What to do if one disagrees with the spiritual master?

In Srimad Bhagavatam, we read about the mysterious history of Jaya and Vijaya coming to the material world. Here are a few facts about the pastime you may not know about.

Aug 02, 2025

In his purport to Bhagavad-Gita (4.34), Srila Prabhupada wrote that:

“Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. Not only should one hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.”

One may ask: What if I disagree with my guru on some issue? There are certainly differences in opinion that can create cracks in many relationships, including many guru-disciple relationships. What to do if one disagrees with his or her spiritual master on some important topic?

In a situation like that, many will quickly question the authority of the guru. If the guru has a different opinion from mine, it means he must be wrong, right? Maybe he is not a bona fide guru at all.

Well, once Srila Prabhupada said that actually there are many qualified gurus, even in Kali-yuga, but where are the qualified disciples? If one starts to question the qualifications of the guru over even small disagreements, we could question why he thinks he needs a guru in the first place.

Some think that the guru is an institutional imposition, someone I need to bow down to get a name and a position in society, the start of our institutional career, a ladder we need to take to go up in the social spheres. They are missing the point.

Once, concerned about Srila Prabhupada's weak health and his upcoming trip to India, disciples asked if, during his absence, one of his God-brothers should come to America to take charge of our spiritual society. Srila Prabhupada became very grave and closed his eyes for a moment. Tears started rolling down his cheeks. "My Guru Maharaja... he was no ordinary spiritual master," he said, wiping away the tears. "He... saved me". The subject is dropped forever.

One should accept a spiritual master when one understands that he or she doesn't know how to solve the essential problems of life. One should accept someone he considers more qualified than oneself, and start the process of service and submissive inquiries that can help one to understand one’s eternal relationship with Krsna.

If the guru tells something we can't understand or assumes a position we think is unreasonable, the first step is to simply ask. The guru usually has much more knowledge and realization than the disciple, and therefore, chances are that he is just basing his statements on philosophical views the disciple can't understand yet. By asking, one gives the spiritual master the chance of explaining things in a way he can understand. Chances are that one will realize that he was right all along. The whole idea of accepting a spiritual master is to admit there are many things we don’t know, that we are perplexed in solving the real problems of life, and we need the help of someone who is further is the path and can help us. It implies accepting that there are many things we don’t know and being open to changing our way of seeing things.

If, however, the relationship with the guru is so weak and cheap that one can't even tolerate some difference in opinion and starts to question the qualifications of the spiritual master at the first opportunity, maybe he should start by considering why he needs a guru in the first place. If he is so perfect, maybe he himself should become a guru instead of accepting one.

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