This system now should stop that somebody's coming for three days - "Prabhupada, initiate him." Why? First of all see whether he's fit for becoming a disciple; then recommend. Otherwise, don't recommend
- Those who are materially interested are called visayis (karmis), which indicates that they are very fond of sense gratification. Such visayis sometimes approach a famous guru and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion
- To become a disciple of spiritual master, unless there is awakening of this knowledge, to know, "What I am?" there is no need of making a show, accepting a spiritual master
- To become disciple means no more argument. When we talk friendly there is argument, counterargument. But when there is order from guru there is no more argument
- To become disciple means to surrender, voluntarily accepting the instruction, the advice, the order of the spiritual master
W
- Whatever guru says, one who accepts, he becomes disciple. He . . . "I don't care for my guru's order, and still I am disciple," that is not accepting guru
- When a person advances in bhakti, it is natural that many persons will come to him requesting to become disciples and will offer him some material gains
- When I came in this country in New York, the boys and girls, they were coming, and some of them offered me to become disciple
- When one is associating nicely, then he will feel, "Why not become a disciple?" So we receive application, "Prabhupada, if you'll kindly accept me as your disciple." This is the beginning of bhajana-kriya
- When one thus becomes interested in the permanent happiness of the permanent soul, he becomes a disciple of Sanatana Gosvami, or a real "sanatanist," that is, a transcendentalist
- Without becoming a gosvami one can become neither a disciple nor a spiritual master. The so-called spiritual master without sense control is certainly the cheater, and the disciple of such a so-called spiritual master is the cheated
Y
- You are asking me to fight, for my victory, for my happiness, but I see it will be just the opposite. Pasyami viparitani. This is his problem. And to solve this problem, Arjuna became the disciple of Krsna, and Krsna advised him this Bhagavad-gita
- You do not know what is that svami, whether he is a svami or he is rascal. You do not know. But because everyone is going, "Oh, let me become his disciple." This is blind following. Without any knowledge, blind following
- You have become my disciple so I must request you to chant 16 rounds and follow the regulative practices of devotional service, and you may know it for sure that very quickly you will achieve the supreme perfectional stage of your life
- You must pay your entire debt to the Book Fund in the future, otherwise you will become that disciple who spends the money of his Spiritual Master
- You'll be surprised to know that my grand-spiritual master, my spiritual master's spiritual master, he was illiterate. And my spiritual master was the learned, greatest learned scholar of his age. Now, how he became the disciple of an illiterate man?