[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on January 13th, 1998, in Australia, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 23]
Srila Gurudeva: First he should see whether he is Guru or not. Whether what is told in the scriptures about the qualification of guru, whether he is like that or not. Whether he is qualified for all these things or not. Then he should take initiation from him. But anyhow, if anyone accepts any guru by only seeing his words, if they have not tested him and he sees that he is not actually in the line of his Guru, not in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, not in the line of Rupa Gosvami, not in the line of Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami, then he should reject him. But anyone may not at that time have this intelligence to decide who is Guru and only saw that, “So many people are going to him and are being initiated.” That is why he has gone to him and at once taken initiation. But some time after if he realizes that actually he is not Guru, he is not that high class of Guru, his character is not so good, he is very fond of worldly desires, he is attached to this world and he is very fond of worldly wealth, then what should he do? If he has been initiated and now he is realizing all of this after some days, then what should he do?
If his purpose is not served...what is that purpose? Being engaged in the service of Krsna. If that aim is not being achieved, he may see any other Vaisnava in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rupa Gosvami. He will pray to his Guru, “Please allow me to go to that Vaisnava.” If he allows and he says, “Oh, I must also go there,” then he is actually Guru. Otherwise he is not Guru. If he is giving obstructions and saying, “Oh, you should not go there because if you will be so advanced, more than me, then what will I do? A big problem will come. I want that you should always be under me, always giving me puri, halava, so much delicious foods, so much money and so much pratistha.” He will never allow you to go. This is the symptom of aguru, not pure Guru.
We should try to reject him. It is said like this everywhere in the Vedas, Upanisads, and especially in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Also Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Jaiva-dharma and in Gaudiya Kanthahara at the time of Prabhupada, it is vividly written everywhere. If our purpose is not served that, “Oh, I want to serve Krsna,” then what is the use of Guru? If Guru wants so much money, so much reputation, and he is the owner of so many big houses, with all kinds of comfort and everything like cars that cost one lakh dollars, being always like this, if he has no taste in his Gurudeva’s teachings, then what is the use of that Guru? We should surely at once reject that guru.