"By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement." A disciple should never be a hypocrite or be unfaithful to his spiritual master. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.17.27), THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ALSO CALLED ACARYA. Acaryam mam vijaniyan: the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that one should respect the spiritual master, accepting him as the Lord Himself. Navamanyeta karhicit: one should not disrespect the acarya at any time. Na martya-buddhyasuyeta: one should never think the acarya an ordinary person. Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt, but one should be very careful in one's dealings with the acarya. Agadha-dhisanam dvijam: the acarya is a perfect brahmana and has unlimited intelligence in guiding the activities of his disciple.

-------

"Self-made guru cannot be guru. HE MUST BE AUTHORIZED BY THE BONA FIDE GURU. Then he's guru. This is the fact...Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru." (SP NOD Lecture, October 31. 1972)

"One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is AUTHORIZED BY HIS PREDECESSOR SPIRITUAL MASTER. This is called diksa-vidhana." (S.B. 4.8.54, purport)

Prabhupada: Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A GURU CAN BECOME GURU WHEN HE'S ORDERED BY HIS GURU. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru. Ref. VedaBase, Bhagavad-gita 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975.

 

No record of any Acharya appointment

Srila Prabhupada speaks of His Guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarraswati
Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Swami B.S. Bhagavata Maharaja

Los Angeles
21 August, 1969
69-08-21
His Holiness Swami B.S. Bhagavata Maharaja

Revered Sripada Bhagavata Maharaja,
Kindly accept my humble obeisances. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 8th July, 1969, postmarked the 8th of August, 1969. I see this letter was addressed to me in New Vrindaban, and from there it was redirected to Los Angeles. I understand that you addressed another letter to me dated 6th June, 1969 addressed to my New Vrindaban address, but I did not receive that letter. Probably it is missing. I was expecting your reply of my letter dated May 23rd, 1969, and I am so glad to receive your letter in hand. I have also gone through the Memorandum of Articles of Association of your Mission and particularly seen the specific portion referred to in your letter in reply. I see it is in order, but similarly, we have also incorporated our International Society for Krishna Consciousness pursuant to the religious corporation laws of the state of New York.

The main purposes of this institution are as follows amongst others: 1) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world. 2) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. 3) To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus develop the idea, within the members and humanity at large that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna). 4) To teach and encourage the Sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So practically there is no difference of opinion in our missionary activities, especially because we all are deriving inspiration from His Divine Grace Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. I think all of our Godbrothers are doing the same missionary activities without a doubt, but still the regrettable fact is we are doing all separately, not in conjunction. I have also read specifically your articles on the matter of acaryas, wherein on the 14th Paragraph I see the acharya shall be entitled to nominate in writing his successive acharya. But we do not find any record where our Srila Prabhupada nominated any acharya after Him. Different persons have interpreted on this point, and every one of our Godbrothers are acting as acharya, so this is a controversial point which I do not wish to enter into while we are proposing for cooperation.

I think now we should cooperate fully for preaching the Mission of Srila Prabhupada. He very eagerly desired that the message of Lord Caitanya should be preached all over the world. About 40 years before, Sripada Bon Maharaja, guided by our senior old Tirtha Maharaja were sent to London, and perhaps Gaudiya Mission was established at that time. Since then, activities in foreign countries was practically stopped altogether. Although I was intimately connected with the Gaudiya Math institution, I was a householder. But when I first met His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, He instructed me to preach in the foreign countries, but I could not do anything tangible on account of my family attachment. So after taking sannyasa in 1959 I prepared myself for coming to the foreign countries. As soon as three books were ready, Srimad-Bhagavatam, I started for New York in 1965. This was out of my inspiration in receipt from Srila Prabhupada, and it appears that my attempt in the foreign countries has become successful to a great extent. By my personal attempt I have established preaching centers numbering about two dozen, beginning from Hamburg to Tokyo. I think if my Godbrothers would have attempted similarly, preaching centers would have been established all over the world by this time. Therefore, I wish that Gaudiya Mission should send their preachers and establish different centers in different parts of the world. That will fulfill the Mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja.

