"Blind following means, "Oh, there is a svami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple." This is called blind following. You do not know what is that svami, whether he is a svami or he is rascal. You do not know. But because everyone is going, "Oh, let me become his disciple." This is blind following. Without any knowledge, blind following."
(Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 12/1/69)
Because, before accepting a spiritual master, one is supposed to test whether he is actually bona fide:
"we have to make a little test where to surrender. That much knowledge you must have. Don't surrender to any nonsense."
(Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 2/1/67)
In this respect, we can note that it is the IRM that is following this instruction to make a "test where to surrender", and thus helping to prevent blind following. For anyone considering surrendering to a GBC guru, we provide all the "knowledge" necessary to allow them to objectively verify if such gurus are authorised and thus bona fide.
However, after one has accepted the bona fide guru, then one must follow blindly in the sense that one cannot turn back:
"Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay. But one should take everything with logic. But the servants of God, they put everything in logic. [...] So one should be intelligent to understand the philosophy of Krsna or philosophy of Lord Caitanya with logic and argument. Don't follow blindly. But once you accept, you cannot argue. You have to accept blindly. But before accepting, you take to logic. But when you accept, then don't go back. Then that is falldown."
(Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 6/1/71)
"I blindly follow my guru maharaj. I do not know what is the result."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 6/12/74)
Hence, the reason it is important to check that a guru is authorised before accepting him, is that once one has accepted a guru, one is supposed to completely surrender to him without reservation:
"Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that "I accept the order of My spiritual master in toto, without any interpretation, without any argument, without any understanding. Whatever he has said, it is all right." This is acceptance of spiritual master."
(Srila Prabhupada, Lecture, 9/2/67)
Even if one thinks one has seen a "mistake" in one's guru, one should accept it. Below, Srila Prabhupada refers to a disciple who "corrected" his Sanskrit translation:
"Oh, yes. You should not be more educated. [...] This should be strictly forbidden. [...] The system is: whatever authority has done, even there is mistake, it should be accepted. Arsa-prayoga. [...] He should not become more learned than the authority. That is very bad habit."
(Srila Prabhupada, Room Conversation, 27/2/77)
And this kind of submissive following of a genuine guru is how one can make spiritual advancement:
"Satisfaction of the spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. [...] One simply has to surrender himself to his guru and everything will be revealed to him."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 7/11/74)
Thus, there is a simple distinction to be made in regard to blind following:
a) After having fully accepted Srila Prabhupada, to then follow him without hesitation, or blindly, is authorised, because he is the bona fide spiritual master. Indeed, such surrender is the secret of spiritual advancement.
b) The GBC gurus, however, must first be thoroughly tested to see if they are actually bona fide, before they can be followed, otherwise it is blind following.
Unfortunately, in ISKCON, we are seeing a tendency towards the exact opposite:
1) In the BTP 76 article "ISKCON's Attack on Srila Prabhupada Escalates", we listed how Srila Prabhupada and his teachings are being increasingly challenged. Everything from objecting to the teachings in his books to comparing him to a skeleton and a person with a neurological disorder is going on.
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2) Whereas, in regard to the GBC gurus – who, as we have documented issue after issue, are not authorised and thus should be scrutinised very carefully – blind following is demanded, with such scrutiny considered "offensive". Rather, we are told that their deviation must be praised. Thus, though Srila Prabhupada condemns those who are not qualified trying to take disciples –
"anyone, if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will to go to hell, like blind men leading the blind."
(Srila Prabhupada, Letter, 14/12/72)
– GBC voted-in guru HH Sivarama Swami ("SRS") states the exact opposite: that the non-liberated GBC gurus who engage in this deviation should be given "so much respect" because they are deviating in this way.
"a risk how many disciples one takes. One's trying to become liberated oneself, and yet at the same time one's carrying the burden of others. That's why we offer so much respect to Vaisnavas"
(SRS, Lecture, 15/9/24)
This topsy-turvy behaviour, where the bona fide is challenged, and those to be challenged are instead considered bona fide, just demonstrates how much ISKCON today has come under the influence of Kali-yuga:
"Therefore, by the influence of the age of Kali, everywhere, politically, socially or religiously, everything is topsy-turvy"
(SB, 1.16.22, purport)
Extreme submission is not a problem when the person is bona fide, and indeed is actually required in order to make advancement. For ISKCON that person is Srila Prabhupada.
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