Acarya - teacher

Expressions researched:
"acaryas (teachers)" |"acarya, teacher" |"acaryas teacher" |"acarya teachers" |"teacher acarya" |"teachers acaryas" |"teacher or acarya" |"acarya, or teacher" |"teachers or acaryas" |"acaryas and teachers" |"acaryas,teachers" |"acaryas, teacher"

SB Preface and Introduction

One of the greatest ācāryas (teachers), namely Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, has preached that Brahman is substance whereas the cosmic world is category

SB Introduction: The bodily machine is useless as soon as the living spark is away from it. Similarly, the original source of all material energy is the Supreme Person. This fact is expressed in all the Vedic literatures, and all the exponents of spiritual science have accepted this truth. The living force is called Brahman, and one of the greatest acaryas (teachers), namely Sripada Sankaracarya, has preached that Brahman is substance whereas the cosmic world is category. The original source of all energies is the living force, and He is logically accepted as the Supreme Person.

SB Canto 4

My dear brāhmaṇa, whatever you have said I have heard with great attention and, considering all of it, have come to the conclusion that the ācāryas (teachers) who engaged me in fruitive activity did not know this confidential knowledge

SB 4.29.56, Translation: The King replied: My dear brahmana, whatever you have said I have heard with great attention and, considering all of it, have come to the conclusion that the acaryas (teachers) who engaged me in fruitive activity did not know this confidential knowledge. If they were aware of it, why did they not explain it to me?

SB Canto 6

A preacher is known as parivrājakācārya—an ācārya, or teacher, who always travels for the benefit of human society

SB 6.5.43, Purport: Because Prajapati Daksa was a grhamedhi who wanted to remain in household life, he thought that if Narada Muni could not remain in one place, but had to travel all over the world, that would be a great punishment for him. Actually, however, such a punishment is a boon for a preacher. A preacher is known as parivrajakacarya -- an acarya, or teacher, who always travels for the benefit of human society.

CC Adi-lila

Advaitacarya is also called ācārya, teacher, because He disseminated Kṛṣṇa consciousness

CC Adi Introduction, Purport: Thus Advaitacarya is also the Lord, or, more precisely, an expansion of the Lord. The word advaita means "nondual," and His name is such because He is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. He is also called acarya, teacher, because He disseminated Krsna consciousness. In this way He is just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Śrī Advaita Prabhu, who is an incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, is an ācārya, or teacher

CC Adi 6.12, Purport: Sri Advaita Prabhu, who is an incarnation of Maha-Visnu, is an acarya, or teacher. All His activities and all the other activities of Visnu are auspicious. Anyone who can view the all-auspiciousness in the pastimes of Lord Visnu also becomes auspicious simultaneously. Therefore, since Lord Visnu is the fountainhead of auspiciousness, anyone who is attracted by the devotional service of Lord Visnu can render the greatest service to human society.

To draw the attention of common men, sometimes saintly persons, ācāryas and teachers exhibit extraordinary opulences

CC Adi 7.61, Purport: To draw the attention of common men, sometimes saintly persons, acaryas and teachers exhibit extraordinary opulences. This is necessary to attract the attention of fools, but a saintly person should not misuse such power for personal sense gratification like false saints who declare themselves to be God. Even a magician can exhibit extraordinary feats that are not understandable to common men, but this does not mean that the magician is God. It is a most sinful activity to attract attention by exhibiting mystic powers and then to utilize this opportunity to declare oneself to be God.

CC Madhya-lila

The teacher (ācārya) has to consider time, candidate and country

CC Madhya 23.105, Purport: To broadcast the cult of Krsna consciousness, one has to learn the possibility of renunciation in terms of country, time and candidate. A candidate for Krsna consciousness in the Western countries should be taught about the renunciation of material existence, but one would teach candidates from a country like India in a different way. The teacher (acarya) has to consider time, candidate and country. He must avoid the principle of niyamagraha -- that is, he should not try to perform the impossible. What is possible in one country may not be possible in another. The acarya's duty is to accept the essence of devotional service. There may be a little change here and there as far as yukta-vairagya (proper renunciation) is concerned.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as an ideal teacher, or ācārya, explained Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very elaborately Himself

CC Madhya 25.267, Purport: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as an ideal teacher, or acarya, explained Srimad-Bhagavatam very elaborately Himself. He sometimes also empowered His devotees to speak while He listened. This is the way an acarya should train his disciples. Not only should he describe the bhagavata cult personally, but he should also train his disciples to speak on this sublime subject.

CC Antya-lila

You are known as Gosani (teacher or acarya), but now talk about Your attributes and reputation will spread throughout the city of Purusottama

CC Antya 3.12, Translation: "You are known as Gosani (teacher or acarya), but now talk about Your attributes and reputation will spread throughout the city of Purusottama. How Your position will be impaired!"

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Advaitacarya is also called ācārya, teacher, because he disseminated Kṛṣṇa consciousness

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Intoduction: Advaitacarya, another principal disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, is accepted as an expansion of the Maha-Visnu. Thus Advaitacarya is also the Lord, or, more precisely, an expansion of the Lord. The word advaita means nondual, and his name is such because he is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. He is also called acarya, teacher, because he disseminated Krsna consciousness. In this way he is just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Although Caitanya is Sri Krsna Himself, He appears as a devotee to teach people in general how to love Krsna.