I know there is some difficulty in the matter of getting the passport and visa for preaching in foreign countries at the present moment, but if the Gaudiya Mission decides to send their representatives in all other parts of the world, I can help them in this matter. Similarly, I would also expect cooperation from all our Godbrothers in the matters where I require their help. This mutual cooperation can be established immediately. Apart from the point of the acharya question, I think everyone is working in his individual capacity. That may not be disturbed at the present moment, but if we concentrate our energies for spreading the message of Lord Caitanya all over the world, that will be right missionary activities on behalf of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

I thank you very much for inviting me to your head office in Calcutta for heart-to-heart talk and discussion. I shall be always glad to abide by this suggestion, but the thing is if I go to India, it will cost me at least Rs. 25,000 to go and come back. In this old age, wherever I go I take with me one personal assistant. This means if I go to India, I will have to take my secretary, and that means two return tickets also, as well as other expenses. But if something is tangibly understood on the line of cooperation, it will be not difficult for me to go and see the acharya of the Mission for the final decision.

I am going to Germany the day after tomorrow via New York, and therefore my next address will be c/o Internationale Gesellschaft fur Krishna Bewusstein, 2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer Weg 11, West Germany. In the meantime I shall request you to cooperate with my missionary activities to supply me 10 mrdangas (kholes), first class and 50 pairs of karatalas, Navadvipa made, first class, every month to our different centers like New York, Los Angeles, London, Hamburg and Tokyo. Also I would request you to arrange for supplying Radha-Krishna Deities made in Vrindaban or Calcutta, 24" high, for our different centers. We can also cooperate in selling your books in our different centers, and similarly you can cooperate by selling our books in your different centers. So there is ample opportunity of cooperation in good will, and if we continue like that, in the near future it may be possible that we completely amalgamate both our institutions. I hope you will give your due consideration to my proposals and shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Also please let me know if personally I can become a member of your society under Clause 3 on page 19 of the Memorandum.
Please offer my humble obeisances to His Divine Grace Sripada B.K. Audulomi Maharaja and other Vaisnavas of the Math.

Sincerely,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
enclosures: copies of news cuttings of our Rathayatra Festival, which we held in San Francisco, London, Boston, Ohio, and Hamburg.

One can become guru when he is ordered by his guru

In Nairobi (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975):

INDIAN MAN: When did you become the spiritual leader of Krishna consciousness?
PRABHUPADA: What is that?
BRAHMANANDA: He's asking, When did you become the spiritual leader of Krishna consciousness?
PRABHUPADA: When my Guru Maharaja ordered me. This is the guru-parampara.
INDIAN MAN: Did it...
PRABHUPADA: Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A guru can become guru when he's ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise, nobody can become guru.
INDIAN WOMAN 2: (Hindi)
PRABHUPADA: (Hindi) Sadhi mam prapannam. "I am surrendered to you. Whatever you say, I shall carry out." That's all.
INDIAN MAN: When did he tell you to--
PRABHUPADA: What is the business, when did he tell me? And why shall I disclose to you? It is so very insignificant thing that I have to explain to you?
INDIAN MAN: No, I am just curious when--
PRABHUPADA: You should be curious within your limit. You should know that one can become guru when he is ordered by his guru, this much.

Gaudiya Math self-appointed acharyas

Srila Prabhupada, August 16, 1976, Bombay (Conversations with Srila Prabhupada, Vol. 26, p. 59-60)
"If one remains always a servant everlastingly of guru, then he is liberated. And as soon as he thinks that he is liberated, he's a rascal. That is the teaching of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.... You must be ready always to be chastised by guru. Then he's liberated. And as soon as he thinks that "I am beyond this chastisement, I am liberated," he's a rascal....
Why this Gaudiya Math failed? Because they tried to become more than guru. He [Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura], before passing away, he gave them all direction and never said that "This man should be the next acharya .." But these people, just after his passing away, they began to fight, who shall be acharya . That is the failure. They never thought, "Why Guru Maharaja gave us instruction so many things, why he did not say that this man should be acharya? " They wanted to create artificially somebody acharya, and everything failed. They did not consider even with common sense that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acharya, why did he not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insist upon it. They declared some unfit person to become acharya . Then another man came, then another, acharya, another acharya . So better remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. --
Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them.

