Accepting the reactions of the disciples

Gargamuni Dasa: But Prabhupada also says in Adi-lila, ninth chapter, eleventh verse, "A Vaishnava is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to his disciples to serve him." It's in shastra! We had to, I had to carry Prabhupada to the bathroom in India, in Bombay. They had to carry him, me, Tamal Krishna and a few others carried him to the bathroom. Does this mean Prabhupada is an invalid? No! This is an illusion. It's written in shastra. It says right here. This is written in shastra. A Vaishnava, if he appears to be an invalid, this gives a chance to disciples to serve him to increase the love between the disciple and spiritual master.

This is another conversation between a devotee called Prajapati and Prabhupada. A very important, very important conversation this is, about the spiritual master, and his so-called disease or health. We should not be illusioned. Prajapati is speaking, "Is it true, Srila Prabhupada, that sometimes the spiritual master has to suffer if his disciples act in sinful ways?" Prabhupada is returning the question, "The same way. Bodily suffering. Infection. The spiritual master accepts the all infection. So as the infection acts on the body, so there is little suffering. Krsna says, 'All the sinful reaction of the surrendered soul...' So spiritual master is the representative of Krsna. So he has also to accept. The injunction is one should not accept many disciples. But for preaching work we have to do that." So Prajapati says, "Prabhupada, I'm so sorry that you have to suffer cause we're such rascals." And what does Prabhupada say? "No, no. I'll not suffer." [Morning Walk - December 17, 1973, Los Angeles] Prabhupada doesn't suffer for our reactions. He is a shaktyavesa-avatara.

That doesn't mean that if we become guru, we don't suffer. We do suffer. We could see it in many of our guru God-brothers. They are suffering physical problems due to the sins of their disciples. But Prabhupada doesn't. He says it here. "I will not suffer." He is different. When he says, when he is talking about suffering, that's not for himself. That's for us. We will suffer if we take the chance of becoming guru, then we have to suffer, but not him. He is a nitya-siddha. Shaktyavesa-avatara. He doesn't produce, he is not born into karma. He's sent from Vaikuntha. These are all from shastra.