Nectar of Devotion

The particular word used by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in this connection is anuśīlana, or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (ācāryas)

Nectar of Devotion, Introduction: This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but cultivation of Krsna consciousness is different. The particular word used by Srila Rupa Gosvami in this connection is anusilana, or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (acaryas). As soon as we say "cultivation," we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us. Your devotees who have left their domestic comforts to associate with the liberated ācāryas [teachers] are now fully merged in the devotional service of Your Lordship

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 4: There is a similar statement in the Tenth Canto, Eighty-seventh Chapter, verse 21, wherein the Srutis, the Vedas personified, pray to the Lord as follows: "Dear Lord, it is very difficult to understand spiritual knowledge. Your appearance here, just as You are, is to explain to us this most difficult subject of knowledge of the spirit. As such, Your devotees who have left their domestic comforts to associate with the liberated acaryas [teachers] are now fully merged in the devotional service of Your Lordship, and thus they do not care for any so-called liberation."

Following in the footsteps of great ācāryas (teachers) under the direction of the spiritual master

Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 6: He mentions the basic principles as follows: (1) accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master, (2) becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to discharge devotional service from him, (3) obeying the orders of the spiritual master with faith and devotion, (4) following in the footsteps of great acaryas (teachers) under the direction of the spiritual master.

Sri Isopanisad

The veda-vāda-ratas give their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of great teachers (ācāryas)

Sri Isopanisad, text 9, Purport: But the veda-vada-rata people, instead of realizing that the purpose of the Vedas is to revive the forgetful soul's lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead, take it for granted that such side issues as the attainment of heavenly pleasure for sense gratification -- the lust for which causes their material bondage in the first place -- are the ultimate end of the Vedas. Such people misguide others by misinterpreting the Vedic literature. Sometimes they even condemn the Puranas, which are authentic Vedic explanations for laymen. The veda-vada-ratas give their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of great teachers (acaryas). They also tend to raise some unscrupulous person from among themselves and present him as the leading exponent of Vedic knowledge. Such veda-vada-ratas are especially condemned in this mantra by the very appropriate Sanskrit words vidyayam ratah.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Dronacarya was everyone's teacher, acarya

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973: Dronacarya was everyone's teacher, acarya. Acarya means teacher. Acaryam upasangamya [Bg. 1.2]. The military teacher. So Duryodhana, he was military teacher of the Pandavas also. When all of them were children, they were given under the instruction of Dronacarya. Dronacarya was brahmana, but he knew the military art.

My so-called teacher or ācārya... "There are different ācāryas." No. There cannot be different ācāryas. Ācārya is one.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974: In agreement, businessmen doing some business, the agreement, everyone is thinking, each party is thinking, "How much favorable it has become in my side." That is.... I want to cheat you. You want to cheat me. I am dictating, "The agreement should be like this." That means most favorable for my sense gratification. And you are dictating, "It should be like this." We are talking also on that spirit, "my sense gratification."

Kṛṣṇa says something. That is not wanted. My so-called teacher or ācārya... "There are different ācāryas." No. There cannot be different ācāryas. Ācārya is one. As Kṛṣṇa said in this chapter,

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha mahatā

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

[Bg. 4.2]

Ācārya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Kṛṣṇa has given. That is ācārya. Not ācārya, everyone becomes ācārya. "In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret it in their own way. That is not ācārya.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Our Vedic civilization, all the great ācāryas, teachers, they accept knowledge from the Vedas

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972: Just like in the sastra it is said: jalaja nava-laksani. There are nine-hundred-thousands forms of aquatic life. Nine hundred-thousands. In the Vedas, it is said. It doesn't say: one more or two less. Nine-hundred-thousand. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. The living entities. So Veda, that is Vedic knowledge. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge. So this is the process. Our Vedic civilization, all the great acaryas, teachers, they accept knowledge from the Vedas. Because we accept it, Veda is perfect. Sometimes they say that Vedas are also written by human beings. No. It is not written by human being. It is heard. Therefore it is called sruti. So tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. The knowledge, Vedic knowledge was first impregnated by the Supreme Lord in the heart of Brahma.

Festival Lectures

Therefore, there is need of ācāryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971: Human life is meant for something else: "What I am? What is God? What is my relation with God? What is this material world? Why I am here? Where I have to go next?" So many things one has to learn. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is human life. Not that eat and sleep and have sex life and die someday like cats and dogs. Therefore, there is need of acaryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual knowledge, Krsna consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was... Although he was a grhastha, householder, a government officer, magistrate, but he was acarya. So from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a preacher in any stage of life. It doesn't matter what he is.

That means there are many great, great devotees, stalwart devotees, ācāryas and teachers, and for all of them, He is the master

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967: Govinda means He is pleasure of... He is the reservoir of all pleasure, Govinda. Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1], cause of all causes. So here it is said that "That Bhagavan, who is satvatam patih..." That means there are many great, great devotees, stalwart devotees, acaryas and teachers, and for all of them, He is the master. Satvatam patih. And what is to be done about Him? srotavyah: "You have to hear about Him." Where I can hear? When He speaks Himself. Why don't you hear there? How can you know the Supreme, the cause of all causes? Nobody can explain. But when He explains Himself, you can hear. That is Bhagavad-gita. Krsna is explaining Himself.

General Lectures

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was one of our predecessor ācāryas, teacher, and his songs are accepted in our Vaiṣṇava society as Vedic truth

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972: So I shall further explain one song sung by Narottama dasa Thakura. Narottama dasa Thakura was one of our predecessor acaryas, teacher, and his songs are accepted in our Vaisnava society as Vedic truth. He has written in simple language, but it contains the Vedic truth. So he has got many songs. One of the songs is hari hari biphale janama gonainu.