Act as acarya

Expressions researched:
"act as an acarya" |"acting as acarya" |"acts as an acarya" |"acarya who acts" |"act as acaryas"

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Canto 8

An ācārya who acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be understood to be as good as the Supreme Lord Himself

SB 8.24.46, Purport: The representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who acts to spread Krsna consciousness is also guided by the Supreme Lord to act properly in executing the Lord's order. Such a person may appear to be an ordinary human being, but because he acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme spiritual master, he is not to be neglected as ordinary. It is therefore said, acaryam mam vijaniyat [SB 11.17.27]: an acarya who acts on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be understood to be as good as the Supreme Lord Himself.

CC Adi-lila

There are many Vaiṣṇava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born brāhmaṇas, act as ācāryas by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiṣṇava tantras

CC Adi 7.45, Purport: There are many Vaiṣṇava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born brāhmaṇas, act as ācāryas by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiṣṇava tantras. For example, in the families of Ṭhākura Raghunandana Ācārya, Ṭhākura Kṛṣṇadāsa, Navanī Hoḍa and Rasikānanda-deva (a disciple of Śyāmānanda Prabhu), the sacred thread ceremony is performed, as it is for the caste Gosvāmīs, and this system has continued for the past three to four hundred years. Accepting disciples born in brāhmaṇa families, they are bona fide spiritual masters who have the facility to worship the śālagrāma-śilā, which is worshiped with the Deity.

CC Madhya-lila

When a person actually revives his consciousness with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he revives his spiritual life and becomes addicted to the service of the Lord. Only then can he act as an ācārya

CC Madhya 7.152, Purport: When a person actually revives his consciousness with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he revives his spiritual life and becomes addicted to the service of the Lord. Only then can he act as an ācārya. In other words, everyone should engage in preaching, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this way one will be very much appreciated by Lord Kṛṣṇa and will quickly be recognized by Him. Actually a devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must engage in preaching in order to increase the followers of the Lord. By thus preaching actual Vedic knowledge all over the world, one will benefit all mankind.

CC Antya-lila

Therefore one who acts as an ācārya, directly presenting Lord Kṛṣṇa by spreading His name and fame, is also to be called paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura

CC Antya 7.12, Purport: In this way, spiritual benefit grows increasingly full, like the waxing moon in the sky. The true ācārya, the spiritual master of the entire world, must be considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Indeed, he is personally embracing Kṛṣṇa. He is therefore the spiritual master of all the varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra) and all the āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa). Since he is understood to be the most advanced devotee, he is called paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura. Ṭhākura is a title of honor offered to the paramahaṁsa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Kṛṣṇa is personally acting as ācārya

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976: So Kali-yuga is a very precarious condition: no knowledge, ignorance, and no nirvrtti. Everyone is in pravrtti. So whatever their condition may be, but if you want actually freedom from this material conditional life, then you should follow acarya. Acaryavan purusah. Acaryopasanam. Krsna is personally acting as acarya. He's coming again as acarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He has got so many representatives acarya: Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, Visnu Svami, so many acaryas. Evam parampara-praptam [Bg. 4.2]. So take lesson from the acaryas. Sukadeva Gosvami is acarya. Vyasadeva is acarya. He's making the next acarya by teaching him-adhyapayam asa, sukam adhyapayam asa -- so that he is becoming acarya. So we have to go the acarya and take lesson.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Then, when we are completely, cent per cent follower of ācārya, then you can also act as ācārya

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur: So we have to follow the ācārya. Then, when we are completely, cent per cent follower of ācārya, then you can also act as ācārya. This is the process. Don't become premature ācārya. First of all follow the orders of ācārya, and you become mature. Then it is better to become ācārya. Because we are interested in preparing ācārya, but the etiquette is, at least for the period the guru is present, one should not become ācārya. Even if he is complete he should not, because the etiquette is, if somebody comes for becoming initiated, it is the duty of such person to bring that prospective candidate to his ācārya. Not that "Now people are coming to me, so I can become ācārya." That is avamanya. Nāvamanyeta karhicit. Don't transgress this etiquette. Nāvamanyeta. That will be falldown. Just like during the lifetime of our Guru Mahārāja, all our Godbrothers now who are acting as ācārya, they did not do so. That is not etiquette. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt na avaman... That is insult. So if you insult your ācārya, then you are finished.

Then ācārya's disciple becomes ācārya when he assimilates the knowledge received from bona fide ācārya. So he becomes bona fide to act as an ācārya

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York: So Kṛṣṇa also, as spiritual master of Arjuna, He played. He is the original ācārya. Then ācārya's disciple becomes ācārya when he assimilates the knowledge received from bona fide ācārya. So he becomes bona fide to act as an ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Ācārya means one who has become a rigid disciple of his ācārya. Just like a critical student under a professor, he becomes a first-class professor, similarly, a person who is a very rigid student of bona fide ācārya, he becomes next ācārya.

1970 Correspondence

If one is fully in Krishna Consciousness, he can act as Acarya

Letter to Suridas -- Los Angeles 17 March, 1970: Your combination with your good wife, Jotilla, is very good, and now with greater enthusiasm execute Krishna activities as I have advised Gurudasa also. We must be fully equipped, and the preaching work by pairs of husband and wife will be an unique example to the world. Formerly the Acaryas were generally all Sannyasis, but Lord Caitanya, in His instruction to Roy Ramananda, who was a confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya, but a householder and responsible government official, Governor of Madras, has given open instruction that it does not matter what is the social or ecclesiastical order, if one is fully in Krishna Consciousness, he can act as Acarya. So all you boys and girls who are now married, follow this instruction of Lord Caitanya, and show vivid example to the world how man and woman can be united, not for sense gratification but for the service of the Lord.