Category:I Am Your Guru (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
In his teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda meticulously defines the absolute necessity, position, and etiquette of the spiritual master (guru) within the paramparā (disciplic succession). He emphasizes that a genuine guru is not a self-made philosopher or a title-holder, but a transparent via medium who perfectly repeats the instructions of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the previous ācāryas without addition or subtraction. The relationship between the guru and the disciple is the bedrock of spiritual advancement; without the mercy of the spiritual master, approaching Kṛṣṇa directly is an impossibility. Furthermore, Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns against the false ego of trying to supersede or act independently of the guru. True discipleship relies on strict adherence to the vānī (instructions) of the spiritual master, recognizing that honoring the etiquette of the succession is the only secure path back to Godhead.
- The Transparent Medium: The genuine guru does not manufacture new philosophies but faithfully repeats the exact message of Kṛṣṇa received through the paramparā. He acts as a humble servant of the previous ācāryas.
- The Supremacy of Vānī (Instruction): Physical proximity to the guru is secondary to strictly following his instructions (vānī). Success is guaranteed for the disciple who makes the guru's order their life and soul.
- Humility and Etiquette: A disciple must never try to take the place of the guru or act independently while the guru is physically present. Concocting one's own theories or thinking oneself more intelligent than the spiritual master halts all spiritual progress.
- Mercy and Deliverance: The guru acts as the heavy cloud of mercy that extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. By fully surrendering to and satisfying the spiritual master, the disciple automatically receives the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: "I Am Your Guru" - Prabhupāda on Principle of Disciplic Succession.
Pages in category "I Am Your Guru (Prabhupada)"
The following 77 pages are in this category, out of 77 total.
2
A
- A disciple should offer dandabats, not namaskara. The more one becomes fixed up in guru obeisances, the more he advances in spiritual progress
- Always be strong in our principles and faithful in Krsna and Guru and success is guaranteed
- As far as we know from sadhu-guru-sastra. That's all. That is our understanding
- As soon as he learns the Guru Maharaja is dead, "Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru." Then he's finished
- As soon as this poison will come "Suppress guru and I become Brahman" everything finished. Spiritual life is finished. Gaudiya Matha finished, violated the orders of Guru Maharaja
- As you say we are all unqualified, but we become qualified by the mercy of Guru and Krsna
B
- Beginning is the guru, the spiritual master, because he is the representative of the parampara system, disciplic succession. Therefore, whatever we do, we must first of all try to understand from guru
- Bhagavad-gita should be discussed amongst the devotees. Sometimes we discuss Bhagavad-gita amongst the non-devotees. That is due to higher order, higher order - Guru Maharaja asked that "You go and speak." So we are doing that
D
- Do not be paramahamsa that now I haven't got to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Don't be a better paramahamsa than your Guru Maharaja. I go and sit and I enjoy the lectures and how they are performing kirtana. So as I am doing, you must also do
- Do not ever try to approach Krishna directly. Anyone who talks of Krishna without service to Guru will not be successful
- Do not try to concoct your own theories. This is not the process. You must write just as you have heard from your Guru and nothing else. Otherwise, your writing is useless
- Don't think of any nonsense. Simply execute what your guru has said. That is success
- Don't transgress this etiquette. That will be falldown
- Don't try to cheat guru. Then progress will be checked
F
- First of all your guru, then his guru, then his guru - at least four, five generation, because the spiritual knowledge is received through the parampara. I have received from my guru; you are receiving from your guru; and my guru received from his guru
- First the student must be able to repeat exactly the words of the guru and then after some time he may be qualified to apply the principles he has learned word-for-word to personal situations
G
- Guru is the cloud. That is... Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-tranaya karunya-ghana.... Ghanaghanatvam means cloud, dense cloud. As soon as there is dense cloud and pours water, finished, all blazing fire finished. That is guru
- Guru Maharaja be satisfied, "Oh, my disciples are praising me." That is good, respectful. That is the qualification. But you have to fight. Then your Guru Maharaja will be glorified
H
I
- I accept a guru, but in my mind I remain independent, "Oh, why shall I abide by the orders of guru?" That means there is no surrender. There is no surrender. It is false. It is just to satisfy some motive, but that will not help
- I am not guru. I am... I am... This is... The guru has no material body. Just like the statue is not material, similarly, guru's body is not material
- I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want
- I have no objection to your worshiping my murti for Guru Puja. But for placing in the temple there must be a pair of murtis, (my Guru Maharaja must be there) as in Krsna-Balarama Mandir, and they must be permanently installed
- If I defeat my godbrothers, then I am worthy to be called the guru of the Americans
- If the acarya, guru, is satisfied, then we must know certainly that Krsna is satisfied. So this is the principle, and the acaryas give us direction. It is not very difficult. Simply we have to become very serious and sincere. Then everything is all right
- If we become fixed up in this resolution, that "Whatever we have heard from my guru, the representative of Krsna, I must execute. I do not care for my personal convenience or inconvenience. This is my life and soul," then your life is perfect
- If we decide that "Whatever Krsna has said, we have to do it at any risk," that is Krsna consciousness. "Krsna has said. My Guru Maharaja said. We have to do it"
- If you concoct, "I am very intelligent than my guru, and I can make addition or alteration," then you are finished. So that is the only
- If you do something wonderful at Mayapur that will be my credit and I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. But if you do not do anything there, then that will be a great discredit for me and I will not defeat my Godbrothers as I desire
- If you get guru's krpa, then automatically you get Krsna
