qualities

And how we can understand the representative of Krsna? That is not very difficult. Because what Krsna says, if the representative says the same thing, then he's representative. It is not very difficult. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg 18.66]. If His representative says that "You surrender to Krsna," he's representative. That's all. He does not become, himself, Krsna. Then he's bogus. A faithful servant will never say that "I am the master." "I am servant"-although he's as good as the master. Similarly, a guru is saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He, he is the most confidential, dear servant of Krsna. That is guru. That's all. He does not know anything but Krsna.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Poetic, expert and silent. One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Krsna, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Krsna thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time.    (More...)

We should always think that we are in the modes of ignorance. We are just trying to make progress from ignorance to the goodness, and then transcend. This is the process of spiritual realization. Nobody should think that "We are perfect." We cannot be. God is... Only God is perfect, and we are all imperfect. Even our so-called liberated stage, we are still imperfect. Therefore one has to take shelter of authority because, constitutionally, we are imperfect.    (More...)

Prabhupada: We are not talking of so many gurus; we are talking of real guru, that's all, real guru. Real guru is he who talks in disciplic succession of Krsna. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduḥ [Bg 4.2]. That is guru. The bhumi-phoḍa guru is no guru. Avaisnavo gurur na syat. Anyone who is not Vaisnava, he's not guru. First, He says in the Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan, ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati [Bg 18.68]. Find out this. He is guru who is preaching what Krsna has taught. He's guru. Not that anyone and everyone becomes a guru. No. If you want to be cheated by such rascal guru, that is your business, but who is guru, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Anyone who preaches the teachings of Krsna, he is guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc Madhya 7.128]:    (More...)