". . .He was first deputed by my Guru Maharaja, along with our late God Brother, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaja, to open a missionary center in London, and they stayed there for 3 years, but didn't make any appreciable advance. Except that spent enormous money of my Guru Maharaja, and later on they were called back to India. So that is a great history; it is not possible to say everything in this letter, but for the present, be satisfied with these words, and later we shall talk more and more. On the whole, you may know that he is not a liberated person, and therefore, he cannot initiate any person to Krishna Consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities."
[Srila Prabhupada Letter to: Janardana -- New York 26 April, 1968]

Self-appointed acharyas might be carried away

"..The spiritual master must never be carried away by an accumulation of wealth or a large number of followers. A bona fide spiritual master will never become like that. But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized, and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples. His is not a very high grade of devotional service. If a person is carried away by such achievements, then his devotional service becomes slackened. One should, therefore, strictly adhere to the principles of disciplic succession...."
The Nectar of Devotion - 1970 Edition : Nectar of Devotion (Unrevised edition) Chapter 14: Devotional Qualifications.

Spiritual master business

“The pseudo religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities disguised as religious principles.

“By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as spiritual masters and devotees of God. Such violators of religious principles have no respect for the authoritative acaryas, the holy teachers in the strict disciplic succession.

“They ignore the Vedic injunction acaryaupsana—”One must worship the acarya”—and Krsna’s statement in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2) evam parampara-praptam, “This supreme science of God is received through the disciplic succession.” Instead, to mislead the people in general they themselves become so-called acaryas, but they do not even follow the principles of the acaryas.

“These rogues are the most dangerous elements in human society. Because there is no religious government, they escape punishment by the law of the state. They cannot, however, escape the law of the Supreme, who has clearly declared in the Bhagavad-gita that envious demons in the garb of religious propagandists shall be thrown into the darkest regions of hell (Bg. 16.19-20). Sri Isopanisad confirms that these pseudo religionists are heading toward the most obnoxious place in the universe after the completion of their spiritual master business, which they conduct simply for sense gratification.” (from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Isopanasad Mantra 12)

saktyavesa-avataras

http://prabhupadabooks.com/?g=15202
''When the Lord descends personally or by His personal plenary expansions, such incarnations are called aṁśa, kalā, guṇa, yuga and manvantara incarnations, and when the Lord's associates descend by the order of the Lord, such incarnations are called śaktyāveśa incarnations. But in all cases all the incarnations are supported by the invulnerable statements of the authorized scriptures, and not by any imagination of some self-interested propagandist. Such incarnations of the Lord, in either of the above categories, always declare the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be the ultimate truth.''

My obeisances prabhus, these are some of my realizations by reading this purport.We read  how the saktyavesa-avataras like Srila Prabhupada descend by the order of the Lord.This is another confirmation that in order to become a bona fide acarya one has to be previously authorized and ordered by the Lord Himself or by his own spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada is an associate of Lord Krishna and he descended by His order.In his transcendental pastimes on this planet earth he became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and he became his successor as an acarya when Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ordered him.
So even if one is a direct associate of Krishna in the spiritual world one has to receive the order from the Lord to descend to this material universe and rescue all the conditioned souls.  

By the invulnerable statements of the scriptures we know for certain that the saktyavesa-avataras are the bona fide acaryas in the disciplic succession and that they are infallible because they have been sent and ordered by the Lord.
And by the invulnerable order of one's spiritual master one becomes a bona fide spiritual master and as such he never falls down or deviates from the transcendental position.

So that's the gurantee we get from the invulnerable order of one's spiritual master.

In Iskcon nobody has received the invulnerable order from Srila Prabhupada to become his successor.Therefore the self-appointed gurus are not on the transcendental and infallible platform.
Their guru business has been able to flourish and expand due to the imagination of the self-interested propagandist called the GBC.
They have forced innocent devotees to imagine that the GBC-appointed gurus are bona fide and they have used all kind of propaganda to solidify their guru business.

your servant,
Raghunatha Bhatta dasa