- If you manufacture your own way, then go to hell. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah. Krsna is there; guru is there. Why should you manufacture your own way? If you are sincere, Krsna will dictate from within
- If you want to honor me, you will do like this and then I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. Otherwise, it is simply a dishonor to me
- If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra
- In this institution, I am guru, and if everyone becomes guru, then who will carry out the order of guru? There must be disciple also, who will carry out the order of guru. So it is not required
- It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student
- It is the duty of the father and mother to train children in such a way that they will be interested in guru and Krsna. Why? By the mercy of guru and Krsna, he'll get bhakti-lata-bija. And that is real life
N
- No addition, alteration. You have to approach guru - guru means the faithful servant of God, Krsna - and take his word how to serve Him. Then you are successful
- Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect
O
- One can understand the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he can become guru. Or one who understands his guru's order, the same parampara, he can become guru. And therefore I shall select some of you
- One simply has to surrender himself to his guru and everything will be revealed to him
- Our mission is to serve bhakta-visesa and live with devotees. Not that you take the place of the guru. That is nonsense, very dangerous
- Our morality is to satisfy Krsna or His representative, guru. Yasya prasada. If he's satisfied, then it is moral. If he's not satisfied, then it is immoral
- Our process is very easy. We have to see whether my Guru Maharaja, his Guru Maharaja has followed this. Then there will be no more doubt
S
- Siksa-guru does not mean he is speaking something against the teachings of the diksa-guru. He is not a siksa guru; he is a rascal
- So far I am concerned, I have no objection if there is carved form of guru on the Guru-Gauranga altar, but one thing, is unless that sculptor is very excellent, it should not be attempted
- So far personal association with the Guru is concerned, I was only with my Guru Maharaja four or five times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instructions, I have never felt any separation
- So far your question regarding Deity worship, during arati everything should be offered first to the Guru
- Sri-guru-carane rati, ei se, uttama-gati. If you want to make real progress, then you must be firmly faithful at the lotus feet of guru
T
- Thank you for serving steadily and taking responsibility in Krishna Consciousness. The spiritual master cannot be approached for solving marriage problems. That is not the business of the guru
- The guru should be treated as good as God. This is stated in all the sastras. The difference is that God is master-God and guru is servant-God. So the installation ceremony for such a murti should be similar to that done for other Deities
- The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Krsna. We don't directly offer Radha-Krsna. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way
- They will never say that they have become equal to me. "I have advanced to be my guru." Never say
- This initiation by the grace of guru and Krsna, do not take it very leniently. Take it very seriously. It is a great opportunity
- This is the order. Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya. Now citta means consciousness or heart. "I shall do this only, bas. My Guru Maharaja told me; I shall do this." Cittete koriya aikya, ar na koriho mane asa
- This Krsna consciousness movement is expanding by their help. I am alone, but they are helping me. They are my gurus. I am not their guru, because they are helping me in executing my Guru Maharaja's order
- Those young boys are living as true brahmacaris. Brahmacari's business is to study and then go to make some collection on behalf of the guru. This is very good engagement for them
W
- We are interested in preparing acarya, but the etiquette is, at least for the period the guru is present, one should not become acarya. Even if he is complete he should not
- We are not manufacturing. I do not say that "I am guru." Our business is to present what Krsna has said. That's all. Therefore I'm guru. Guru is he who speaks Krsna's words. That is guru. And if he manufactures, then he is a cheater
- We do not become proud to have very scientific accurate knowledge by speculation. We are not such people. We are taught by the parampara system that we are humble servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what our master says, we accept it
- We worship the guru as Vyasa-puja because representative of Vyasa. And who is Vyasa? Representative of Narada. What is Narada? Representative of Brahma. What is Brahma? Representative of Krsna. This is called parampara system
- What Vyasadeva said, your guru will also say the same thing. Not that "So many hundreds of thousands of years have passed away. Therefore I will give you a new formula." No. There is no new formula
- Whatever guru has said accept it, finally. Ara na kariha mane asa. Don't divert from this. This is the instruction. How you can divert from the instruction of guru?
- When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Krsna because Krsna is infallible
- Who cares for Guruji? They think that "Guruji is cheating you - I am cheating your Guruji. What is the wrong?" They think Guruji means cheater. Nowadays, Guruji means cheater. "So you are cheated by your Guruji, so let me cheat your Guruji." That's all
Y
- You are taking this pledge for serving (as a sannyasi) in front of Krsna, Vaisnava, guru and fire. So you shall be very much cautious not to forget your duty
- You can eulogize your Guru Maharaja, but you have to learn it and face the public and be strong to defend yourself. That is success. Not by praising your Guru Maharaja
- You can privately say, "You never speak like that. The etiquette is: when you are permitted by Guru Maharaja, you can speak," not that "He is speaking. I know better than him. I shall speak something." That's very licentious
- You have written All Glories to Our Guru Maharaja. This is impersonalism. As soon as we offer obeisances to guru, the name should be there
- You must execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, parampara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and your guru. That is real life of devotional service, to take some responsibility for working and execute it to your best capacity
- You will become perfect preacher. Preach only what you have heard from Krsna and guru, that's all. Don't add and subtract. Then you are secure
- You'll praise your Guru Maharaja. That is not very difficult. But be victorious to the opposing elements. Then you will praise your Guru Maharaja nicely. At home, you can praise your Guru Maharaja
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