Ordered by Çré Guru and Gauräìga

The following are just a few of the numerous instances wherein Çréla Prabhupäda ordered his disciples to take up the duty of becoming spiritual masters:

So our request is that every one of you become a guru. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order. He wants that everyone must become a guru. How? That He says: yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa. (Bg. 7.1 Lecture, 20 Dec. 1975 Bombay)

Who is actually guru in the parampara system? Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh (Bg. 4.2). So we have to take the authority of become guru from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the same thing. Within five hundred years His order is that amara ajnaya guru hana: (Cc. Madhya 7.128) "You cannot become guru all of a sudden. You must take order from Me." He is jagad-guru. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says you, all of you, to become guru and deliver. Because there are so many innumerable fallen souls in this age-mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah (SB 1.1.10) -- we require hundreds and thousands of gurus. But not cheaters. This is the time when requires hundreds and thousands of gurus. But who will become guru? That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's injunction, amara ajnaya: "By My order you become guru. Don't be all-of-a-sudden guru. Become guru on My order." (Speech to Devotees, April 7, 1976 Vrndavana)

“I give you order. You, every one of you become a spiritual master.” “Oh, I have no qualification. How can I become spiritual master? It requires high knowledge, Sanskrit understanding.” “No, you don’t require anything. Simply you speak krsna-upadesa.” What is krsna-upadesa? Krsna says, sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekam saranam vraja (Bg. 18.66). You simply go door to door and say, “Please surrender to Krsna.” Then you are spiritual master. I have done this. What I have done? I have gone to your country to say this thing, that “Here is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender; you become perfect.” That is being done. So it is not very difficult to become spiritual master. Simply you have to become very serious and sincere to the service of Krsna. (Bhag. Lecture, 4 Nov 1973 Delhi)

“Take My order and you become a spiritual master.” How? “Simply speak Krsna consciousness, that’s all. Simply speak on Krsna’s message, krsna-kathä.” There are two kinds of krsna-kathäs. One is the Bhagavad-gitä, and the other is Srimad-Bhägavatam. So this is the propagation of Krsna consciousness. (Lecture 11 Dec 1968 Los Angeles)

Lord Caitanya says that “Every one of you become the spiritual master, every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you.” “Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job.” No. No difficult job. Caitanya Mahä... Ämära äjïäya: “Just try to carry out My order. That’s all. Then you become spiritual master.” And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal’s education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure. (Lecture 9 May 1969 Columbus)

So our request is that every one of you become a guru. That is Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s order. He wants that everyone must become a guru. How? That He says: yäre dekha täre kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa ämära äjnäya guru hanä tära’ ei desa. This is guru. Suppose you are family member. So many living entities, you sons, your daughters, your daughter-in-law, or children, you can become their guru. Exactly like this you can sit down in the evening and talk about the Bhagavad-gitä, yäre dekha täre kaha krsna-upadesa. You haven’t got to manufacture something. The instruction is there; you simply repeat and let them hear—you become guru. It is not difficult at all. So that is our preaching. We do not want to become alone guru, but we want to preach in such a way that every, the chief man, or any man, he can become guru in his surroundings. Anyone can do that. Even a coolie, he can also, he has got family, he has got friends, so even though he is illiterate, he can hear the instruction of Krsna, and he can preach the same. This we want. (Lecture, 20 Dec 1975 Bombay)

Since the order to become spiritual master has been amply given by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Çréla Prabhupäda, strict disciples of Çréla Prabhupäda are already authorized to accept disciples. Preachers have agreed to cooperate and obtain the blessings of senior devotees within our Vaiñëava community. But it would be better if this seeking of blessings was not officially mandated because it would then be closer to tradition. It could be done at the discretion of the devotee who plans to accept disciples. Such a devotee should be encouraged to seek blessings from whomever he sees fit.

Once this more traditional system is established, gradually it will become clearer to new aspirants that they are not limited in their choice of spiritual master only to gurus who are already accepting disciples. ISKCON leaders should explain to devotees that they can choose any devotee in good-standing who has the proper qualifications as guru as given in the scriptures.

In light of this understanding, the GBC may wish to consider other changes in the current procedures.