Question: In one of your lectures, you mentioned about sticking to disciplic succession. You also gave an example of a businessman during Srila Prabhupada’s time who incurred heavy loss for not sticking to disciplic succession. Can you please elaborate on this topic? What did the businessman do exactly? Does “not sticking to disciplic succession” mean changing the Guru Maharaj that you are aspiring for? If say, you used to work with a particular devotee group and you expand your network to work with other groups also, is it called “not sticking to disciplic succession”?
Answer by Romapada Swami: I do not recall giving the example you refer to in this question.
The two additional questions raised by you can be responded to.
First, if one is aspiring for initiation from a particular spiritual master and after some time there is a shift in one’s preference to seek shelter elsewhere, that is not in-and-of-itself offensive. A proper respectful communication should be made, however, with the initial personality, indicating the prefered shelter. Blessings should be sought.
Similarly, if one is moving in one circle of association, it is etiquette to communicate respectfully to that circle of association that one desires – or even prefers – another association.
“Not sticking to disciplic succession” means to stray from Srila Prabhupada’s shelter, after one has been given so much mercy by His Divine Grace, and to take primary siksa from those who contradict what our beloved Srila Prabhupada has taught us.
