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So-called teachers

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

The so-called teachers or leaders of material society do not really know the goal of life.
SB 4.29.56, Purport: Actually the so-called teachers or leaders of material society do not really know the goal of life. They are described in Bhagavad-gītā as māyayāpahṛta jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. They appear to be very learned scholars, but actually the influence of the illusory energy has taken away their knowledge. Real knowledge means searching out Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. All Vedic knowledge is meant for searching out Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. In Bhagavad-gītā (10.2) Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānāṁ: "I am the source of the demigods." Thus Kṛṣṇa is the origin and beginning of all demigods, including Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and all others. The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies are concerned with satisfying different demigods, but unless one is very advanced, he cannot understand that the original personality is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. After hearing the instructions of Nārada, King Barhiṣmān came to his senses. The real goal of life is to attain devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The King therefore decided to reject the so-called priestly orders that simply engage their followers in the ritualistic ceremonies without giving effective instructions about the goal of life.

SB Canto 7

The so-called teachers informed the King that Prahlāda Mahārāja was automatically a devotee and did not listen to their instructions.
SB 7.5 Summary: Hiraṇyakaśipu affectionately took his son Prahlāda on his lap and then inquired from him what the best thing was that he had learned from his teachers. As usual, Prahlāda Mahārāja began praising the nine processes of devotional service, such as śravaṇam and kīrtanam. Thus the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu, being extremely angry, chastised the teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, for having wrongly trained Prahlāda Mahārāja. The so-called teachers informed the King that Prahlāda Mahārāja was automatically a devotee and did not listen to their instructions.
Prahlāda Mahārāja's class friends did not like hearing from their so-called teachers Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, who were interested only in teaching them about diplomacy, politics, economic development and similar topics meant exclusively for sense gratification.
SB 7.8.1, Purport: f one tries to understand the discourses given by the sat, or pure devotees, those instructions will be very pleasing to the ear and appealing to the heart. Thus if one is inspired to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if one practices the process in his life, he is surely successful in returning home, back to Godhead. By the grace of Prahlāda Mahārāja, all his class friends, the sons of the demons, became Vaiṣṇavas. They did not like hearing from their so-called teachers Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, who were interested only in teaching them about diplomacy, politics, economic development and similar topics meant exclusively for sense gratification.
Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is a devotee unconcerned with so-called public opinion and Vedic or philosophical literatures, always defied the false instructions of his father and the so-called teachers who were appointed to teach him.
SB 7.13.45, Purport: A person who is actually a devotee of Kṛṣṇa does not care about so-called public opinion and Vedic or philosophical literatures. Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is such a devotee, always defied the false instructions of his father and the so-called teachers who were appointed to teach him. Instead, he simply followed the instructions of Nārada Muni, his guru, and thus he always remained a stalwart devotee. This is the nature of an intelligent devotee.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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: 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?

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Those, these so-called teachers, they first of all set up salary, "What salary you'll give me?" That is dog's business.
Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris: Prabhupada: Those who give education in exchange of money, they are not brāhmaṇas. Just like we are lecturing, educated, educating people. We don't say that "Give us salary." We simply ask them, "Please come." Therefore we are making food. I'll give you food. I'll give you good seat. Please come and hear. We are not asking money, that "First of all pay the fees. Then you come and learn Bhagavad-gītā." We never say so. So those, these so-called teachers, they first of all set up salary, "What salary you'll give me?" That is dog's business. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. Brāhmaṇa will never ask. Brāhmaṇa is eager to give lesson only. That's all. Brāhmaṇa is eager to see that people are educated. "Take free education and be educated. Be a human being." This is brāhmaṇa's business. I came here not to ask for any money. But I want to give lesson. This is brāhmaṇa's business.
Page Title:So-called teachers
Compiler:Serene, Jai
Created:10 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:6