From the Prabhupada Connection
Meeting a pure devotee is no accident-must be sincere, otherwise get cheated
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, why has it taken so long for a pure devotee to come to the West? Has the West been so sinful that no pure devotee has come before Your Divine Grace?
Prabhupada: Don’t be sorry. At that time, you were so sinful that you could not receive a pure devotee.
Devotee: Yes. Once in a lecture a lady asked you why hadn’t you come sooner, and you just said, “Well, you weren’t ready for me.”
Prabhupada: Yes, “Because you were not ready.” Yes, I told. Yes. Now the Western boys, the descendant of the Western people, they are fortunate; therefore they receive Kṛṣṇa. Kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). It is Kṛṣṇa’s desire that “These people are suffering so much; let some devotees come here.” So you are all devotees. You have come to join together.
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Los Angeles, December 7, 1973)
Devotee: If someone is actually sincere, can he be cheated, or will he always get a bona fide guru?
Prabhupada: No, if he is sincere, he’ll get.
Devotee: Bona fide.
Prabhupada: Yes. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He sees that you are sincere, He’ll give you the right person.
Devotee: So if you are not completely sincere, you might get a Guru Maharaj-ji.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Devotee: If you’re not completely sincere, you might get someone else.
Prabhupada: Yes. Because you want to be cheated, you go to the cheater. That’s all. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is intelligent, superintelligent. If you are a cheater, He’ll cheat you. He’ll cheat you. First-class cheat, Kṛṣṇa. But if you’re actually sincere, then He’ll give you the right thing. That is stated in the Bhag…, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15): “Everything is coming from Me: smṛtiḥ, remembrance, and forgetfulness.” If you are a cheater, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence, you’ll forget Kṛṣṇa forever.
Dr. Wolfe: Srila Prabhupada, so it is so, “Birds of a feather flock together.” The cheaters flock together.
Prabhupada: Yes. “Birds of the same feather flock together.”
(Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, Los Angeles, December 7, 1973)
“You have asked ‘How serious would it be for me if I should miss the golden opportunity to become your initiated disciple?’ You should know that the value of accepting a bonafide spiritual master is more than we can calculate. It is not a mere formality. Of course everyone is encouraged to chant Hare Krishna, but until one gives up sinful activities and becomes determined to serve Krishna through His representative then the firm fixing up of devotional service will not take hold, and there is every chance that one will fall prey to all sorts of material desires and have to come back again in the next life—and one cannot guarantee that he will be born in the form of life he may desire.”
(Srila Prabhupada Letter to Ravendra Gupta, February 12, 1974)
“You have got now the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is not accident that you have got your spiritual master, so take advantage by following always in his footsteps and very quickly you will attain the supreme perfection of your life. That is done by trying always to please your spiritual master, being engaged 24 hours in Krishna’s business of spreading this Krishna Consciousness Movement all over the world, helping me however best you are able to do it according to your individual capacity. Then you will be freed from maya’s clutches and go with me back to home, back to Godhead.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter to My dear Sons and Daughters, December 27, 1972)