Nov 22, 2017 — CANADA (SUN) — DKS: There are some devotees, they feel that Srila Prabhupada, he is being offended. That in their estimation the greatest vaisnava is being offended.
DKS: Yes, now in Prabhupada's books he describes guru, a bona fide spiritual master, as being on the topmost platform of devotional service, uttama-adhikari.
BCS: Explains in Bengali
DKS: Uttama-adhikari, one hundred percent engaged in devotional service, fully Krsna conscious, fully conversant in the science of Krsna. So he gives so many references in that way. In one place in his sixty volumes of books do we find a reference where he says that "a neophyte vaisnava or a vaisnava situated on the intermediate level (madhyama adhikari) may accept disciples, but it should be understood that those disciples must be on his level and that they can not advance very well toward the ultimate goal of life under his insufficient guidance."
SM: Bengali
BCS: Bengali translation of NOI purport.
BCS: One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari, etc… Therefore a disciple should be careful to accept an uttama-adhikari as a spiritual master.
SM: Bengali:
"At one point he is saying that a madhyama-adhikari can become a guru." So this is relative. But in the absolute position, so in the absolute consideration what is he saying? But did he ever mention that if there is some fault in the guru then some action should be taken? Did he say what should be done?
English:
BCS: Is there any mention of a… Prabhupada… if a madhyama-adhikari guru initiates and if there is some fault in him then what should be done?
SM: He should be abandoned and new acceptance?
DKS: This is one of our questions. We have another reference where Prabhupada says, he says about a person… "He is not a liberated person and therefore he cannot initiate any person to Krsna consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities."
BCS: Bengali then English
SM: Kanistha-adhikari is unfit to conduct the work of guru. It is final. Only from the madhyama-adhikari, or middle stage, intermediate stage, that is only fit to a… for discharging the duty of the acarya. When uttama-adhikari comes to take the position of the acarya, he has also to come down to the position of madhyama-adhikari. Uttam-adhikar. Inspired by the order by the Lord, uttama-adhikari comes down to the position of madhyama-adhikari and then he makes disciple. Because in the uttama-adhikari proper, there is ___feeling___ universal angle of vision that everything is adjusted with the supreme absolute. He does not see that a part is revolting. The revolting portion is not seen in his eyes. That everything is perfectly adjusted, this is uttama-adhikari. And the madhyama-adhikari sees that this is proper adjustment and this is maladjustment, and from the maladjustment they should be taken to proper adjustment. This is madhyama-adhikari. [-->]
So guru is always madhyama-adhikari. Whether he comes down from uttama-adhikari or is a bona fide madhyama-adhikari. But it is the duty of the madhyama-adhikari because he sees two things: divinity and non-divinity. This is madhyama-adhikari. So the work of guru is the work of the madhyama-adhikari. [-->] Now the madhyama-adhikari also may be different stages. We have been told the three classes of guru. One, from madhyama-adhikar, he is looking at the uttama-adhikari and trying to take from down to up, helping men go from down to up, but he is in suppose… in the higher stage of mundane plane, but he is fully experiencing the divine plane and he is taking so many from this plane to the higher plane which he can see clearly. And there is another class, one leg is here, another leg is there – both planes occupied, and taking men from here to there. And there is another class, higher class, highest class, he is there one leg and he has given one leg here and taking men from there to there. Do you follow?
DKS: Yes.
SM: Uttama-adhikari, from there he puts one leg in this plane and takes men from here to that plane. And the middle class, from here, he is here, but one leg he has put there and taking to that plane.
DKS: And what was the other?
SM: And the lowest class, both the legs here, but he is clearly seeing the highest plane and taking with him the___whole___ to that place. Three kinds of… roughly three classes of guru we may conceive.
DKS: General speaking though, Prabhupada says the spiritual master comes from the group of the eternal associates of the Lord, but anyone who follows the principles…
BCS: Prabhupada bolchen, "The statements of Bhaktivinoda Thakur are as good as scriptures because he is liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord. But anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. The gurus from natures study…
SM: And follows… cent percent.
BCS: A person who is liberated acarya and guru cannot commit any mistake. But there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated but still can act as guru and acarya by strictly following the disciplic succession." So the main thing is… with the disciplic succession. As long as he is linked to the disciplic succession…
SM: Link of faith. If that is unchallengable and permanent then… is a bona fide The faith… the link is in faith, sraddha, and unflinching sraddha, hmm, that is the qualification _____________do. The link… the faith, firm faith in his guru. That is the qualification of becoming a guru.
DKS: But if one deviates doesn't that mean that he doesn't have faith?
BCS: If somebody deviates from the strict disciplic succession that means…
DKS: His guru and the predecessor acaryas…
SM: Yes, deviation in the particular case can be overlooked to some degree. Some degree, but he may again recoup. It may be possible. That this is deviation in whose sight? That will be the first ting, whether it is deviation or not? Any change in the policy, may not be deviation.
